Strawberry Shortcake Trifle - A beautiful and delicious trifle layered with vanilla cake, homemade strawberry glaze and cream! Such a pretty dessert!
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Woo hoo!! Do you know what this Strawberry Shortcake Trifle dessert means?! Well, to me it means summer weather has arrived! I tend to make a lot of trifle and no-bake desserts in the warm summer months.
We entertain a ton in the summer and it's a great dessert to whip up if you need to serve a crowd. And let me tell you what, whoever you make this for is going to LOVE it!
Putting everything together is pretty simple. For the cake, you bake a vanilla cake in a 9x13" pan using a box mix.
Cut the cake into cubes and use half of the cake for the first layer of the trifle. The strawberries and glaze come next and then the cream (OH, the cream) goes on top of that.
Then. . .you repeat it all over again.
So. . .let's take a few steps back and talk a little about this glaze. You make it in a saucepan on the stove. The most important thing I want you to remember about this recipe is that it's important to add the JELL-O after the sugar, cornstarch and water have been brought to a boil. Keep stirring when you add the JELL-O, turn down the heat and wait for it to thicken.
Once it starts to thicken, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. If you're in a hurry (like I usually am), place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes and it will thicken faster.
It may seem pretty thick when you pull it out of the fridge, but once you add the strawberries, the consistency will be perfect.
Then, all you need to do is top it with a few strawberries and mint leaves. SO PRETTY, don't you think?
When you carry this into a party and set it down you're going to get lots of oohs and ahhs. Let me just tell you, you'll probably have some of the cream left over unless you do have a pretty large trifle bowl. I LOVE this cream.
If we do have some leftover, we'll put it on top of pancakes, ice cream, you name it, we've tried it. Just eat it out of the bowl with a spoon if you want. #nooneiswatching
If you don't have a trifle bowl, you could always use a large glass mixing bowl or salad bowl. I'm pretty partial to glass bowls when it comes to this strawberry shortcake trifle.
Part of the beauty of this dessert is being able to see all of the layers inside of the bowl. It's almost a shame to have to scoop some of this deliciousness out of the bowl. I think I'll get over it.
Yep, I'm pretty much over it. It's time for me to dig in.
And time for you to run out to get the ingredients for this picture perfect strawberry shortcake trifle that will be the star of the show this summer! Enjoy!
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Vanilla box cake with ingredients called for on box
For the Glaze
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups water
- 3 ounce box Strawberry JELL-O
- 4 cups fresh strawberries (cut into pieces)
For the Cream
- 8 ounce whipped cream cheese
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounce container Cool Whip
- Whole strawberries and mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
For the Cake
- Bake cake according to instructions on box and cool.
For the Glaze
- Bring sugar, cornstarch and water to a boil stirring constantly.
- Add the JELL-O to the mixture when boiling.
- Turn down the heat and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from burner and allow to cool (to cool faster, place in fridge for 15-20 minutes).
- Fold in strawberries.
For the Cream
- Combine the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a hand mixer. Fold in the Cool Whip.
To Assemble
- Cut cake into squares.
- Add ⅓ of the squares to the bottom of the bowl.
- Top with a layer of the glaze.
- Top with a layer of cream.
- Repeat layering in this order.
- Top trifle with whole strawberries and mint leaves for garnish.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cake Texture: For a moist and flavorful cake layer in your trifle, consider using a dense and sturdy cake like pound cake or angel food cake. These types of cakes hold up well to the moisture from the glaze and cream layers without becoming soggy, ensuring a delicious texture in every bite.
- Thickening the Glaze: To achieve the right consistency for the glaze, make sure to cook it until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This ensures that the glaze will set properly and hold its shape when layered in the trifle. Be patient while cooking and stirring to prevent lumps and ensure a smooth texture.
- Layering Technique: When assembling the trifle, aim for even layers of cake, glaze, and cream to create a visually appealing and balanced dessert. Use a large glass trifle bowl or individual serving glasses to showcase the beautiful layers. For added visual interest, consider piping the cream layer using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip for a decorative touch.
Anonymous
How about using angelfood cake?
Theresa Lacko
This looks deli. How do I put the ingredients together for the cream! Just use a hand mixer and whip together?
How long?
Thanks!
Sara
Combine the cream cheese and condensed milk with a hand mixer and then fold in the Cool Whip. Thank you for your comment. I have updated the recipe to make this more clear!
Janet
4 cups of whole strawberries and then cut them up or 4 cups of cut up strawberries
Sara
4 cups of cut up strawberries!
Janet
Thank you. Also can the be frozen strawberries.
carol ecker
yummy, used pound cake instead of white cake, just a personal preference, then layered in small mason jars to make the popular "shot glass" desserts, that way I could offer several different flavors of trifle at one time
Maria Burns
Hi Sara I have a question can I use block cream cheese instead of whipped ?
Sara
You sure can. Just make sure to blend it well. I use whipped because it's smooth coming right out of the container.
Pamela
I made this before and it is absolutely yummy!
I have a question. I would like to make this for Christmas dinner but we have to travel a couple of hours. I was wondering if I could make the strawberry glaze and the cream but keep them separate in bowls in a cooler until I arrive?
I'm kind of afraid that the glaze might be set to much to assemble later. Or that the cream might not remain fluffy enough. I don't think I will have the kitchen space available to actually make it while I'm there.
Sara
Hi Pamela! This dessert is actually best when the flavors are allowed to meld together and soften the cake. I would make it ahead of time and just place it in a cooler in the car. Made in a trifle bowl, this dessert looks so pretty but to make it easier for travel, you could place it in a deep lasagna pan too and cover with foil. Good luck!
Pamela
Can I make this a day ahead? I’m making two trifle cakes. This one and a cookies and cream one. The recipe for cookie one said it was better if made a day ahead. Just curious what you thought about your recipe
Sara
Hi Pamela, Yes! You can go ahead and make this a day ahead but I would wait to add the fresh strawberries for garnish until you're ready to serve it! Your desserts sound delicious!
Courtney Dewitt
Awesome recipe that was beautiful & got rave reviews from everyone at the luncheon!!!!
Sara
I'm so glad the trifle went over well! I agree, it is such a pretty dessert!
Jo-Anne the cray lady
Nice