Recipe: Patriotic Berry Trifle

Serves 8 to 10 | Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes | Active time: 35 minutes

This patriotic berry trifle is a showstopping dessert that is as beautiful as it is delicious, and it could not be easier to pull together. Layers of almond-kissed angel food cake, fluffy cream cheese whipped cream, fresh blueberries, and sliced strawberries make this patriotic berry trifle the ultimate crowd-pleasing treat for any summer celebration. Whether you are hosting a Fourth of July cookout, a Memorial Day gathering, or a Labor Day barbecue, this is the dessert that will have everyone going back for seconds.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 premade angel food cake, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

How to Make This Patriotic Berry Trifle

1. First, heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
2. Next, brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. After that, cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.
3. Meanwhile, beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Then add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.
4. To assemble, arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Next, sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. After that, dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Then top with a layer of strawberries.
5. Subsequently, layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture.
6. Finally, finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Credit: Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson