A Summer Berry Trifle is the perfect dessert for your next summer party! Made with layers of fluffy cake, velvety whipped cream cheese, juicy berries, and bright lemon curd, there’s something for everyone in each bite. While this treat is definitely decadent, it’s also an incredibly easy no-bake dessert!
Why You’ll Love This Summer Berry Trifle
I absolutely love trifles because I enjoy the process of making them and eating them! I’ve made a darn good banana pudding trifle and an autumn-inspired pumpkin spice tiramisu trifle, but it’s time to let the summer season shine!
There’s nothing like a fresh juicy summer berry bursting on your tongue, so I used them as inspiration for today’s dessert. As a bonus – berries are multicolored so you can layer them in your trifle to look patriotic for July 4th.
Make your berry trifle the day before, or whip it up in just a few minutes before your guests arrive. Below I’ve included variations and substitutions for when you fall in love and want to make a trifle for every occasion, because I can guarantee you will!
Ingredients
To break this recipe down, you only have three sections to shop for: the cake, the fruit, and the whipped topping. I’ve listed a grocery list for you below, but be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
The Cake
Feel free to make your own pound cake or Angel food cake, if you want, but I used storebought to make life easier.
The Fruit
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Lemon – zest and juice
- Honey
The Whipped Cream Cheese Topping
- Mascarpone cheese
- Cream cheese
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla extract – or vanilla bean paste
- Lemon curd – storebought is fine!
- Fresh mint
Variations
- You can make mini versions of this recipe in individual serving glasses. It’s a cute touch!
- Make this dessert all year long with whatever fruit is in season.
- Swap the cake cubes for ladyfingers!
- Instead of cream cheese, use vanilla pudding. It’ll make the texture a little more dense but equally delicious.
- If you’re a chocolate lover, make this trifle a chocolate strawberry theme. Use brownies for the cake layer and strawberries for your fruit. Either omit the curd layer altogether or swap it with strawberry jam or chocolate ganache.
- Play around with your favorite flavors and get creative!
How to Make a Berry Trifle
Step 1: Prep Cake
Cut your pound cake or angel food cake into 1-inch cubes and set them aside for assembly.
Step 2: Prep Berry Mixture
- Cut the strawberries in half (or in your desired shape) and put them in a large bowl.
- Add the raspberries, blueberries, lemon zest, juice, and honey to the bowl.
- Mix everything until well combined and the berries are evenly coated.
- Refrigerate the berry mixture for 30 minutes or more to allow the flavors to marinate.
- Reserve a small amount of berries to decorate the top of the trifle, if desired.
Step 3: Cream Cheese Mixture
- In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, mix together the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until everything’s smooth and creamy, and then add the whipped cream and fold it together with the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Refrigerate until assembly.
Step 4: Start Assembly
In a large trifle dish or clear glass bowl, add an even layer of cake cubes. Then, add ⅓ of the mixed berry mixture evenly distributed on top of the cake layer.
Step 5: Add Cream
Add ⅓ of the cream layer on top of the berries and spread it evenly. Add ¼ cup of the lemon curd over the cream layer and spread it evenly over the cream.
Step 6: More Layers + Garnish
Continue layering the cake, berries, cream, and curd layers until the trifle is full. Add the reserved berries to the top for garnish, or in a decorative pattern with fresh mint for garnish.
FAQs
Should a trifle be made the night before?
You can make your trifle the night before, but it doesn’t have to be made the night before! It’s so easy to assemble, so I would recommend prepping the berry and cream cheese mixture the night before, refrigerating them, and then assembling the trifle the day next day a couple of hours before you serve it.
How long will my berry trifle last?
This yummy summer treat will last about 3 days covered in the refrigerator. After that, the texture won’t be great.
What else can I eat leftover lemon curd with?
Oh, you can eat a million different things with lemon curd! Stir it into your yogurt with granola, put it on ice cream, smear it on crepes/pancakes, fill your cakes/cupcakes with it, eat it with clotted cream on a scone, etc.
Summer Party Serving Suggestions
I would support you if you wanted to take a spoon straight to your trifle and call it dinner, but you might want to build a little menu around this treat to show it off! I’ve curated a list of ideas for you to serve your friends and family – let me know what they think!
- Start your summer berry theme off right with some drinks! Try this fresh blueberry thyme champagne smash, a raspberry martini, or strawberry basil lemonade for your sober friends. You can also get creative with homemade strawberry syrup and make your own berry-themed cocktail!
- Appetizers are a must! Serve this creamy burrata caprese, honey blueberry goat cheese dip, or goat cheese bruschetta (with strawberries on top!).
- I’ve selected three nourishing, bright, and summer-inspired dishes for the main course. Try our uber-popular 15-minute Mediterranean salmon, this classic grilled lemon chicken, or a salmon and leek risotto.
- Alongside your protein, you can serve broccolini salad and/or honey sriracha brussels sprouts to add some veggies to your plate.
- And finally, dig into your trifle to bookend your evening with fresh summer berries!
More Berry Treats You’ll Love
- Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream Icing
- Blackberry Rhubarb Muffins with Crumble Topping
- Mixed Berry Whiskey Crisp
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Scones
If you make this Summer Berry Trifle, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Summer Berry Trifle
ingredients
For cake:
- 1 16 oz pound or angel food cake cut into 1 inch cubes (I used store-bought)
- For fruit:
- 2 lbs strawberries
- 1 pint raspberries
- 2 pints blueberries
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp honey
- For whipped topping:
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temp
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup lemon curd store bought okay
- Fresh mint
instructions
- Cut pound cake or angel food cake into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
- Cut strawberries in half or in desired shape and place In a large bowl. Add raspberries, blueberries, lemon zest, juice and honey to the bowl. Mix together until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to allow the flavors to marinate. Reserve a small amount of berries for the top to decorate if desired.
- In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, mix together the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and vanilla extract or paste. Mix together until smooth and creamy. Add in the whipped cream and fold together until smooth. Refrigerate until assembly.
- In a large trifle dish or clear glass bowl, add an even layer of cake cubes. Add ⅓ of the mixed berry mixture on top of the cake cubes and evenly distribute.
- Add ⅓ of the cream layer on top of the berries and spread until an even layer. Add ¼ cup of lemon curd on top of the cream layer and spread out evenly.
- Continue the cake, berries, cream and curd layers until the trifle is full. Add the reserved berries on top for garnish or in a decorative pattern and garnish with fresh mint.
notes
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