Fresh Red White and Blue Berry Trifle
A simple, festive layered dessert featuring fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream with mascarpone, perfect for summer celebrations and easy to assemble.
- Prep Time: 23 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and dried
- Optional: ½ cup fresh raspberries or blackberries
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 store-bought pound cake or angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Optional: 2 tbsp berry liqueur or fruit juice for soaking
Instructions
- Rinse and dry strawberries and blueberries gently with paper towels. Hull and slice strawberries into even pieces. If using raspberries or blackberries, keep them whole and check for soft spots. Set aside.
- In a chilled mixing bowl, combine cold heavy cream and mascarpone cheese. Beat on medium-high using a hand or stand mixer. When cream starts to thicken, add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, being careful not to overbeat.
- Slice pound cake or angel food cake into roughly 1-inch cubes. Optionally soak the cubes with berry liqueur or fruit juice, but do not soak too much to avoid sogginess.
- Start layering by spreading a layer of cake cubes evenly at the bottom of a trifle bowl. Scatter a generous layer of strawberries over the cake, then spoon a thick layer of whipped cream mixture. Repeat with blueberries and cream, alternating layers until ingredients are used, finishing with a final cream layer on top.
- Top the trifle with a few whole berries and a sprig of mint if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours to let flavors meld and cake soften slightly before serving.
Notes
Use fresh berries for best texture and flavor; drain any excess juice to avoid soggy cake. Chill mixing bowl and beaters before whipping cream for better results. Assemble a day ahead if desired but add fresh berries on top just before serving. For gluten-free, use almond flour pound cake or gluten-free sponge. For dairy-free, substitute coconut whipped cream and dairy-free cream cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup (250 ml)
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
Keywords: berry trifle, summer dessert, patriotic dessert, easy trifle, layered dessert, Fourth of July dessert, fresh berries, whipped cream dessert