Do you love strawberry shortcakes but are in the mood for something different? Try this phenomenal strawberry shortcake trifle instead!
This spectacular sweet treat features layers of fluffy cake, juicy strawberries, and more.
It’s one of my all-time favorite summer desserts and is perfect for lazy days or special occasions.
Plus, it’s super easy to assemble, so no professional baking skills are required!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Easy Preparation: Everything about this dessert is impossibly simple thanks to the instant pudding mix and store-bought cake. Just mix and layer.
Time-Saving & Convenient: There’s even more to this trifle’s convenience than the easy ingredients. You can make it up to 12 hours ahead of time! So it’s ideal for busy hosts who want to save time.
Visual Appeal: Strawberry shortcake trifle is a real showstopper. Its vibrant layers of strawberries, pudding, and whipped cream mean it’s sure to impress.
Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The cream cheese and pudding’s richness perfectly balances the cake and berries’ sweetness.
Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries: Slice juicy, ripe strawberries to make this trifle sing. Sorry, fresh only – and remember to save a few for the garnish on top!
- Granulated Sugar: Mix it with the strawberries to draw out their juices.
- Vanilla Cake: Use angel food or vanilla pound cake for the best taste and texture. Store-bought is just fine and will save you tons of time.
- Instant Pudding Mix & Cold Milk: For the thick, creamy layer between the cake and fruit.
- Cream Cheese: Blend it with the pudding for a decadent, tangy flavor that cuts through some of the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: You’ll mix this with the cream cheese and whipped cream for the perfect level of sweetness.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The key to creating light, airy topping.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
If you’re on the hunt for a show-stopping, crowd-pleasing treat, look no further than this strawberry shortcake trifle.
It’s light, sweet, and perfect for any party.
Better yet, it’s ready in minutes!
1. MACERATE the strawberries by mixing them with sugar and letting them sit for 20–30 minutes until syrupy.
2. BEAT the pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes until thick.
3. MIX the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the pudding and blend until combined.
4. WHIP the heavy cream in a clean, cold bowl until it thickens. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat until stiff peaks form.
5. LAYER some strawberries in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half the cake cubes, half the pudding mixture, and half the remaining strawberries.
6. REPEAT the layers of cake, pudding, and strawberries, then finish with the whipped cream.
7. CHILL for at least 1 hour. Garnish with fresh strawberries and mint leaves, if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Trifle recipes are pretty forgiving. Even so, here are a few tips to ensure yours turns out just right:
- Don’t rush the strawberries. Let them soak in the sugar for at least 30 minutes before adding them to the recipe. That should give them plenty of time to release their juices.
- Add lemon juice. Want to draw out the tart, berrylicious flavor of the strawberries even more? Add a splash of lemon juice.
- Cube the cake evenly. Try to keep all of the cake squares to 1-inch cubes. Uniformly sized pieces will absorb the strawberry juices more evenly. It also just looks nicer when everything is the same size.
- Layer carefully. Remember, you want clean, even, and distinct layers. If needed, use the back of a spoon to level each layer off.
- Add garnishes. Fresh strawberries and mint leaves are gorgeous on top of this lovely layered dessert. But the sky’s the limit!
- Bring some texture. To make this more authentic to the OG dessert, add some broken pieces of flaky biscuits! Mix them with the cake cubes to get soft and slightly crunchy in every bite.
- Try other berries. You can make this trifle with blueberries, raspberries, or any other berries you like. You may even want to try mixing and matching.
- Other variations. Besides swapping the berries, you can also experiment with other cake flavors. Try lemon drizzle cake or an unfrosted chocolate cake. You can mix up the pudding flavors, too.
How to Store
Like most trifle recipes, strawberry shortcake trifle is a breeze to store.
But remember: whipped cream won’t hold up as well as whipped topping. So it’s best enjoyed asap!
To Store: Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days. The longer it sits, the soggier the cake will become.
For longer storage (2-3 days), use whipped topping instead or save the whipped cream until ready to serve.
More Show-Stopping Trifles to Try
Raspberry Trifle
Lemon Blueberry Trifle
Chocolate Brownie Trifle
4th of July Trifle
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
10
servings20
minutes1
hour450
kcalThis quick and easy strawberry shortcake trifle is a layered dessert dream with juicy strawberries, fluffy cake, creamy pudding, and fluffy whipped cream.
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (14-16 ounce) angel food cake or pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
extra sliced strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Trifle Layers: In a large bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and granulated sugar. Stir until well combined, then set aside to macerate for 20-30 minutes, until syrupy.
- When the fruit is almost ready, beat the pudding mixes and cold milk with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until thick.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until thick and well blended. Add the pudding and mix to combine.
- In a clean, cold bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on low-medium until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat on medium until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble: Spoon a layer of macerated strawberries into the bottom of a trifle bowl, spreading it evenly. Top with half of the cake cubes, half of the pudding mix, and half of the remaining strawberries. Ensure each layer is even before adding the next.
- Repeat the layers (cake, pudding, and fruit) then top it off with the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries and mint leaves, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Try to keep all of the cake squares to 1-inch cubes. Uniformly sized pieces will absorb the strawberry juices more evenly.
- To make this more authentic to the OG dessert, add some broken pieces of flaky biscuits with the cake cubes.
