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This trifle recipe is the perfect summer dessert! It’s light, no-bake and filled with layers of angel food cake, pudding and fresh berries.
Easy Homemade Trifle
This simple trifle recipe is completely addicting and full of some of my favorite things! It has cake, it has whipped cream, and it has oodles of summer berries. What’s not to love?
The fruit and angel food cake in this dessert are super light, making this dessert perfect for warm summer days when you want something fresh and simple! Plus, trifles are typically great for making ahead. And if you happen to have a cake disaster, they are a great way to use up that cake. Just layer it in pieces with fruit and whipped cream, and you’ve got a great treat!
What Does Trifle Mean?
The word “trifle” comes from the old French term “trufle,” which literally means “something whimsical.” Traditionally, an English trifle would have layers of fruit, a sponge cake and custard that’s all topped with whipped cream.
American trifles tend to be about as easy as desserts come, consisting of layers of crumbled or cubed cake, pudding or some kind of filling and fruit. They also tend to have whipped cream instead of custard.
What You’ll Need
This trifle is made with layers of fresh berries, angel food cake, cheesecake flavored pudding and whipped cream. Although the finished dessert may look fancy, you only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe.
- Instant cheesecake flavored pudding mix – You could also use vanilla pudding!
- Milk
- Angel food cake cut into pieces – You can use homemade angel food cake, or store bought. Pound cake or regular vanilla cake works too.
- Mixed berries – Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
- Whipped Cream – I prefer homemade whipped cream, but you could also use Cool Whip or even this strawberry whipped cream!
How to Make a Trifle
One of the best things about trifles is that putting them together doesn’t require that much work. In fact, if you have kids around the house this is the perfect kind of recipe for them to help with! They can mix the pudding and help layer the berries, pudding, cake and whipped cream into your serving bowl.
Here’s how to do it:
Prepare your ingredients
- Make the pudding according to the package instructions
- Cut your angel food cake into cubes
- Gather your berries.
- Make your whipped cream if using homemade, or get your Cool Whip ready.
Assemble the trifle and chill
- In a trifle dish or serving bowl, layer about half of the angel food cake pieces.
- Top the cake pieces with about half of the pudding.
- Add a layer of berries, about 1/2 a cup of each kind of berry.
- Top the berries with whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- Repeat with one more layer of each layer, finishing with more berries on top.
- Decorate the top of your trifle as desired. I added some additional piped whipped cream and more berries.
- Refrigerate your trifle until you’re ready to serve. It should chill for at least one hour.
Variation Ideas
You can easily mix things up and adjust ingredients to make this dessert your own. For example:
- Replace the cheesecake flavored pudding with another flavor: While I love the cheesecake flavored pudding, vanilla would also work. And if you want to really change it up, you could even use a lemon flavored pudding.
- Replace the angel food cake with pound cake: I use angel food here just because I like the lightness of angel food, but pound cake would work too.
- Use different fruits: Like diced peaches, mangos and nectarines. Those would all go wonderfully with the berries too!
Can I Make a Trifle in Advance?
Definitely! Trifles do store well, but I wouldn’t make it more than a day ahead simply because the cake layers can start to get too soft and the fruit might not stay fresh.
Can I Freeze It?
I would not recommend freezing a trifle. The texture would change too much during the initial freezing process, and then again when you defrost it.
Watch How It’s Made
More Trifle Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
- Peach Raspberry Sangria Trifle
- Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
- Easy Lemon Strawberry Trifle
Triple Berry Trifle Recipe
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Triple Berry Trifle recipe is easy to make and so delicious! It’s a light, no bake dessert that’s filled with layers of angel food cake, pudding & fresh berries. This trifle is perfect for parties and holidays!
Ingredients
- two 3.4 oz packages instant cheesecake flavored pudding mix*
- 4 cups (960ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3/4 cup (86g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Angel food cake (about 12 oz), cut into pieces
- 1 cup (156g) chopped strawberries*
- 1 cup (130g) blueberries*
- 1 cup (128g) raspberries*
- Additional berries for decorating
Instructions
- Add pudding mix and milk to a large bowl and whisk together for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Add about half of the angel food cake pieces to the trifle dish in an even layer. Place pieces around the edge first so that they look nice, then fill in the center.
- Top the cake with about 1/2 of the prepared pudding.
- Add some sliced strawberries around the edge of the trifle dish, where you’ll be putting the berries. Fill in the layer with about 1/2 a cup of each kind of berry.
- Top the berries with about half of the cool whip and spread into an even layer.
- Repeat steps 2-4, then pipe the remaining whipped cream on top of the trifle in a fun design. I piped shells around the outer edge a few times.
- Fill in the center of the whipped cream with additional berries and decorate as desired.
- Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours, until ready to serve. Trifle is best stored covered in the fridge and eaten within 1-3 days.
Notes
- The pudding could be replaced with vanilla flavored pudding if you can’t find the cheesecake flavored pudding
- I’d recommend having two containers of each type of berry, just to be sure you have enough.
- If you’d prefer to use Cool Whip over homemade whipped cream, replace the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with 12 oz of Cool Whip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 45.5 g
- Sodium: 580.1 mg
- Fat: 6.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.7 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 12.6 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Took it to a cookout this weekend and everyone LOVED it. Thank you for the recipe it was delicious
I never leave reviews, but i made this for a Memorial Day party we were attending and it was a HIT! Literally so easy and so delicious! I might have had half of the trifle myself but thats another story.. I also gave some to by 1 year old and he nearly attacked me to have more. Definitely 5 stars in my book!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks Lauren!
Do you think you could use frozen berries? I have a big bag someone gave me and I need to use it! I realize it might get a little soggy. What do you think?
Yea, other than the texture of the berries being fairly different, it should be fine.
Do you need a certain plate, or will a plate work the same?
You need a trifle dish.
I thought that this was called a Berry Trifle, not a Triple Berry Trifle. And because you Like to write (In a good way), it would be helpful if you could ell us about the dessert such as where it originated, when the people eat this etc.
I have a “stupid” question….you say to add PREPARED pudding to the top of angel food cake. Does prepared mean “set”? In other words, do I put the pudding into refrigerator and set it before I put it in the dish, or put it in runny and unset?
Thanks for your answer!
Chris Cooke
cookex2@yahoo.com
No, you add it after you’d made it, but before it’s set.
Looks absolutely delicious…can you make it 2 days ahead and refrigerate?
I’d really suggest making it just a day ahead, just so that the fruit doesn’t get too soft or release a ton of juices. But you probably do 2 days in a pinch.
Do you think this will work as a cake vs. a trifle….bottom layer 9 x 13 cake, then pudding, then berries, then cool whip?
Thanks for your help!
I do think that’d be fine – and delicious!
My sister Autumn does this with lemon curd. This looks super awesome! Thanks for sharing.
If I use sugar free pudding will I still only need two small boxes or…? Looking for diabetic friendly desserts. Fresh berries and cool whip sound great, just not sure about the pudding. Thanks!
I would think sugar free pudding would be the same, unless the package sizes are different.
Making this for Easter Sunday! Thanks for the tips.
This recipe looks so good. Tomorow I am going to a resort for July 3rd with my BFF and I’m bringing this amazing treat with me!!!!!!!
If I make this tonight and put it n the fridge, will it be ok tomorrow or will it get soggy?
It should be fine overnight.
Using this recipe for Thanksgiving, to offset the pumpkin. Hope it goes well. Thank-you for a wonderful recipe.
Awesome recipe Lindsay. Looks sooo delish I am planning to make it for a group of friends while we are on holidays. There will be 12 of us. Will this be enough or should I make two?
I guess that depends on the size of your appetite. 🙂 If you are serving it with other things, it’ll probably be enough. If not, you might want more.
Do you have any Angel Food Cake recipes? It’s my brother’s favorite cake and I’m still trying to find that perfect recipe. I just love everything you post and make!
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! Unfortunately, I haven’t experimented with Angel Food Cake yet. I’ll have to add it to the list. 🙂
Girl, this sounds amazing. I love the pictures too- you always make deserts look so appetizing and I’m a salty kid! Awesome work with this 🙂