Juicy strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are layered with soft cubes of angel food cake and fluffy homemade whipped cream in this tempting summer must-make! Nothing brings people together like a Strawberry Shortcake Trifle.
Want more light summer dessert recipes? Try out this Berry Tart with Almond Crust or my Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Ice Cream.
The Best No-Bake Dessert for Summer Celebrations
Strawberry shortcake is such an irresistible treat, and this easy recipe turns it into a decadent layered trifle! My Pillowy Homemade Whipped Cream, delicate angel food cake and fresh summer berries make it stand out on any dessert table. Instead of using strictly strawberries, this trifle incorporates blueberries and blackberries for triple the fruity delight.
As an added bonus, the red and blue berries with the pearly whipped cream make this no-bake dessert work wonderfully for patriotic holidays. I frequently turn to this trifle when I need a crowd-favorite goodie with very little effort involved. It comes together in 15 minutes or less!
What Are the Layers in a Trifle?
Traditional English trifles are typically layered with cream, fruit, jelly, custard, and morsels of sponge cake or pound cake. Generally speaking, a trifle can be taken in tons of different directions – most Americans simply know it as a scoop-able layered dessert served in a large, clear dish. This recipe takes inspiration from the traditional end while also forging its own path with angel food cake, berries and whipped cream composing the layers.
Recipe Ingredients
Believe it or not, this show-stopping dessert uses only 5 ingredients! Scroll down to the recipe card for specifics.
- Pre-Made Angel Food Bundt Cake: You should be able to find this in the bakery section at your local grocery store. Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes.
- Homemade Whipped Cream: In a pinch, you can use Cool Whip instead – but I wouldn’t. My 3-Ingredient Whipped Cream is practically effortless and well worth the extra 5 minutes of work!
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries: Hulled and sliced.
Can I Use Frozen Berries?
Frozen and thawed berries will work for this recipe, but they won’t provide the same level of juicy goodness as their fresh counterparts. Best case scenario, all of the berries would be locally sourced to ensure maximum freshness. If they’re out of season, I suggest picking up some imported ones from the supermarket.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Once your whipped cream is ready, your cake is cubed and your strawberries are sliced, making this trifle is just a matter of layering. It truly couldn’t get any easier!
Assemble First Cake Layer: Line the bottom of a trifle dish or a large glass bowl with 1/3 of the cake cubes until you can no longer see the bottom. This is your first layer.
Add Whipped Cream: Spread on 1/3 of the whipped cream to completely cover the angel food cake layer.
Add Berries: Add 1/3 of the berries in an even layer on top of the whipped cream.
Continue Layering: Continue with the layering process of angel food cake, whipped cream and berries until all 3 layers have been added.
Enjoy! Scoop out individual servings of strawberry shortcake trifle, transfer them to plates and serve.
Tips for Success
Take a quick second to review the helpful notes below. Then it’s on to strawberry shortcake bliss!
- Wash the Fruit: All fresh berries should be rinsed off and thoroughly dried before they’re used. You never know when pesticides may be present, and no one wants to consume a bunch of chemicals.
- Macerate the Strawberries: Strawberry shortcake is often made with macerated berries, or strawberries that have been tossed with sugar to help them soften up and release their juices. Macerating your strawberries is especially helpful when they aren’t as sweet as you’d like them to be. To do this, simply mix the sliced berries with about 1/3 cup of sugar and allow them to rest for 20-30 minutes. All that lovely juice will soak into the angel food cake for a serious boost of strawberry delight!
- Chill if Not Serving Immediately: Transfer your finished trifle to the fridge if you’re not serving it on the spot. This helps everything stay nice and fresh, especially during those warm summer months.
Variation Ideas
One of my favorite things about trifles is their flexibility. Here are a few fun ways to put your own spin on this recipe:
- Substitute Angel Food Cake for Pound Cake
- Add a Layer of Strawberry Jam
- Layer Into Glasses for Pre-Portioned Servings
- Use Raspberries Instead of Blackberries
- Incorporate Crushed Graham Crackers
- Swap Out Whipped Cream for Vanilla Pudding
How to Store Extras
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover trifle, keep it sealed in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days, but the texture of the whipped cream will loosen up over time. In terms of freezing, I wouldn’t try it – the trifle really wouldn’t be the same after thawing.
Print
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are layered with soft cubes of angel food cake and fluffy homemade whipped cream in this tempting summer must-make! Nothing brings people together like a Strawberry Shortcake Trifle.
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made angel food bundt cake, cut into 1” cubes {purchase in bakery section of local grocery store}
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 pint of blackberries
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a trifle dish or a large glass bowl with 1/3 of the cake cubes until you can no longer see the bottom. This is your first layer.
- Spread on 1/3 of the whipped cream to completely cover the angel food cake layer.
- Add 1/3 of the berries in an even layer on top of the whipped cream.
- Continue with the layering process of angel food cake, whipped cream and berries until all 3 layers have been added.
- Scoop out individual servings of trifle, transfer to plates and serve.
Notes
To Store: Keep extra trifle sealed in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days, but the texture of the whipped cream will loosen up over time.
Filed Under:
More Scrumptious Strawberry Treats to Try
Want more berry goodness? Make these masterpieces next.
- Homemade Strawberry Basil Frozen Yogurt
- Strawberry Chia Pudding
- Skinny Mini Cheesecakes With Strawberry Sauce
- Easy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->
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22 comments on “Strawberry Shortcake Trifle”
Made this recipe last night for Family Night. Used Cool Whip. Big hit! There was one small bowl left over and my husband and I just split it!
Thank you Krista❤️
Wooho! So glad to hear it was a hit!
How many people does 1x recipe feed? How much in advance should you make this recipe? Thank you 😊
So sorry I didn’t see this till you made it. I would say it feeds between 10-12.
Can you use cool whip instead of whipp cream
Yes, you could substitute with cool whip.
Hi when an where do you add custard or did i miss it
A traditional trifle typically has custard, but this version utilizes whipped cream between the layers.
Krista – perfect for this time of year-Thanks for sharing. Sharon and Denise
Aww… Thanks girls! I hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Mmmmmm, this looks divine! Can’t wait to try it and it’s so festive! I’m visiting from the VMG206 link party.
Christy @ Creating a Beautiful Life
Thanks so much Christy, it was really yummy and super light. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a great rest of the night.
Thank you for sharing at Who Needs a Cape?’s Super Sunday linky! This is a beautiful trifle!
Love trifles! They are always delish and bonus of being pretty! Saw you at 6 Sisters and had to come over!
Would love for you to drop this off for Super Sunday at Who Needs a Cape? We are live now 😉 http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/06/super-sunday-party-3/
Thanks so much for stopping by Heather. Trifles are so yummy and definitely a show stopper to look at, so much so you don’t want to touch it so as not to ruin its beauty. hehe. Stopping over now! 🙂
Beautiful dessert! SO easy too!! I LOVED Maui! Please tell me you got sushi from Sensei!
I didn’t! Wish I would have talked to you before I left about it! We went to this awesome place called The Fish Market in Paia!!! Soooo good, awesome Mahi Mahi. 🙂 When did you go?
OH! MY! GOSH!! I’m dying over this- I so love angel food cake- add whip cream & berries- you are killing me Krista!!!
hahaa… Well you will die when you eat it too!! For how long it takes it is amazing! 🙂
Definitely a perfect dessert for one of my favorite holidays! Wouldn’t mind giving this a try 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Krista, we’ve missed you! So glad to hear your trip was wonderful and we want to see some photos! 🙂 This trifle looks fantastic and perfect for the 4th! Thanks for sharing, welcome back and pinning! Have a great Monday!
Awwww… Thanks Cindy! I missed all you girls too! Its so funny how its only been a week but I feel so behind. Thanks for stopping by and the sweet comments! 🙂