We’re less than a week away from July 4th and I wanted to share my delicious red, white, and blue trifle dessert with you. This trifle is an absolute favorite dessert of ours all through the summer but especially for our 4th of July celebrations. Years ago, and I mean years, I bought this gorgeous trifle bowl at a Southern Living Home party. I’d never made a trifle before but I was mesmerized by this cute little dish.
Sadly after receiving it my trifle journey didn’t start. Nope, I tucked it away and completely forgot all about it until one day I found it buried in the back of a cabinet. Feeling sad for my poor little trifle bowl, I made it a mission to fulfill its destiny by making as many different trifle desserts as possible. We’ve made every combination you can think of, but this stunning red, white, and blue trifle is a true summer favorite.
It’s light and fresh, making it perfect for a hot summer day. Made with a store bought angel food cake it’s also a breeze to assemble! You may think this is just a basic angel food and whipped cream dessert with strawberries and blueberries but it is not. Adding just a few more simple ingredients takes this trifle dessert from good to WOW! It’s like magic.
If you’ve ever eaten a store bought angel food cake you probably know they don’t taste the best. Brushing the store bought angel food cake with an easy-to-make lemon sugar syrup transforms it into something magical. Yes, you can absolutely make your own angel food cake if time allows, just don’t skimp on the lemon sugar syrup!
Besides the delicious syrup the other secret to this amazing dessert is the cream cheese. The cream cheese takes this fruit trifle to a new level with its rich creaminess, plus the cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it won’t turn runny. When preparing sliced strawberry desserts consider using a strawberry slicer, it’s a great timesaver!
Red, White, & Blue Trifle
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 pre-made angel food cake, sliced into 1 inch slices
- 2 8 oz containers of cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 2 pints strawberries, rinsed and sliced
- 2 pints bluberries, rinsed
Instructions
To Prepare the Lemon Syrup
- Heat 1/4 cup of sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Let cool.
To Prepare the Trifle
- Brush both sides of the pound cake with the lemon syrup. Then cut the slices in into 1 inch cubes.
- With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese with 2/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until light and smooth. Add the cream and beat on medium-high until it's the consistency of whipped cream.
- Arrange half of the cake cubes into a trifle dish, then layer half of the blueberries, spoon half of the cream mixture, followed by half of the strawberries. Repeat the layers one more time, ending with the strawberries and adding extra blueberries for garnish if desired.
- Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator, then serve.
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
My strawberry shortcake poke cake is also another popular summer dessert that’s quite easy to make, and perfect for the 4th.
Up on a pedestal a pretty trifle demands attention. It’s such a pretty dessert isn’t it? Not only is it pretty but it’s so easy to make and looks amazing on my blue and white tablecloth – and it’s under $10! My trifle dish is pretty ancient and no longer sold but below I’ve found some gorgeous affordable trifle dishes below and all are under $40.
Don’t hide your trifle bowl in a cabinet and forget all about it like I did. It’s too pretty and versatile to stash it away! Use it to serve salads, salsa, and other dips… you can even decorate with it. Use it as a fruit bowl or to hold candy, potpourri, or other decorative items! Take care and have a happy safe 4th of July!
