METHOD

1. To make the chocolate cake, preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper and set aside. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, eggs, milk and butter in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. 
   
2. Pour into the prepared tin and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
   
3. While the cake is baking, make the chocolate ganache. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes or until the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool.
   
4. Using a large serrated knife, horizontally trim and discard the top from the cake. Cut the remaining cake into 4 equal layers. Trim the layers to fit a 3.5-litre-capacity glass dish. Place 1 cake layer in the base of the dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the sherry. Spoon over one-quarter of the ganache and place the trifle in the refrigerator.
   
5. Place the raspberry sorbet in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 1–2 minutes on low speed or until softened. Spread half the sorbet onto the trifle, returning the remaining sorbet to the freezer.
   
6. Add a second layer of cake, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the sherry, spoon over one-third of the remaining ganache and place the trifle in the freezer. 
   
7. Place the vanilla ice-cream and 2 tablespoons of the sherry in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed for 1–2 minutes or until softened. Spread onto the trifle and top with a third layer of cake. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the sherry and spoon over half the remaining ganache. 
   
8. Spread over the remaining sorbet and top with the fourth layer of cake. Drizzle with the remaining sherry and spoon over the remaining ganache. Return the trifle to the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen.
   
9. To make the meringue icing, place the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring with a metal spoon, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 4 minutes. 
   
10. While the syrup is cooking, place the eggwhite in the clean bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. With the motor running, gradually pour the hot syrup into the eggwhite and whisk for 6 minutes or until glossy and cool. 
    
11. Spoon the icing over the trifle and brown using a small kitchen blowtorch to serve. Serves 10–12

+ This trifle can be prepared up to 1–2 days ahead and kept in the freezer. If making ahead, remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.