Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Strawberry shortcake trifle that’s made with a delicious blend of buttery pound cake, sweet whipped cream and juicy strawberries. The perfect no-bake summer dessert to make for a crowd!

Easy Strawberry Trifle with Cream

I love how fancy a trifle looks, when in reality – it is so easy to make! The different layers of colors and textures are so pretty and taste delicious. Strawberries are my favorite fruit to add to a trifle dessert. They taste amazing in this strawberry shortcake trifle, as well as my brownie strawberry trifle.

Being the dessert lover that I am, I really love using strawberries to whip up a no-bake dessert in the summer time. I love that they are so flavorful that it doesn’t take much to make them into a show-stopping dessert.

This strawberry shortcake trifle is one of our favorite treats! It’s ready in about ten minutes, so easy that the kids can help make it, and it has just a few easy ingredients. It’s a favorite for bringing to parties because it’s so simple and everyone loves it!

Each bite is a delicious blend of buttery pound cake, sweet whipped cream, and juicy strawberries. Really, what could be better than that? In just a few minutes, you’ll have a completely gorgeous and delicious strawberry trifle dessert!

Trifle Layers

• Pound cake: This type of cake is my favorite to use and tastes amazing when paired with the fresh berries and cream. It’s moist, tender and dense, making it sturdy enough to hold up well with the other ingredients. Feel free to buy premade loafs from the grocery store, or make your own homemade pound cake.
• Strawberries: Fresh, juicy strawberries add a sweetness and fresh flavor that tastes absolutely incredible. Look for plump strawberries with a vibrant red color and sweet fragrance. Summer is the peak season for strawberries, making it a great time to showcase those fresh berries!
• Cream: As with any strawberry shortcake recipe, you can’t forget the luscious sweet cream layer. Making a stabilized whipped cream or cool whip from scratch is not only delicious, but will help the cream stay sturdier for longer. Regular homemade whipped cream is another option, although it tends to fall quicker.

How to Make a Strawberry Trifle

• Prepare the whipped cream. Let the gelatin dissolve in a small bowl of water to bloom. Once thickened, heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds to liquify the mixture again. Next beat the cold heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer or hand mixer on low until combined, then on high until a soft peak forms. While the beaters are still on, slowly pour in the gelatin and beat until a stiff peak forms.
• Cake layer. Slice the pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Then add half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a trifle dish.
• Strawberry layer. Next you’ll chop the fresh strawberries and sprinkle half of the berries on top of the cake layer.
• Cream layer. Spread half of the whipped cream over the fruit, then repeat with the remaining pound cake, strawberries and cream until the trifle is filled to the top.

Variations

• I love to use pound cake, but vanilla cake or angel food cake cubes taste great as well. You can even use the pound cake muffins from Costco.
• Other types of berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) would also taste delicious.
• Sweeten the strawberry layer by making an easy strawberry sauce with a sprinkle of granulated sugar. This makes them a little more syrupy.
• Store-bought cool whip may also be used in place of the homemade stabilized whipped cream.
• For the cream layer, you can even use a cream cheese filling instead of whipped cream if you prefer. The cream cheese mixture won’t be as fluffy or sturdy, but will give it a richer flavor.
• Make a chocolate version by using chopped homemade brownies or chocolate cake instead of pound cake.

Strawberry Shortcake in a Cup

For a smaller crowd, half the recipe and serve in mini trifle jars, mason jars or individual cups (this recipe will make 12 mini strawberry shortcake cups). Simply divide the pound cake, strawberries and whipped cream between the cups and layer until full. Don’t forget to garnish with a sliced strawberry and fresh mint leaves if desired. The perfect mini dessert!

Preparing in Advance

This strawberry shortcake trifle definitely tastes best served the first day, however you can prepare it a few hours in advance if needed. This is where using stabilized whipped cream comes in handy, so that it doesn’t fall and stays sturdy while it chills.

Simply assemble the trifle up to 2 hours in advance, then cover and store in the refridgerator until ready to enjoy. I’d recommend adding the final top layer of whipped cream right before serving.