Summer Fruit Trifle Recipe with Fresh Berries

Name: Summer Fruit Trifle with Fresh Berries
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 10 ounces angel food cake, ( cut into 1-inch cubes ); 4 cups strawberries, (sliced); 3 cups blueberries; 1 can sweetened condensed milk; 1½ cups cold water; 3 1 ounce boxes of cheesecake instant pudding mix; 12 ounces cool whip, (thawed)

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Layer upon layer of angel food cake, fresh summer berries, and a custard-like filling, this summer fruit trifle recipe is a cold dessert that is perfect for any hot summer day!

Strawberries, Blueberries and angel food cake with a whipped cream cheesecake filling in a trifle bowl.

A berry trifle is one of those summer desserts everyone loves and is perfect for BBQs, cookouts, and get-togethers. And this one is so festive! I make it every year for our Memorial Day BBQ, the 4th of July, and Labor Day. Along with my Summer Corn Salad and favorite Juicy Lucy Burgers, it's a summertime favorite!

If you're looking for an easy dessert recipe, this is the one you want. It can be made ahead, requires no baking (perfect for hot summer days!), and is ready in less than 30 minutes!

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❓What is English Trifle?
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
📋 Variations
🔪 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
🙋 Recipe FAQs
💭 Expert Tips
🍓 Other Fruit Desserts
Summer Fruit Trifle with Fresh Berries

❓What is English Trifle?

If you hear this trifle dessert referred to as "English Trifle," it's because it originated in Scotland in the 1500s when they were still united with England.

The ingredients in a classic trifle recipe include sponge cake soaked in alcohol (such as sherry), an English custard mixed with whipped cream, and a combination of strawberries and raspberries. You'll also see jelly in many traditional trifle recipes.

While I enjoy a traditional English trifle, my version is way easier to make. With premade angel food cake, cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix, cool whip, and fresh berries, you'll have a party-worthy dessert ready in less than 30 minutes.

ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works

1. You only need 6 ingredients and 20 minutes to whip this entire dessert together.

2. It's festive with red, white, and blue for any patriotic holiday, such as July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, or Veteran's Day.

3. This recipe is customizable to feature your favorite flavors and fruit. You can make a different variation for any party or holiday using the same simple recipe and technique!

Trifle bowl topped with strawberries and blueberries sitting on a white table, berries scattered.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

angel food cake, pudding mix, blueberries, strawberries, and cool whip on a counter.

Angel food cake - Use store-bought angel food cake that can be diced into small squares.
Instant pudding - Cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix adds the perfect custard-like texture and sweet flavor.
Sweetened condensed milk - Adds concentrated sweetness and keeps the texture of the pudding mix creamy instead of watered-down.
Cool Whip - Use cool whip from the tubs, not aerosol whipped cream. Cool Whip adds volume and a light and airy texture to the pudding mixture.
Berries - Use fresh summer berries for this trifle. Don't use frozen berries, as they'll add too much moisture as they thaw, making the cake layer soggy. Strawberries and blueberries are my favorite!

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!

📋 Variations

Cake - Store-bought angel food cake is my go-to, but you can make homemade angel food cake if you'd like. You can also substitute angel food cake with pound cake or sponge cake. These options are a little richer and more dense but equally delicious.
Pudding - If you can't find cheesecake-flavored instant pudding, you can use white chocolate instant pudding. You can substitute another flavor, such as chocolate, French vanilla, or banana cream, to give this fruit trifle a whole new spin.
Fruit - Mixing the fruit in trifle recipes is always fun and can create a new flavor and look. I've added in fresh raspberries, blackberries, and bananas, which are all amazing. Kiwi, pineapple, cherries, mango, or peaches could also be used.

🔪 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Cut the angel food cake into bite-sized cubes and set it aside.

Cubed pieces of angel food cake on a plate.

Step 2: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and water in a large bowl until combined.

Step 3: Add the pudding mix to the liquid and beat slowly for one minute using an electric mixer. The mixture will be thick.

Step 4: Using a spatula, fold the thawed Cool Whip into the pudding mixture until it's well combined and set aside.

Step 5: Start layering your fruit trifle by placing half of the cubed cake pieces in the bottom of a trifle dish.

Collage of pudding, whipped cream being layered in trifle dish.

Step 6: Add 1.5 cups of fresh blueberries over top of the angel food cake cubes.

Step 7: Spread half the pudding mixture on top of the blueberries, covering them completely.

Fresh blueberries on top of angel food cake, pudding on top of berries.

Step 8: Layer 2 cups of fresh sliced strawberries on top of the pudding mixture.

Step 9: Repeat steps 5-8 until your dish is filled to the top. Save a few blueberries and strawberries for a garnish on top of the fruit trifle. Place a piece of saran wrap on top and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Strawberries and pudding being layered in a trifle dish.

On a hot day, nothing can beat a cold and refreshing summer berry trifle. Just look at those layers!

Trifle with cheesecake filling, strawberries and blueberries in a trifle bowl, read and white gingham napkin on table.

I love serving this in cute little parfait glasses. My kids love this fruit trifle recipe but when the presentation is attractive and appetizing, they're much more excited to dive in! Throw in a little cocktail spoon, and you are all set.

Parfait glass filled with strawberry, blueberry and angel foodmcake trifle with a spoon, green napkin in background.

🙋 Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen fruits instead of fresh ones?

Fresh fruit is preferred for berry trifle since frozen fruit releases a lot of liquid as it thaws, making the cake soggy instead of spongy. If you must use frozen fruit, completely thaw, drain, and pat the fruit as dry as possible before adding it to the dish.

Can I use a different type of glass dish for the trifle?

You can use any dish you'd like for trifle, but ideally, one that lets you admire the beautiful layers! I like using a tall clear glass dish to see each layer. If preparing for individual servings, layer everything in parfait cups or choose a tall, pretty dish.

How do you store fruit trifle?

Once you've added your last layer of the pudding mixture to the dish, cover it tightly with saran wrap and store the trifle in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours before serving. Garnish with fruit before serving. Leftovers can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

💭 Expert Tips

Make it healthier - I use Kraft's Jello - cheesecake instant pudding, but for less added sugar, use no-sugar-added pudding mix.
Don't skip the chill time - Once you've prepared the fruit trifle, let the dessert sit in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours. This gives the flavors enough meld and all the layers to chill together so each bite is cold and refreshing. For best results, let it chill for 24 hours before serving.
Make it extra sweet - Fresh berries can have a little bite of tartness, so for additional sweetness, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the berries before adding to the trifle.
Make it in advance - To save time, make the instant pudding mixture up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can make the entire summer fruit trifle up to 24 hours in advance. If storing for longer than a few hours, wait until just before serving to garnish the top with fresh fruit.

Strawberry and blueberry trifle sitting on a white table, 2 parfait glasses containing trifle topped with strawberries and blueberries.

🍓 Other Fruit Desserts

If you tried this summer fruit trifle or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!

📧 Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter, so that you don’t miss out on any of my delicious recipes!

Trifle bowl containing strawberries, blueberries and cheesecake filling sitting on an white table, scattered berries.

Summer Fruit Trifle with Fresh Berries

Layer upon layer of angel food cake, summer berries, and a custard like filling, this fruit trifle recipe is a cold dessert that is perfect for hot summer days!

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: people

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

▢
Trifle Dish

Ingredients

▢ 10 ounces angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
▢ 4 cups strawberries, sliced
▢ 3 cups blueberries
▢ 1 can sweetened condensed milk
▢ 1½ cups cold water
▢ 3 1 ounce boxes of cheesecake instant pudding mix
▢ 12 ounces cool whip, thawed

Instructions

Whisk 1 can of condensed milk and 1½ cups of water in a bowl. Add all 3 of the 1 ounce boxes of pudding mix into the bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Let it stand for 1-2 minutes or until soft-set; then fold in the tub of whipped topping.
Cut the angel food cake into cubes. Arrange half the cubes in the bottom of a 14-cup trifle bowl.
Take 1 ½ cup of blueberries and layer them on top of the angel food cake.
Gently spread half of the cream filling over the blueberries, until the blueberries and cake are covered.
Next, layer on 2 cups of the fresh sliced strawberries.
Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, add the remaining 1½ cup of blueberries. Top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining 2 cups of strawberries and a handful of blueberries, arranging them in a pretty pattern.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Notes

I use Kraft's Jello - cheesecake instant pudding, but for less added sugar, use no-sugar-added pudding mix.
Fresh berries can have a little bite of tartness, so for additional sweetness, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the berries before adding to the trifle.
Once you've prepared the fruit trifle, let the dessert sit in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours. This gives the flavors enough meld and all the layers to chill together so each bite is cold and refreshing.
To save time, make the instant pudding mixture up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can make the entire summer fruit trifle up to 24 hours in advance. If storing for longer than a few hours, wait until just before serving to garnish the top with fresh fruit.
It's always fun to mix up the fruit in trifle recipes. I've added in fresh raspberries and bananas and they taste amazing!

Nutrition

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Recipe source: inspired by Skinny Taste