Originally from England, a trifle is a layered dessert that is a fast and easy-to-make crowd favorite. They come together quickly and easily, are delicious, and everyone loves them. Considered a national favorite in England, a trifle is easy to customize and can be created quickly with a variety of ingredients. While the classic version of a trifle is a sponge cake that is soaked in a type of alcohol and layered with fruit and custard, trifle can also be created out of pound cake, brownies, whipped cream, vanilla pudding, or whatever combination you can come up with for ultimate versatility!
Are you wondering how far in advance you can create your ultimate trifle? You can start assembling it a day ahead of time, but be sure to add the last layer of whipped cream right before serving. Once you have assembled your trifle, cover it and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add the final whipped cream layer. You can even prepare it in separate cups if you’re looking to go über-fancy!
It’s hard to believe that you may have any trifle remaining, but if you do, be sure to cover and refrigerate it as soon as possible since trifles do contain dairy. Grab a spoon and get ready to finish it, though, as trifles only last in the fridge for 3-4 days. After this time frame, the cake portion of the trifle may begin to get soggy and the pudding will begin to lose structure.
Look at those scrumptious layers of pudding, fruit, cake, jello, and cool whip. It’s so good, you guys.
Be sure to save a few pieces of angel food cake for garnish!
Trifle Recipe
Ingredients:
While the list of ingredients below is for this particular trifle recipe, it’s important to recognize that there are so many options when it comes to creating a trifle! Got a tub of cool-whip on hand? Perfect! So easy! Looking for a richer flavor and have some extra time on your hands? Homemade whipped cream will be fabulous! Do you need to make your trifle gluten-free? Use a gluten-free cake mix to create the perfect base for your trifle. Want to skip the dairy in your trifle? Substitute the whipped cream for a dairy-free whipped cream! You can also use a dairy-free pudding or custard with a dairy-free milk substitution. Are you allergic to pound cake? Make a swap! The options when it comes to trifle creating are truly endless! Create the trifle that works best for you and your family!
- 12-14 ounces angel food cake, cubed or torn into pieces
- 3 ounces raspberry Jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 package frozen berries
- 3 packages (4 oz) vanilla pudding
- 6 cups Milk
- 2-3 bananas, sliced
- 1 large container Cool-Whip
- 1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Directions:
Time to get started on this quick and simple crowd favorite! You won’t believe how easy it is to assemble. Plan on spending about half an hour preparing your ingredients, fifteen minutes to assemble, and half an hour to chill your trifle! Something on the ingredients list doesn’t sound like a winner to you? Swap it out! Trifles are completely customizable! Worried about a soggy trifle? Make sure that you aren’t overly soaking the layers of the trifle with liquid, layer carefully, and make sure that your cake layers are not too thick and none of your ingredients are warm. In order to let the flavors of the trifle really do their thing, make sure you always allow the trifle a chance to chill completely!
- Make pudding by following the instructions on the side of the box.
- Mix the Jello with the boiling water until dissolved, and add ice cubes to chill.
- Layer the ingredients in a trifle dish in the following order: angel food cake pieces, jello, berries, pudding, bananas, Cool Whip, and then nuts. Special tip on the bananas! To prevent the bananas from turning brown in the trifle, squeeze a small amount of lemon juice on them before the layering process . The citrus acid will help to slow down the oxidation process, keeping your bananas fresh and trifle worthy!
- Continue to layer in the same order ending with the nuts.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 1 day) before serving. If you plan on serving the trifle the next day, be sure to add the whipped cream right before serving instead of ahead of time! This will help perfect the texture of the trifle.
What is a Trifle Dessert?
Still wondering what a trifle is? The trifle was originally created in Spain or Italy way back in 1585 but the more popular version we are familiar with came to life in 1750 thanks to Britain. This is a dessert with some history! Trifles are traditionally layered with sponge cake that has been soaked in some kind of liquor, fruit, custard, or pudding and topped off with whipped cream. The layers are placed in a glass bowl, creating a gorgeous dessert that will surely have your guests talking!
Does a trifle sound a lot like a parfait? If you’re wondering what the difference is between these two popular desserts, trifles are generally created with liquor-soaked sponge cake, fruit, custard, or pudding, and whipped cream. Parfaits are more likely to layer fruit, granola, and yogurt. The key difference between the two is that trifles have a cake base layer, and parfaits do not. While trifles can be served individually, they are more likely to be served out of a large glass bowl, while the opposite is true for parfaits.
Traditional trifles were created with the notion of not letting anything go to waste, so there was a chance back in the more traditional days that the cake base of a trifle would be from leftover cake or even potentially stale cake. Trifles today are made with sturdier types of cake or store bought cake, not the stale cake that was used in the past. Fruit is also a main staple in trifles today, and fresh or frozen fruit can both be used! Also while custard may have been used in the past, today’s trifles are more likely to be created with the ease of vanilla pudding.
Why You’ll Love This Trifle Dessert Recipe
The list of why you’ll love this trifle dessert recipe is long! Not only is this an easy recipe that can be thrown together with speed, but it’s also versatile. Don’t like angel food cake? Give it a whirl with pound cake? More of a brownie lover? Throw together a quick pan of brownies, let it cool, and chop it up! A trifle recipe is guaranteed to be an easy recipe! The other thing you will love about the trifle experience is how great it is at feeding a sizable crowd. You can make it ahead for parties and also customize it to the taste of the group! It’s always considered a dessert win-win.
Trifle Variations and Customizations
We love trifles at our house. A favorite every summer is a strawberry shortcake trifle. But we also have half of our household who loves a blueberry lemon trifle. The strawberry shortcake trifle has vanilla pudding in it and the blueberry lemon trifle has lemon pudding. And we even have some members of our house who love a chocolate brownie trifle, created with chocolate pudding. Do you see where I’m going with this? Trifle is a completely customizable dessert.
Vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, lemon pudding, it’s all delicious. Your trifle can be only chocolate, only fruit, or even tropical! Make a Christmas-themed trifle with vanilla pudding colored green, or a Halloween trifle with vanilla pudding colored orange and brownie bites as the cake base. Want a 4th of July trifle? There’s always vanilla pudding, pound cake, blueberries and strawberries! The more trifles you make, the more confident you will become with your combos. If you have any dietary restrictions in your house including vegan, gluten-free or any allergies, all of these ingredients are also easy to swap out for anything that will work for your family! There’s no wrong way to make a trifle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trifle Desserts
Still wondering about whether or not trifle is the right dessert for you? We’ve got the answer!
How long does a trifle last in the fridge?
A trifle will last in the fridge for three to four days. After that, the cake may start to get soggy and the pudding and whipped cream will lose its shape. If you’re not sure if it’s still good, make sure to give it the sniff test. Trifles should not smell sour in any way.
What is the best type of cake to use in a trifle?
The best type of cake to use in a trifle is your very favorite one. While trifles were originally created with older or stale cake to not waste any food, trifles today are generally made with store bought cakes. Pick your favorite one! Angel food cake will work, and so will pound cake. Love chocolate? Try making a trifle with brownies!
Can I make a trifle ahead of time?
Yes! Trifles should be chilled for at least 30 minutes prior to being enjoyed, but you can make them up to one day ahead of time. Make sure to add the whipped cream right before serving!
Can I make a trifle without Jello?
Absolutely! If Jello is not your thing, don’t worry, there is no Jello requirement when making a trifle. Find what works for you whether it be lemon pudding, chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding or a custard.
How do you layer a trifle properly?
Start your trifle off with the cake layer. Following the cake layer, add the fruit, the Jello if you are using it, pudding, or custard, and continue to layer until you end with the final layer of whipped cream. Adding nuts? Now is the time!
Can I make a trifle with fresh fruit instead of frozen?
You can definitely make a trifle with fresh fruit instead of frozen. Trifles work with both fresh or frozen fruit. Do what works best for you!
Can I freeze a trifle?
Trifles can be frozen, but it’s not recommended. While they will freeze, when they are defrosted, the custard, pudding, jello, and whipped cream may not have the original consistency.
How do you prevent a trifle from getting soggy?
The best way to prevent your trifle from getting soggy is to make sure that all ingredients are completely cool before assembling. If you are adding alcohol to the cake portion of the trifle, make sure you pour it lightly. Always chill your trifle after assembly.
Can I use a store-bought cake for my trifle?
Definitely! There is no requirement when making trifles that the cake has to be homemade. Do what works best for you!
Enjoy!
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