Easy Creamy Berry Trifle with Pound Cake
A simple, refreshing summer dessert featuring layers of toasted pound cake, fresh mixed berries, creamy vanilla custard or pudding, and whipped cream. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or casual dinners.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces (225 grams) pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups (300 grams) mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
- 2 cups (480 ml) vanilla custard or vanilla pudding mix prepared
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, whipped until soft peaks form
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse mixed berries gently under cold water and pat dry. Hull and slice strawberries. Toss berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon zest; set aside to macerate.
- Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Toast cubes in a dry skillet over medium heat about 2 minutes per side until slightly golden.
- Make vanilla custard: whisk 2 cups milk, 3 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until thickened (5-7 minutes). Cool to room temperature. Alternatively, prepare pudding mix as directed and chill.
- Whip heavy cream with 1 tablespoon sugar in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form.
- Assemble trifle: layer toasted pound cake cubes in trifle dish, spoon custard/pudding over cake, add macerated berries with juices, repeat layers, finish with whipped cream. Garnish with berries and mint leaves.
- Refrigerate trifle at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and cake to soak custard and berry juices.
Notes
Toast pound cake cubes to prevent sogginess and add texture. Use cold equipment when whipping cream for best results. Macerate berries with sugar and lemon zest to enhance flavor and juice. Assemble ahead and chill for best flavor melding. Drain excess berry juice if too watery to avoid soggy trifle. Substitute dairy-free and gluten-free ingredients as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the trifle
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Protein: 4
Keywords: berry trifle, pound cake dessert, summer dessert, easy trifle, creamy dessert, berry pudding trifle, no-bake dessert