Skip to content
Forkdly

Collection

Easy Christmas Desserts for an Aussie Summer Christmas

Updated

An Australian Christmas dessert table has to deal with heat that most of the traditional British recipes were never designed for, which is why so many of the best options here are either served cold or finished the morning of, rather than eaten warm out of the oven. This list leans into that: a fruit sorbet, a cold set trifle, a pavlova that just needs assembling on the day.

The fruit cake and the tiramisu cake are the two that need the most lead time, both are genuinely better for sitting a day or more before serving, so they're worth starting earlier in December rather than the day before. The trifle sits in the middle, it needs a day to set its layers properly but doesn't need weeks like the fruit cake does.

Everything else on this list, the pavlova, the Eton mess and the sorbet, can be pulled together within a day of Christmas itself, which makes them good options if you're planning a dessert table at the last minute or just want something that doesn't tie up the oven while a roast or a ham is already in there.

  1. 01
    Pavlova topped with whipped cream, sliced strawberries and passionfruit pulp on a white plate

    Classic Pavlova with Passionfruit and Strawberries

    The crisp-shelled, marshmallowy classic, topped with passionfruit and strawberries. Make the base the day before and only add cream and fruit on the day.

    Get the recipe
  2. 02
    Christmas trifle in a glass bowl with sponge, berry jelly, custard and cream layers topped with strawberries and flaked almonds

    Christmas Trifle

    Layers of sponge, jelly, custard and cream that need a day in the fridge to set properly, so it's genuinely better made ahead than rushed.

    Get the recipe
  3. 03
    Slice of tiramisu layer cake with coffee-soaked sponge, mascarpone cream, cocoa and chocolate curls on a white plate

    Tiramisu Cake

    A coffee sponge version of the Italian classic that actually improves after a day in the fridge, good for getting dessert sorted early.

    Get the recipe
  4. 04
    Slice of dark Christmas fruit cake studded with dried fruit, glace cherries and flaked almonds on a white plate

    Classic Christmas Cake

    The traditional fed fruit cake, best started weeks ahead but still worth making with just a few days of feeding if you're short on time.

    Get the recipe
  5. 05
    Bowl of Eton mess with whipped cream, broken meringue, strawberries and flaked almonds

    Strawberry Eton Mess

    Broken meringue, cream and strawberries folded together in minutes, no baking on the day and barely any real method to it at all.

    Get the recipe
  6. 06
    Three scoops of mango sorbet in a white bowl with a spoon beside it

    Mango Sorbet

    Cold, fruity and dairy-free, a good lighter option on the table alongside the richer cakes and custard-based desserts.

    Get the recipe

Start the fruit cake and tiramisu cake earliest if you're making both, everything else on this list can wait until the week of Christmas without any loss of quality.