Berry Trifle

This Berry Trifle is an easy, refreshing, and delicious dessert. It is bright and flavorful from the layers of lemon curd whipped cream, fresh berries, and sour cream pound cake.

Look no further for the dessert that screams summer! This berry trifle with lemon curd is packed with flavor from the moist sour cream pound cake, tart and sweet lemon curd whipped cream, and fresh summer berries. The dessert can be ready in minutes but is best left overnight for the flavors to meld together. 

This is an easy, make-ahead dessert that is perfect for any cookout, potluck or casual Summer gathering. The festive colors make it the perfect easy, patriotic dessert for July 4th, Memorial Day, or labor day. You could always be the belle of the party and serve my American flag cake too!

Professional Tips for Making a Berry Trifle

• Don’t over whip the heavy cream. When folding whipped cream into a thick custard, be careful not to over whip. It won’t incorporate nicely and can lead to an unpleasant mouthfeel. If you do over whip the cream, add some cold cream and gently fold it in.  
• If your cake is dry, toss in a bit of simple syrup. Whether your cake is slightly over baked or has been sitting on the counter for a few days, don’t worry. Take your cubed cake, drizzle with simple syrup, and mix to help rehydrate it. 
• If your berries aren’t looking as fresh, make a quick mixed berry jam. We’ve all been there where we bought beautiful berries at the market, and then a day later, they look like they’ve been in the fridge for over a week. Make a quick mixed berry jam, and you can still have a show-stopping summer trifle!

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Ingredients

• Sour Cream Pound Cake:  I used half of my sour cream pound cake but you could also use store-bought. You’ll want 1, 1 pound loaf if you are buying it. 
• Lemon Curd: Use homemade lemon curd or store-bought. 
• Heavy Cream
• Mixed Berries: I use a mixture of blueberries, fresh raspberries, and blackberries. Feel free to use whichever berries you have in your fridge! You could also use easy strawberry jam or peach preserves too!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Mix it up with the fruit! You know from my classic strawberry shortcake that I think berry season is a wonderful season! But, you can try this trifle with stone fruits like cherries, peaches, and apricots or go in a tropical direction with mangoes, pineapple, and kiwi like I did in this tropical trifle recipe.
• Make creme lègere. Fold the whipped cream into reconditioned vanilla bean pastry cream! You can also try butterscotch pudding, chocolate pudding, or caramel pudding lightened with whipped cream. 
• Leave out the lemons. If you don’t love lemon, you can absolutely just use plain whipped cream with vanilla extract or my homemade vanilla pudding. For an easy cheesecake like option, you can also use the easy cream cheese whipped cream filling from my red velvet trifle! 
• Endless options of cake. Lemon pound cake would be divine in this trifle, or if you’re looking for a little kick, try it with my apricot brandy pound cake. And if you want a lighter option, try my angel food cake!
• Add some crunch! Toast almonds, walnuts, or macadamia nuts, layer in, and sprinkle on top!

How to Make this Berry Trifle Recipe

Use these instructions to make a perfect berry trifle with lemon curd every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Prep the layers: 

Step 1: By hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. 

Step 2: With a rubber spatula, recondition the lemon curd to loosen it. Then “sacrifice”  a small amount of the whipped cream and fold it into the lemon curd. This small amount of cream will further loosen the lemon curd to make it easier to fold in the remaining cream. This is called “sacrificing” because you sacrifice the air in a small amount of the whipped cream by folding it in aggressively. 

Step 3: Fold the remaining amount of whipped cream in the lemon curd in increments. 

Step 4: Once the lemon curd whipped cream is complete, Slice the pound cake into 1-inch cubes. 

Assemble the Trifle: 

Step 5: In the trifle dish, start by layering a base of whipped cream, followed by a layer of pound cake, whipped cream, and berries. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish. 

Step 6: Garnish the top with berries. 

Step 7: Refrigerate the trifle until ready to serve. This dessert is best if allowed to sit overnight but is delicious from the get-go. It can be made up to a week ahead! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

Check out other No Bake Desserts created by a pro pastry chef! Or if my lemon curd tip was up your alley, you’ll definitely want to visit these Recipes with Lemon Curd!