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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!

Closeup of strawberry shortcake trifle.
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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 summertime. I love that desserts with strawberries are so flavorful and it doesn’t take much to make them into a show-stopping treat like with my favorite strawberry shortcake recipe.

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!

Strawberry shortcake trifle ingredients on counter.

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: Just like my strawberry shortcake biscuits 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.
Step by step collage showing how to make strawberry shortcake trifle.

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.

Chill Your Beaters

Before making the whipped cream layer, place your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior. This helps the stiff peaks form quicker.

Variations

  • I love to use pound cake, but vanilla cake or my homemade angel food cake cut into 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.

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!

5 star review

“Love how easy this came together. Made it for a local holiday on Thursday and everyone was raving about the trifle.”

-Helene

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.

Closeup of a strawberry trifle with cream.

Need more strawberry desserts? strawberry cake, strawberry sheet cake and easy strawberry brownies are all full of berrylicious taste!

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Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

5 from 10 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
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!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Video

Ingredients 

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 2 teaspoons gelatin (unflavored)
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 cups heavy cream , cold
  • 5-6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Trifle

  • 2 loaves pound cake , cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 6 cups strawberries , chopped

Instructions

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • Place a medium-large-sized mixing bowl and the beaters into the freezer for about 15 minutes.
  • Dissolve the gelatin in a small bowl with the water. Let sit a few minutes until thickened. Microwave about 10 seconds until it turns back to liquid.
  • Pour the cream, sugar, and vanilla into the chilled bowl. Beat on low until the ingredients are mixed together, then beat on high until a soft peak forms, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly mix in the liquid gelatin while the beaters are on. Beat until a stiff peak forms.

Strawberry Trifle

  • To assemble the trifle, distribute half of the pound cake into the bottom of the trifle. Sprinkle half the strawberries over the top, then add a dollop of whipped cream. Repeat with remaining pound cake, strawberries, and whipped cream until complete.

Notes

Strawberry Trifle Cups: To assemble the trifle in cups, distribute half of the pound cake evenly between 12 individual serving glasses. Sprinkle half the strawberries over the top, then add a dollop of whipped cream to each cup. Repeat with remaining pound cake, strawberries, and whipped cream. You can cut the recipe in half to make 6 small cups. 
Variations:
  • I love to use pound cake because it is sturdier, but vanilla cake or angel food cake taste great as well.
  • You can also swap out the berries, if you prefer blueberries or raspberries. 
  • If you would like for the strawberries to have more of a syrup, you can sprinkle sugar over top of the strawberries 15 minutes before adding. 
Make-ahead: Assemble the trifle up to 2 hours in advance and store in fridge until ready to serve. Wait to add the whipped cream on top. It is definitely best served the first day. 
Whipped cream: The homemade stabilized whipped cream is worth the extra effort, but in a pinch store-bought cool whip will work just as well. You can also use regular whipped cream, however it tends to fall easier (still absolutely delicious just not as pretty). 

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1184IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Strawberry trifle topped with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry.
Original Photo by The Baker Upstairs

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