This lemon and berry trifle recipe will have you coming back time and time again! It has all of the best summer ingredients – angel food cake, lemon curd and fresh berries. Whether you are looking to make a dessert for 8 or for 4, this trifle is easy to adapt and is quite the crowd pleaser!
You all know my love of light desserts. I’ve never had a big sweet tooth, so anything with angel food cake and berries is always a winner in my book. For years I’ve been making a citrus angel food cake with homemade lemon curd. You can find my recipe for that HERE. Over Memorial day weekend I realized that the citrus angel food cake and lemon curd that was left over was just enough to make a lemon and berry trifle!
What is a trifle? Traditionally, English trifles have a layers of sponge cake and fruit and are topped with whipped cream. American trifles usually consist of crumbed cake pieces instead of sponge layers. For this trifle I cut my cake into small pieces and the lemon cream, adapted from Martha Stewart, really adds something special to this dessert.
When it comes to the container you’re making your trifle in, it’s really up to you. The most common way would be to make it in one large glass trifle dish. You can fit many layers in a large dish, which always looks enticing when serving a crowd.
For this recipe I decided to use a set of mini glass bowls that I had on hand. While I wasn’t able to get many layers, it still has the pretty layered look and tastes just as delicious. Serving each guest their own dish is always a fun touch and really makes the meal extra special. This recipe will make one large trifle or 6 small individual trifles.
For the cake layer, I used half of my Citrus Angel Food Cake. You can certainly use a store-bought cake or a homemade angel food cake recipe of your choice. I chose angel food cake because of it’s light texture and subtle sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter berry trifle recipe, a lemon pound cake would be a great option.
This recipe is the best with homemade whipped cream. You can easily make the amount needed for this recipe in just minutes.
I was able to fit three layers in each glass. I don’t know if it’s technically a trifle with just one layer of cake a fruit, but it’s close enough, ha!
The bottom of the dish is lined with 1″ pieces of cake. I used blueberries, raspberries an chopped strawberries to layer over the cake. The third layer is the lemon cream mixture and it’s then topped with whipped cream that I piped on using a piping back and star tip. I garnished each trifle with blueberries. You could also add raspberries, strawberries or a lemon slice if you choose.
Lemon & Berry Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 9" loaf of angel food cake or 1/2 -10" round angel food cake homemade or boxed if you prefer
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Lemon Cream Cheese Layer
- 1 8 oz. full fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup lemon curd homemade or store bought
- 5 cups fresh berries or choice
Instructions
Homemade Whipped Cream
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Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract on high for about 3 minutes or until you can get stiff peaks. Cover and refridgerate.
Lemon Cream Cheese Layer
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Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and lemon curd and mix until combined.
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Add 2 cups of the homemade whipped cream to the lemon mixture and mix just until combined. Place the remaining whipped cream back in the fridge.
Construct Your Trifles
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Cut the angle food cake into 1" pieces and line the bottom of 6 small trifle cups or 1 large trifle bowl with the cake pieces.
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Add the berries onto of the cake layer. Add as much or as little as you prefer.
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Add a layer of the lemon cream mixture, spread out evenly.
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If you're using a large trifle bowl, repeat the first three steps until you reach the top.
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For small individual trifle cups, stop after you've made your three layers or once you've reached the top.
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Cover your trifles and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, no more than 6 hours to cool before serving.
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When ready to serve, place the leftover whipped cream on the tops, using a piping bag and started tip. Top with fruit and serve!
I love how pretty and festive these trifles came out. It was beyond simple to assemble. With this recipe being easily adaptable, you can make it simply with a boxed cake and lemon curd or homemade as I did, with our Citrus Angel Food Cake with home lemon curd. Either way, it’s absolutely delicious!
What is you favorite summer dessert? Do you prefer a lighter dessert like I do, or do you prefer the sweet the better moto? One thing I love about summer is that we have more time to experiment in the kitchen and we’re always finding more recipes that our family loves.
Here’s to a lovely summer season and happy baking!
Amanda Marie, this looks luscious! I plan to serve it tomorrow. You advise not refrigerating it more than 6 hours. I would love to assemble it today. Do you feel that the cake will become too soggy? Thanks so much.
Hi Debra! I’m so sorry for the late response. I took most of the summer off. I know this is probably coming too late but yes, I would prep everything in advance, even cut the cake into cubes and then assemble just before serving or up a couple of hours for the best results.