There’s nothing as beautiful and show-stopping, in my opinion, as a trifle. The view through a straight-sided glass bowl to the lovely layers of fresh fruit, spongy cake, and creamy pudding are the stuff of dreams. And they’re surprisingly easy to make and endlessly versatile. – Jinny
Strawberry Lemon Trifle
Recipe by Lynn Marie Frucci, Tested by Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
- 1 tablespoon white grape juice or water
- 1 prepared angel food cake (12 ounces)
- Optional: Whipped topping and additional strawberries
Directions:
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt. Add the milk, pudding mix and lemon zest; beat until smooth.
- In a blender, process 1/2 cup strawberries and grape juice until blended.
- Cut cake into 1-in. cubes; place a third in a trifle bowl or 3-qt. serving bowl. Top with a third of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining strawberries. Drizzle with half of the strawberry sauce. Repeat all layers. Top with remaining cake and pudding mixture. If desired, garnish with whipped topping and additional strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Makes enough for 14 people.
Cook’s Notes: First of all, I would drizzle the strawberry sauce on the cake and then add the berries and then the pudding and repeat. You can leave all of the berries unblended and use some other liquid to moisten the cake so that it has some flavor and isn’t dry. The brilliance of a trifle is that they are so easy to customize. It’s more of a concept than a specific recipe. For example, you could use vanilla pudding with orange extract and orange zest and replace the grape juice/water with Grand Marnier for an orange flavor profile instead of lemon flavor. You could substitute pound cake, short cake, or any type of cake for angel food. Even leftover brioche would work. Use a different fruit or combination of fruits depending on what’s available seasonally. (In the winter, I like to do one with jarred Morelli cherries and chocolate cake and pudding.) Be creative and incorporate your favorite flavors any way you like to make your own culinary work of art.
