With summer around the corner, great ready for some easy no bake desserts, like my No Bake Berry Trifle! It’s the perfect dessert option for 4th of July. My recipe features angel food cake, coconut infused whipped cream and fresh macerated summer berries.
Coconut Whipped Cream
The traditional whipped cream topping in a no bake berry trifle usually includes vanilla extract. But in the summer, I tend to reach for more refreshing, tropical flavors like coconut extract. Thus, in this recipe I doctored the traditional whipped cream topping. It includes:
- Cream Cheese (for richness)
- Heavy Cream (for thickness)
- White Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- and Coconut Extract
The key to making sure this whipped cream is smooth and shiny is to use room temperature ingredients. Especially important is using soften cream cheese.
Preparing the Berries
No Bake Berry Trifle typically includes fresh raw berries, meaning the berries are washed and cut, but nothing else. While it does tastes good, I prefer to macerate the berries (specifically the strawberries). Similar to my Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits recipe, macerated strawberries are combined with sugar and lemon juice, to assist in release their natural juices.
By using macerated berries in the trifle, the sauce from the strawberries soaks into the angel food cake and further infuses those fresh berry flavors. Final result is a saucy, juicy trifle!
No Bake Cake
I’m all about simplifying recipes, especially during holidays or large gatherings. My No Bake Berry Trifle recipe is the birthchild of that concept. Instead of baking an angel food cake, which is more difficult than the average cake recipe; I recommend using store bought angel food cake from your local bakery.
Nata Tip: If you can’t find premade angel food cake, use pound cake!
Sometimes, if I want a richer, denser trifle, I use buttery pound cake. It works just as well, and has a great flavor that compliments the berries and whipped cream topping.
Last step to this trifle is the assembly! As easy as it sounds, start by cubing the cake and adding a layer at the bottom of a trifle dish. Top it with the whipped cream topping and then the berries. To keep it festive and consistent with the (red, white and blue theme) first layer the blue colored berries: blueberries and/or blackberries. Then, use the red colored berries: raspberries and/or strawberries, in your next fruit layer. Continue the process until you see beautiful layers.
Nata Tip: For easy serving, make personal sized portion in small mason jars!
Other No Bake Desserts
- Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits: https://www.nataknowsbest.com/strawberry-shortcake-biscuits/
- No Bake Tiramisu: https://www.nataknowsbest.com/homemade-tiramisu/
No Bake Berry Trifle
Ingredients
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 pound of cream cheese (2 sticks) – soften
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup of white sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of coconut extract
Macerated Berries
- 1 pint of mixed blue colored berries (blackberries, blueberries)
- 1 pint of raspberries
- 1 pint of strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of white sugar
- 1/2 of a lemon juiced
Trifle Cake
- 1 store bought angel food cake or pound cake
Instructions
- Begin, preparing the whipped cream topping by whisking soften cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar and extracts. Be sure all the ingredients are room temperature.
- Set topping aside and begin macerating the berries. In 2 separate bowls, one for red colored berries, the other for blue colored berries, combine the fresh washed berries, with sugar and lemon juice. Toss and allow the natural fruit juices to release.
- In a trifle dish or individual mason jars, add cubed piece of angel food cake. Next top with a layer of whipped cream, followed by the blue colored berries, and the red colored berries. Repeat until all layers are complete.
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