Easy Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Strawberry shortcake is a traditional American summertime dessert. This version consists of layers of light, pillow-y angel food cake covered with a sweet, strawberry glaze followed by a creamy, sweet cream cheese custard topping. This tasty, layered dessert is easy to make, perfect for the season, and ideal for social gatherings.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Strawberry Glaze:
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) salt
- 48 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) cornstarch
- 80 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) strawberry gelatin (Jell-O)
- 16 oz (2 cups) water or strawberry juice
- ½ tsp almond extract optional
- 4 cups (2 pints) strawberries chopped (reserve 2-3 to decorate the top)
Cream Cheese Custard:
- 8 oz (1 pkg) cream cheese softened
- 14 oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- 12 oz whipped topping thawed (like Cool Whip or SO Coco Whip)
Cake Base:
- 1 angel food cake store-bought, boxed, or homemade (or white/yellow cake or pound cake), cut into bite-size pieces
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Glaze:
- In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, salt, cornstarch, and gelatin. Whisk in water (strawberry juice).
- Heat saucepan on medium-high heat. Whisk frequently until the mixture thickens taking about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in almond extract. Set aside at room temperature to allow the mixture to cool (about an hour). Then, stir in chopped strawberries.TIP: As the mixture heats and begins to boil, the white cornstarch will blend in with the gelatin color and become clear. Then, the mixture will thicken after a couple of more minutes.
Make the Cream Cheese Custard:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese until smooth. Whip or stir in sweetened condensed milk until well combined. Use a spatula to fold in thawed (from frozen) whipped topping until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Layer the Shortcake Ingredients:
- Cut the cake into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- To a large serving trifle dish or multiple small individual dishes, add a layer of cake just to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of cooled strawberry glaze to cover the cake. Over the glaze, add a layer of custard to cover. Continue with another layer of cake, glaze, and custard. If using a large bowl, repeat a third time with remaining cake, glaze, and custard. Be sure to finish off with the custard. For small bowls, you only need 2 layers of each finishing off with custard.
- Decorate the top custard layer with whole or sliced strawberries. Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage:
Store the dessert covered in the fridge for up to a week.