A trifle is a dessert that is sure to impress your guests because all those layers of goodness are a visual treat. A trifle is a classic dessert made of cake, fruit, and whipped cream. It’s super versatile and can be modified to meet the theme or taste that you’re looking for. What makes this such an impressive confection is the layering of each element, usually cake, whipped cream, and fruit, beautifully arranged in a clear bowl that is as much intended for decoration as it is for eating. It’s fair to say that it looks good enough to eat!
Often a trifle is made with white cake, but we really wanted to amp up the strawberry flavor so we’ve made a strawberry cake instead, just a box variety will do. Then we add fresh strawberries that have been hulled and sliced. These will be strategically layered so that they show beautifully through the clear glass trifle serving bowl. Sweetened cream cheese spiked with fresh lime juice and frozen whipped topping is the third essential layer. We make sure to reserve a few whole strawberries and lime zest to add as a garnish to the top of the trifle and that bright red and green really pops up against the white whipped cream cheese. Yum!
A trifle is a dessert that can be whipped up in a pinch to serve for a dinner party or to bring as a treat to share with family and friends. It looks elegant and special and it is delicious. These three layers combine to make one amazing dessert that everyone will absolutely love. This is especially lovely with strawberries, but we’ve also used blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries too, and white cake rather than strawberry. The trifle is nothing to be trifled with! It’s a fabulous dessert that takes layering to a whole new level.
Strawberry Key Lime Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box strawberry cake mix + ingredients required on box
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 6 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 6 whole strawberries, for garnish
- Zest of 1 lime
Preparation
- Prepare 9x13-inch strawberry cake according to package instructions. Cool completely then cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Add lime juice and beat until incorporated. Gently fold in thawed whipped topping.
- To assemble, layer half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish. Top with half of the cream cheese mixture and half of the sliced strawberries. Repeat layers ending with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with whole strawberries and lime zest.