Layers of fluffy angel food cake, sweet blueberry AND strawberry toppings, and luscious white chocolate cream filling all in one beautifully patriotic dessert!
With yesterday being the official first day of summer, I think it’s time to celebrate all things BERRY! Gimme all the blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries–I love them all! And with the Fourth of July coming up in a couple of weeks, why not kill two birds with one stone by serving up a dessert loaded with berries AND patriotism!
This Patriotic Berry Trifle combines so many of my summer favorites–pillowy cubes of angel food cake, lusciously sweet strawberries and blueberries, and rich white chocolate. It’s light, summery, and absolutely perfect to serve at your Fourth of July celebration–or ANY celebration for that matter!
Now I’m sure you’ve seen several berry trifle recipes ALL over the Pinternet, but I can assure you that THIS trifle is different, and LIGHTYEARS above the rest. Because as opposed to simply layering angel food cake with some whipped cream and fresh berries, this trifle takes things a few steps further…
First off, instead of simply using fresh berries, I made up a strawberry topping and a blueberry topping. Although I love me some fresh berries, they don’t last long when layered in trifles. The berries begin to soften and become much less vibrant the longer they sit in the trifle, which is why it’s best to eat it within the first 2 days. On the other hand, when you cook those berries into a sweet topping, you don’t have to worry about mushy unattractive berries. The cooking process preserves their gorgeous color, and the added sugar brings out more of the berries’ sweetness!
Making the berry toppings really isn’t that much more work than using fresh berries. All you have to do is place your chopped strawberries (or whole blueberries) into a saucepan, and cook them over medium heat until the berries begin to soften and release their juices. Combine some sugar, cornstarch (thickener) and salt, then stir this mixture into your berries. As you continue to cook the berries with the sugar-cornstarch mixture, a thick sauce will begin to form. This only takes about 3-4 minutes. Once it’s thickened, transfer the topping to a shallow bowl (so it cools faster) and refrigerate until it’s completely cool. If you’re incredibly impatient like me, you can also chill the berry toppings in the freezer. Just make sure to take them out and stir every 15 minutes or so.
The white chocolate cream filling is just as simple to make! First you’ll whip up some heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract until stiff peaks form. Transfer your whipped cream to another bowl, and return the bowl to the mixer–no need to clean it! Switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment (or continue to use your beaters), and beat some cream cheese on high for about 2 minutes. You basically want to lighten it up a bit, so that it blends more easily with the melted white chocolate. I also like to add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to the white chocolate before heating it in the microwave since it thins the chocolate out a little, making it easier to combine with the cream cheese.
Once you combine the melted white chocolate with the cream cheese, it’s time to fold in the whipped cream. I usually beat in about a third of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture up a bit before folding in the rest by hand.
Now that you’ve got your glorious white chocolate filling and beautiful berry toppings, it’s time to assemble your glorious trifle! Start with a layer of fluffy angel food cake. Then follow this up with half of your white chocolate filling. Pour your delicious blueberry sauce evenly over the filling. Then repeat with the rest of the angel food cake, white chocolate filling, and strawberry sauce.
To jazz up the appearance a little, simply add a border of whipped cream rosettes along the top as well as some fresh blueberries and strawberries!
I know strawberry shortcake is the traditional favorite at Fourth of July celebrations, but if you REALLY wanna impress the tastebuds of your friends and family, this Patriotic Berry Trifle is HANDS DOWN the way to go!
Patriotic Berry Trifle
Ingredients
Strawberry Topping:
- 5 cups chopped strawberries
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
Blueberry Topping:
- 4 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
White Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream divided
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 6 ounces white chocolate
For Assembly:
- 12 ounces angel food cake cut into cubes
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Fresh strawberries and blueberries
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Topping:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the strawberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the strawberries and continue cooking until a sauce forms and it begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Blueberry Topping:
- in a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Add mixture to the blueberries and continue cooking until it a sauce forms and it begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the White Chocolate Filling:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and return bowl to mixer.
- Switch the whisk attachment out for the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese on high until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white chocolate and 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is smooth. Pour white chocolate into cream cheese mixture and beat until combined. Add a third of the whipped cream to the bowl, beating until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the remaining whipped cream by hand with a spatula.
To Assemble:
- Place half of the angel food cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle dish or bowl. Spoon half of the white chocolate filling on top, spreading evenly. Pour the blueberry sauce evenly over the filling. Layer the rest of the angel food cake on top of the blueberry sauce. Spread the rest of the white chocolate filling on top. Pour the strawberry sauce evenly over the filling.
- Pipe whipped cream rosettes around the border and decorate with fresh berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.