Trifle Is A Treat During Barbecue Season

By Charlotte Ayres
Contributing Writer

Memorial day is just around the block and with that comes barbecue season. When everyone is expected to bring something it can be difficult to find the perfect dish. One dessert that is unique enough to grab everyone’s attention at the party, but simple enough to put together last minute, is the trifle.

A trifle is a desert made from layering cake, pudding, and fruits. There are many different ways to customize a trifle, by changing the type of ingredients of the layers, or the container you put it into. I use a trifle bowl that doesn’t have a stand. Its a clear circular glass dish that is about 6 inches in diameter and about 6 inches deep. They sometimes come with a stem at the bottom that goes into a base to prop up the dish, these are really good for more formal events. I have also seen people use large wine glasses as a way to portion for parties.

While still frozen, use a serrated knife to chop pound cake into small half inch cubes and set aside. Using a serrated knife will cut though the cake easier without tearing it apart. I like to use Sara Lee’s all butter pound cake, it has a really smooth texture and good flavor, the smaller 10.75 oz cake should work fine. You can also use angel food cake if you choose, I prefer the pound cake for the flavor and it absorbs the juice from the fruit really nicely while still holding its shape.

Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form adding a couple tablespoons of sugar halfway through.  The cream will whip up better if you put the bowl and whip in the freezer for about 10 minutes before using, it’ll help keep everything colder and whip up faster.  Making the whipped cream will be immensely easier is you use a stand mixer, it can take a while to whip and doing it by hand will most likely cause your arm to be a bit sore, and it will make the next step a lot easier to do as well. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will work as well as long as you have a whip attachment.

Beat the cream cheese in mixer until light and fluffy, add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until fully combined. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. When folding, use a rubber spatula and very gently start in the center of the bowl and fold the mixture over towards the edge of the bowl, repeating until it’s fully combined, stirring it can cause the mixture to fall and be denser than desired.

Place a layer of pound cake in the bottom of the dish, then a layer of cheesecake, then fruit. A mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries add a good flavor and makes it bright and colorful. Repeat the layers until the dish is filled.

Be sure to keep the trifle cold until you serve it. If you top the desert with the whip cream mixture, you can use the fruit to make a cool design to finish it off. Grab a big serving spoon and enjoy!