Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle is the perfect way to taste how amazing summer is! Simple and easy to make, this treat is full of sweet flavors!
What’s summer without the deliciously layered sweetness of a Strawberry Shortcake Trifle? There’s no way anyone can enjoy an entire summer without a cubed homemade lemon pound cake, topped with sweet strawberries and creamy vanilla pudding made with cool whip, so make sure to spoil all of your friends and family with this confection!
Sweet Summer
Sunshine, gardening, pool time with the fam, and strawberries, that’s what feels like summer here! Throughout the day, as I’m running errands, I find myself picking up fresh strawberries at the grocery store, the farmers market, and even at pop-up stands in random parking lots! Don’t worry, it’s all on the up and up and I get to make many amazing treats, like Strawberry Shortcake Trifle, a huge favorite around here! Also, I can’t lie. A homemade lemon pound cake makes me weak in the knees and this entire strawberry shortcake is just too good.
Shake up your shortcake recipes and add a little chocolate to make a Brownie Strawberry Shortcake or make your treat portable with Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs!
Other Recipes to Serve with Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
- Whip up something extra special for the grown-ups and make a Boozy Strawberry Shortcake Milkshake! It’s a classic treat with a twist!
- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff is a wonderful summer side dish that’s easy to make and so easy to eat it always disappears too fast!
Ingredients
To make the lemon pound cake
Dry Ingredients: To make this cake, you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Set out butter to soften, along with eggs and sour cream.
Lemon: To achieve that wonderful lemon flavor, you will need a combination of fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little lemon extract. You can use bottled lemon juice if you need to.
To make the trifle layers
Strawberries: Pick up a good amount of fresh strawberries to slice.
Pudding: To make the creamy layer, instant vanilla pudding, cold milk (any percent will work), and a container of Cool Whip.
Garnish: Top the cake with more whipped topping and sliced strawberries if you like.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch cake pan. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until incorporated. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
STEP TWO: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and then mix in half of the sour cream. Mix in the last half of the dry ingredients, followed by the sour cream, and then pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
STEP THREE: Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
STEP FOUR: While the cake is cooling, mix the pudding powder and the milk together. Fold in the whipped topping, then place the pudding in the fridge to cool and firm.
STEP FIVE: To assemble the trifle, cube the lemon pound cake and place a layer in the bottom of a trifle dish. Next, layer the sliced strawberries and top with the pudding. Repeat with another layer of pound cake, strawberries, and pudding. Garnish the dessert with whipped topping and a few strawberries if you prefer.
Tips for Success
- Make this delicious dessert one of two ways- either as a trifle or in individual parfait cups! To make a trifle, spread the pound cake from the outside edge of the bowl and work toward the inner center. This will create a nice layer and also make each layer more visible. Follow the exact layering instructions to make parfaits for everyone!
- This strawberry shortcake trifle recipe is a great make-ahead dessert as the chill time allows the shortcake to settle and mix a bit, which makes it even more delicious. Make this the night before or the morning of but leave off the top layer of whipped topping until you are ready to serve so everything looks fresh.
- The pound cake can be made ahead of time and cubed when you are ready to assemble. The pudding can also be prepared, and the strawberries cut ahead of time, all for a quicker assembly.
- For a flavor upgrade, you can use lemon pound cake for a bright citrus pop!
Will a trifle get soggy overnight?
Making a trifle the night before is a great idea, as the flavors will meld, and it’s just a great time saver, but some worry that this will make the dessert soggy. A pound cake is such a great cake for this trfile because the dense cake will soak up a little strawberry juice but will remain firm and delicious. Remember to wait to add the top layer of whipped topping until you are ready to serve so that the topping is fresh.
How big should a trifle dish be?
If you love to make trifles, and you may fall in love with them after trying this recipe, you can purchase a traditional trifle dish. Typically, trifle bowls have a flat bottom and tall sides and are made of clear glass so everyone can see the beautiful layers. These dishes are about 9-12 inches in diameter and hold approximately 12-16 cups, but anything similar to this size will work for any trifle you make.
More Spectacular Strawberry Ideas for Summer!
- Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake
- Spiked Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
- Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade Slushie
- Strawberry Cheesecake Lasagna
*This post was originally posted on 08/28/2012.
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract (or vanilla extract)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups sour cream
Trifle
- 5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix (1 large box)
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip or whipped cream
- 2 pounds strawberries hulled and chopped
Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix. Add the sour cream, mix, and then mix in the rest of the flour mixture until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Trifle
- Whisk the instant vanilla pudding together with the milk in a medium mixing bowl for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
- Fold the Cool Whip (or whipped cream) into the pudding to make a vanilla mousse. Place in the fridge until you're ready to assemble.
- Cut the pound cake into bite-sized cubes. Place a layer of cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl.
- Cover the cake with a layer of strawberries making sure they are all the way to the edge of the bowl (so you can see them from the outside). Cover the strawberries with half of the vanilla mousse.
- Repeat the cake, strawberry, and mousse layers until the trifle bowl is full.
- Decorate the top of the trifle with dollops of Cool Whip/whipped cream and whole or halved strawberries.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can make the pound cake ahead of time and then cut it into cubes when you’re ready to assemble the trifle. You will probably have some extra cake left over once you’re making the trifle.
- You can also prep the vanilla mousse and cut the strawberries ahead of time. This makes assembling the trifle quick and easy when it’s time for dessert.
