How to Make Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Platinum Jubilee Pudding at Home

Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration—marking her 70th year on the throne—kicks off Thursday, June 2, with her birthday parade: Trooping the Colour. Over the following three days, there’ll be a derby, a pageant, a palace party, luncheons, and more. 

If you happen to catch a glimpse of a decadent lemon trifle at any of the aforementioned events, it’s probably not just any decadent lemon trifle. It’s the Platinum Pudding—the official dessert of the Platinum Jubilee.

The recipe was created by Merseyside-based copywriter Jemma Melvin, who drew inspiration from both her baking-savvy grandmothers and the queen herself. She landed on lemon as the main flavor after learning that lemon posset was served at Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947. In addition to lemon curd, Melvin’s layered confection features Swiss rolls, custard, amaretti biscuits, Mandarin coulis, and orange-and-lemon jelly (St. Clement’s jelly). On top are shards of white chocolate bark suspended in the fluffiest whipped cream you’ve ever seen.

Melvin bested four other finalists to win the Platinum Pudding Competition, organized by fine foods retailer Fortnum & Mason and judged by a panel of experts—including former The Great British Baking Show judge Dame Mary Berry. If the lemon trifle hadn’t come out on top, the Jubilee’s official sweet treat might’ve been a Victoria sponge-inspired bundt cake, a fruity frangipane tart, a floral falooda cake, or a white chocolate and berry pudding.

To make it easier for people far and wide to join the UK in honoring its longest-reigning monarch, Fortnum & Mason has published all the finalists’ recipes online. While Melvin made her layers completely from scratch, she’s also included tips to simplify the process for bakers who may not have the time (or the skill) to do the same. The queen will never find out that you used store-bought lemon curd and almond cookies instead of homemade versions.

See the full recipe for “Jemma’s Lemon Swiss Roll & Amaretti Trifle” in PDF form here.