Red, White, and Blue Trifle with Fresh Berries
This red, white, and blue trifle will be the star of your summer table! You’ll love how simple this cake is to make with fresh berries, a fluffy cream cheese filling, and angel food cake. It’s super light, requires no cooking, and comes together quickly.
Trifles are such a nostalgic dessert for me. They remind me of my Granny in the best sort of way. The woman is absolutely amazing, but she is not a cook!
She is a devout Baptist living in the South. Like any good Southern Christian woman, she feeds people. She hosts a big family on holidays, brings food after a funeral, and brings a dish to the church potluck. But, as I said, she doesn’t like to cook. Enter the trifle.
This isn’t one of Granny’s trifles, but she would approve.
This simple no-cook dessert is perfect for summer gatherings and potlucks. It uses a premade angel food cake from a grocery store bakery. Then, takes it to the next level with whipped topping, cream cheese, and loads of fresh berries. It is relatively light and fresh, comes together in a few minutes, and requires no cooking.
Served in a glass trifle dish or party bowl with a red, white, and blue display, it looks stunning on a summer table. Try it for Memorial Day or the 4th of July!
I like to make this with whipped topping because it holds its shape so nicely and, well, nostalgia. You can absolutely use whipped cream if you want.
Ingredients
Keep this ultra simple and no-cook by using a prepared angel food cake. Buy a round angel food cake from the grocery store bakery. I promise it works great! You can substitute a plain pound cake for a more indulgent dessert!
Whip a block of cream cheese with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla to create a rich and creamy filling.
Add a tub of cool whip to the cream cheese filling to make it ultra-light and fluffy. Then, add a second tub of cool whip to top the trifle. This is the white layer for this red, white, and blue dessert.
Toss fresh strawberries and blueberries in a simple honey and lemon glaze. It will sweeten the berries and help preserve them. The beautiful berries give this trifle its red and blue colors.
How to Make a Red, White, and Blue Trifle Dessert
Add the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Then, use a hand mixer to mix until smooth.
Next, add 1 tub of the whipped topping to the mixture and fold it in with a spatula. Using a hand mixer for this part will deflate the cool whip!
Go ahead and core and slice your strawberries.
Then whisk the remaining lemon juice with the honey.
Pour the honey mixture into the berries and stir gently to combine. I like to prepare the strawberries and blueberries in separate bowls so I can control the red, white, and blue look of the dessert.
Now, tear the cake into bite-sized pieces.
Time to layer the trifle!
First, spread half of the cream cheese on the bottom of the trifle dish. Then, add half the cake and half the berries.
Next, add the rest of the cream cheese mixture, then the cake, then the remaining berries. Last, top the trifle with the remaining tub of cool whip.
Cover it and chill it for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
Tips & Tricks
This can be made the night before. Just cover tightly and store in the fridge until ready to serve. If you don’t have a trifle dish, take another tip from Granny and use the upside-down plastic dome from the angel food cake to make the trifle.
If you want to serve this at a picnic or potluck, know it can’t be left out for more than 2 hours.
Here’s a tip for covering your trifle: If the whipped topping is spilling over the top, stick a few wooden skewers down in the trifle before covering it with plastic wrap. This will preserve the top!
How to Serve This Trifle Dessert
Make this red, white, and blue trifle when you need a simple, no-cook summer dessert.
It works particularly well for American patriotic holidays. Make it for the 4th of July or Memorial Day for a stunning cake with the colors of the American Flag.
Bring it to a potluck, picnic, barbeque, or church dinner.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries
- Strawberry Spritzer Cocktail
- Strawberry & Spinach Salad
- Homemade Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris
- Strawberry Simple Syrup
- Strawberry Mini Pies
Did you make this easy berry trifle? Let me know in the comments!
PrintRed, White, and Blue Trifle Dessert
This red, white, and blue trifle will be the star of your summer table. It is light, requires no cooking, and comes together quickly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- (plus time to soften cream cheese and chill the trifle):
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Cake
Ingredients
- 1 premade angel food cake
- 8-ounce block of cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 8–ounce tubs whipped topping, thawed
- 1–pint blueberries, washed
- 1–quart strawberries, washed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Make the cream cheese filling.
- Thaw the whipped topping according to the package directions. And soften the cream cheese to room temperature.
- Add softened cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer with the beater attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 8-ounce tub of whipped topping and beat on low speed until mixed in. Set aside
Prepare the berries
- Remove the tops and cores from the strawberries, slice them, and put them in a bowl.
- Place the washed blueberries in a separate bowl.
- Whisk the honey and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon to the blueberries and gently stir to coat them. Add the remaining lemon honey mixture to the bowl of sliced strawberries. Stir gently to coat them.
Prepare the cake
- Tear angel food cake into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Assemble the trifle
- Use a silicone spatula to spread half of the cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Add half of the angel food cake pieces
- Add ½ of the strawberry slices and ½ of the blueberries.
- Add the remaining cream cheese mixture.
- Add the remaining half of the cake pieces.
- Add the remaining strawberry slices and blueberries.
- Top with 1 8-ounce container of whipped topping.
- Cover with plastic wrap (see note).
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 1 day before serving.
Notes
- Reduce the calories: Lighten it with light or sugar-free whipped topping, reduced-fat cream cheese, and a sugar substitute.
- How to cover the trifle: If your whipped topping is spilling over the top, stick a few wooden skewers or toothpicks down in the trifle before covering it with plastic wrap to preserve the top!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of the trifle
- Calories: 356
- Sugar: 41.3 g
- Sodium: 393.2 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.6 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 23.9 mg
