Berry Trifle

4.96 from 23 ratings

This easy berry trifle is the perfect summer dessert! It comes together so quickly, and is made with fluffy white cake, fresh berries, jam, and layers of pudding and whipped cream!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Additional Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 20

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Vanilla Sheet Cake

2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 276 grams
2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6 grams
1/2 tsp fine salt 3 grams
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 150 grams - 1 and 1/3 sticks
2/3 cup large egg whites, room temperature or about 5 egg whites (185 grams)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240 grams
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 grams
1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 14 grams

Vanilla Pudding Filling

2 packages vanilla pudding powder cook and serve, 4.6 oz. size
4 cups whole milk 980 grams

Vanilla Whipped Cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar 60 grams
2 cups heavy whipping cream, room temperature or whipping cream (460 grams)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 3 grams

Additional Ingredients

2 jars strawberry jam 16 oz. size
1 large container strawberries 16 oz. container
1 pint fresh blueberries
blackberries and raspberries for garnish
small star shaped cookie cutter optional

Instructions

Vanilla Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one half sheet pan (9 x 13 inches) with parchment paper, and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed until combined. You can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
Mix in 2/3 cup unsalted butter slowly into the dry mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain and the mixture becomes crumbly.
Pour in 2/3 cup egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in 1 cup of buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated.
Place two flower nails upside down in the cake pan, spread apart evenly. This will help the cake bake more quickly and evenly.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Bake for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the pans to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place sheet cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pan and remove the layers.
Use a serrated knife to trim away any caramelization and cut the cake into 1 inch cubes.

Vanilla Pudding Filling:

While the cake bakes and cools, make the vanilla pudding.
Pour two 4.6 oz. packages of vanilla pudding mix into a large, heat proof bowl and set aside.
Heat 4 cups of whole milk over a medium high heat in a large saucepan.
Once the milk starts to boil, pour it in the bowl with the pudding mix and whisk until smooth.
Cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge to cool.

Vanilla Whipped Cream:

Next make the vanilla whipped cream.
In a chilled metal bowl, add in 2 cups of heavy cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Beat on medium high speed with a whisk attachment.
Beat for 3-4 minutes until medium peaks form. While doing this I like to stop the mixer and check the consistency several times to ensure I don't over whip the cream! If you over whip it, it will slowly start to turn into butter and separate, and you won't be able to salvage it.
Keep your eye on your mixer during this process!!! Whipped cream can go from the perfect consistency to over whipped in a matter of seconds.

To Assemble The Cake:

Place cubes of cake into the bottom of a trifle dish, fully covering the bottom.
Add an even layer of vanilla pudding over the cake bits, using half the pudding mix.
Carefully spread strawberry jam on top of the pudding, using one of the jars of jam.
Create a layer of blueberries, and line the edge of the bowl completely with berries.
Top with half of the whipped cream, spreading with an offset spatula to create an even layer.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, but use strawberry slices in place of blueberries.
Add a garnish of fresh berries to the top of the trifle, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Mixed Berry Trifle:

Add the pudding before it's fully set, so that it can really fill between the cake bits and be absorbed by them.
I used a ton of jam in this trifle because I love jam. However, if you can adjust the amount of jam you use to match your preferences.
Cut your cake into equal sized squares to make it easy to create even layers in your trifle
Carefully spoon and smooth your layers of pudding and whipped cream with an offset spatula to give your trifle a gorgeous finished look
I recommend making your whipped cream from scratch. It only takes a few minutes to make and tastes so much better than store bought whipped cream.
Use whatever berries or fruit are in season and accessible! This trifle would also taste great with raspberries, blackberries, marionberries, or even huckleberries.

Making This Berry Trifle In Advance & Storage Tips:

Make this trifle in advance to make life easier! It can easily be made a day or two before an event or party. Just be sure to tightly wrap the trifle container with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
Leftover trifle can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days if tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. After that the whipped cream and fruit will start to spoil.
You can also make the cake layers up to two weeks in advance and freeze them, then assembled the trifle the day of.

Using Different Sized Trifle Dishes

These quantities are based on a trifle dish that is 8 inches in diameter. The amount of ingredients you need can vary based on the size of your trifle dish. Please adjust as needed :)

Nutrition