Strawberry Trifle

Despite how ornate trifles look, they are some of the easiest desserts to make. They require few ingredients and allow for a lot of variation if you like adding your own twists to tried-and-true recipes. Strawberry trifle ranks in our top 10 trifle recipes for good reason: It’s simple and light and has dozens of five-star reviews.

The airy cake, whipped filling and bright strawberries make this the ideal dessert for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. You can also keep it in mind when you’re looking for spring and summertime baby shower recipes or bridal shower recipes.

Is trifle made with angel food cake, sponge cake or pound cake?

This trifle recipe uses angel food cake. Angel food cake uses egg whites to keep the cake airy, which works really well with the delicate strawberries in this recipe. Generally, though, you can make a trifle with any of the three.

Traditional sponge cake uses the yolks of the eggs, and some sponge cake recipes also use butter. Both of those ingredients will make the resulting cake heavier. A trifle made with pound cake (like this cranberry orange trifle) will be even more dense than a sponge cake version.

Ingredients for Strawberry Trifle

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• Milk: To prevent the whipped layers from being too thick, milk keeps it smooth enough to spread easily over the cake and berries (versus a thick frosting).
• Sour cream: Sour cream will help thicken the whipped filling, and it’ll also keep the angel food cake moist as the layers marry during the chill time. If you don’t have sour cream, you can swap it out for Greek yogurt, though it might taste slightly different.
• Vanilla pudding mix: There are so many amazing recipes that use vanilla pudding mix, and this is one of them. It’s the most effortless way to add a ton of flavor and thicken the whipped layers between the angel food and strawberries.
• Whipping cream: Store-bought whipped cream also works like a charm here, and it takes a lot less time to prep. Try sweetened whipped cream if you’re making it at home.
• Angel food cake: Again, store-bought angel food keeps this recipe easy, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can make homemade angel food cake.
• Strawberries: Strawberries add most of the sweet fruity flavor to this trifle, so you’ll want to make sure you get the freshest, reddest berries at the market. Since trifle bowls keep the dessert fully visible, use berries that are juicy and red with very little white or pink spots. They also shouldn’t have bruises or shriveled skin.

Directions

Step 1: Create the whipped filling

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In a large bowl, beat the milk, sour cream, pudding mix and orange zest on low speed until thickened. You can use a hand mixer for this, but a whisk and some elbow grease work just fine.

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Use a spatula to fold in the whipped cream.

Step 2: Layer the trifle

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Place half the cake cubes in a 3-quart glass bowl. Arrange one-third of the strawberries around the side of the bowl and over the cake. Top with half of the pudding mixture, gently spreading it to the sides. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Repeat the layers once.

Top with the remaining berries. Refrigerate for two hours. If desired, top with additional whipped cream before serving.

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Recipe Variations

• Add a pop of citrus: Mix 1 tablespoon orange liqueur into the sour cream mixture for an added touch of sweetness. If you don’t have orange liqueur or you want to keep the recipe nonalcoholic, turn the recipe into a strawberry lemon trifle.
• Try other fruits: Bananas, blueberries and peaches mix wonderfully with strawberries. Make this recipe a strawberry banana trifle instead, or add 1 cup fresh blueberries, or layer sliced fresh peaches in with the strawberries.
• Layer in chocolate: Anyone who loves chocolate-covered strawberries will love transforming a strawberry trifle into a chocolate strawberry punch bowl trifle. It uses chocolate cake mix and chocolate frosting, so make sure you have some in your pantry before beginning.

How to Store Strawberry Trifle

We recommend storing your trifle in the same bowl you made it in, covered tightly so no air can get in. Eat your strawberry trifle within two to three days for the freshest flavor. Any longer than that and you’ll have some pretty soggy trifle.

Can you make strawberry trifle ahead of time?

Technically, you can make strawberry trifle up to three days in advance, but we recommend serving it within one day for the best experience. Over time, the angel food cake could get soggy and the dessert won’t look quite as fluffy. If you know you’re serving your trifle at a brunch or an afternoon party, you can make your trifle the evening before. If you won’t be serving your trifle until evening, we recommend making the trifle in the morning so it doesn’t lose its pretty presentation.

Strawberry Trifle Tips

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What is the best dish to serve a trifle in?

Strawberry trifle is the perfect excuse to pull out your fancy trifle bowl. Some are set on short stands and others simply have flat bottoms and vertical sides (unlike the sphere shape of a regular bowl). You can also serve trifle in individual trifle glasses if you have them. No special trifle bowl? No problem. You can use a regular bowl, though the layers won’t be quite as even toward the bottom.

How do I keep my angel food cake from getting squished in a trifle?

To avoid squishing the light-as-air angel food cake, freeze it overnight, then cut it with a serrated knife, using a back-and-forth motion.