Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

A dessert consisting of layers of whipped cream and cake runs the risk of being heavy and rich, however, this Strawberry Shortcake Trifle is light and airy. Prepared with fresh whipped cream, bright, tart strawberries, and sweet pound cake, this dessert is quick and easy to assemble. Not only is it delightfully delectable, but it’s also quite the showstopper!

Last fall, I shared some of my favourite trifle recipes with you in a Christmas series I called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles. However, in typical Byron fashion, I tested and prepared too many recipes to fit into my publishing schedule here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen. So, today’s recipe, this Strawberry Shortcake Trifle, is one I prepared months ago, but I decided to wait until the upcoming strawberry season to share it with you, Dear Reader.

I can’t get enough of these homemade strawberry shortcake crumbs! Blame my cousin because she introduced them to me a couple of years ago. Whenever I make them, I tend to double the batch, because I can always find a way to use them up. The crumbs keep quite well and taste fresh even weeks after preparing them. I keep them in a resealable bag in the cupboard. I love to stir a couple of spoonfuls into some plain or vanilla yogurt. It’s such a quick and easy treat.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CRUMBS

Remember those pink and white ice cream bars with the strawberry-flavoured crumb coating? I do! In fact, they were my favourite ice cream bar when I was growing up. Now that I’m older, I don’t care much for ice cream, because it doesn’t seem to agree with me. I’m not lactose intolerant, but ice cream makes me feel bloated and blah, so I stay away from it as much as possible.

Now, in the instance that the ice cream in question is strawberry, I can’t pass it up. Because of the fact that I’m not a fan of ice cream, it is safe to assume that I am not an ice cream connoisseur. So, go easy on me when I tell you that my favourite ice cream is cheap ice cream, and the more artificial the strawberry flavour, the more I love it! I won’t name the brands that I like, but they package their ice cream in boxes. That’s all I’m going to say!

The number of Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars I ate when I was a kid are too high to count. I can’t tell you what the brand was, but the closest I can find are these by Good Humor. (I had to re-type ‘humor’ about five times before I could get my brain to let go of the O that should be in there – humour – it’s the Canadian in me!) Something tells me that in the 80s, the go-to brand was Nestle. Anyway, I digress!

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, etc., is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do love them, but I don’t care for them if they too many ingredients and too many layers. I’ll do my best to keep the trifles in this series uncomplicated.

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! Speaking of strawberry shortcakes, you have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

You might have guessed by now that you need a batch of Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs. Go ahead, and click on the link. It will open and new page so you won’t lose this one. Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Crumbs:

• Vanilla Pudding – Just a plain box of powdered mix is all you need. There’s no need to mix it according to the instructions on the package.
• Strawberry Jello – Again, this is just the powder. You will use the powder as it is – no need to mix it and let it set.
• Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is good.
• Butter – I used salted butter to offset some of the sweetness. Unsalted butter is certainly okay too.
• Golden Oreos – Get the vanilla-flavoured Oreos. You’ll use one full package of Golden Oreos.

For the Remainder of the Recipe:

• Pound Cake– You can make one from scratch by following my easy recipe here, or you can buy one from your local grocery store.
• Strawberries – Wash them and pat them dry. To build the trifle, trim away the stems and cut the strawberries in half or into quarters if they are quite large. I like to set aside a few of the best looking strawberries to garnish the top of the trifle with, but that is optional.
• Strawberry Syrup – This is my recipe – it’s very quick and easy to make. You can also buy strawberry syrup. It’s usually found in grocery stores where they stock ice cream cones or waffle cones.
• Whipping Cream – Please see the next section on whipping cream.
• Sugar – This is only used to sweeten the whipped cream. You can omit the sugar if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
• Vanilla Extract

HOW TO MAKE A STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TRIFLE

Before you begin this recipe, make sure that you have prepared the strawberry shortcake crumbs first. They must be fully cooled before you start to assemble. Once the crumbs have been taken care of, it’s time to prepare the filling. Once the shortcake crumbs are prepared, the cake has been cubed, and the strawberries have been washed and cut, go ahead and prepare the whipped cream.

Pour the whipping cream into a chilled bowl along with the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Transfer half of the cake cubes to the bottom of a trifle bowl. Drizzle over half of the strawberry syrup. Top that with 1/3rd of the strawberry shortcake crumbs. Next, layer in half of the prepared strawberries. Use a tablespoon to spoon dollops of the whipped cream over the cake layer. Use half of the whipped cream.

Repeat the layering, saving two tablespoons of the strawberry shortcake crumbs for later, ending with the whipped cream. Top the trifle with the reserved strawberries and the remaining two tablespoons of strawberry shortcake crumbs. Serve immediately or cover loosely but fully with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference between the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to this Strawberry Shortcake Trifle.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PREPARING TRIFLES

First of all, there are no steadfast rules about how many layers you should or shouldn’t have. My rule of thumb is this – make the trifle big enough to feed your family and/or guests, and use a bowl that is big enough to accommodate the layers. If you have a larger trifle bowl, you can simply add another layer or add more berries or cake to fill it up. Likewise, if your bowl is too small, you can make mini trifles with the leftover ingredients in stemmed dessert bowls.

Trifles cannot be prepared days in advance, nor can they be frozen. Since most trifle recipes are assembly-type recipes, the best thing to do is to prepare them on the day you plan to eat them. However, with that said, every trifle in this series can be prepared a day in advance. If you prepare the trifle a day in advance, it’s a good idea to set the garnish aside and place it onto the trifle just before serving. That way, your trifle will look like it was just freshly prepared.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!