Triple Berry Trifle

Low in calories and high on taste this Berry Trifle Recipe is a summer dessert made with angel food cake, whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The color combination makes it the perfect patriotic dessert!

This Berry Trifle may just be the perfect summer dessert. Airy angel food cake, cubed and nestled in a trifle bowl with layers of fresh berries and whipped cream. This red, white and blue dessert is fantastic to serve for all of the patriotic holidays, too! Just what your 4th of July celebration needs!

Summer desserts are some of my favorites. They are always light and full of fresh fruits that we are blessed with this time of year. This berry trifle recipe is one of my favorite cookout desserts. It’s simple to make, and super versatile for whatever you have a taste for.

SIMPLE TRIFLE RECIPE

The first time I made this, I had family coming over and I needed a quick dessert. I love trifles, they are so easy to put together and offer such a pretty presentation! I had just stocked up on berries at the farmer’s market, so I whipped up an Angel Food Cake and my Berry Trifle was born!

For those of you who don’t like to bake, don’t be intimidated! You can make this with an angel food cake purchased from your local grocery store if you so desire. Use Cool Whip instead of homemade whipped cream and you’ll have a no bake dessert that literally comes together in minutes!

For those of us who are watching our waistlines (I, unfortunately, watch mine go up and down all of the time!) this recipe will let you have dessert without wrecking your plan. It’s low in fat and calories, and berries are super high in fiber. Use fat-free, or even low-fat Cool Whip to minimize the calories/fat even more.

HOW TO SERVE A TRIFLE DESSERT

Traditionally, a trifle is made in a trifle bowl. A trifle bowl is a clear glass bowl on a pedestal bottom. I have a set that has one large bowl and multiple small ones for making individual trifles, or just for serving.

But what if you don’t have a trifle bowl? Can you still make serve a trifle cake? The answer is YES!

Some other ideas for serving this easy berry trifle would be a clear glass bowl, a punch bowl, mason jars or I have even used disposable plastic cups at parties for individual desserts.

DOES A TRIFLE HAVE THREE LAYERS?

The traditional trifle originated in 18th Century England. There were typically 4 layers; sponge cake, that had been soaked in alcohol, fruit, custard, and whipped heavy cream. Often times the fruit also incorporated some sort of homemade jam or jelly.

INGREDIENTS IN BERRY TRIFLE with ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Simple ingredients, that can be homemade or store-purchased, your choice.

Find exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• angel food cake, make your own, or purchase one at the store. I used my Pineapple Angel Food Cake the day I made this one It paired lovely with the berries and cream. Pound cake also works well.
• cool whip – You can use regular, light, or fat-free Cool Whip, or if you prefer a more decadent dessert, make your own homemade whipped cream.
• fresh berries – I used blueberries, fresh strawberries, blackberries, and fresh raspberries.
• optional garnish – fresh mint makes a nice garnish if you have it available.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BERRY TRIFLE RECIPE

CUT

Using a serrated knife, cut your angel food cake into chunks.

If baking your own cake, bake the night before, so it can be inverted overnight and ready to use.

PREP

Wash berries and set them on a paper towel to dry. Cut strawberries into smaller pieces.

Defrost Cool Whip or make your own homemade whipped cream by combining 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla with a pint of whipping cream. Whip with an electric mixer until stiff soft peaks form.

ASSEMBLE

Begin by placing cubes of angel food cake into the bottom of a trifle dish in an even layer.

Spread a third of the whipped cream over the first cake layer.

Top with a mixture of your chosen berries.

Repeat for the next layer.

TOP

For the top of the cake, add the remaining cubed cake, a taller mound of whipped cream or non-dairy topping, and top the trifle with the remaining berries.

SERVE

Serve with a big spoon into individual bowls. I like to have a bowl of extra berries and a can of Redi-Whip on the side for adding a little more as people serve themselves.

Alternatively, you can assemble the dessert in individual small trifle bowls. 

LOVE IT? PIN IT!

If you love this Summer Berry Trifle recipe – make sure you can find it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

CAN YOU MAKE A TRIFLE AHEAD OF TIME?

If you decide to make this berry trifle early, that is just fine. Keep in mind though, that the cake will get a lot moister as the berries and cream all marry together in the fridge. I suggest making it no more than 24 hours ahead of time and adding that top layer of whipped cream and berries right before you serve it.

RED, WHITE & BLUE TRIFLE DESSERT

As I mentioned earlier, this patriotic berry trifle makes a great dessert for holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. Group the red berries and the blueberries together to give more of a flag effect to the layers, or even arrange the berries on the top in a flag or star shape!

As I mentioned, I used my Two Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake Recipe for this dessert. It’s just wonderful with the berries! 

More Berry-Filled Recipes to LOVE

• No-Bake Fruit Tart (pictured above)
• Pink Angel Food Strawberry Short Cake Trifle
• Berry Bisquick Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Trifle
• Deconstructed Berry Pies
• Fresh Strawberry Pie

I know you are just going to adore this simple trifle recipe. Light berry-filled desserts like this one are what summer days are made for! 

4.80 from 10 votes

Print Recipe

Triple Berry Trifle

Low in calories and high on taste this BERRY TRIFLE recipe is a summer dessert made with angel food cake, whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The color combination makes it the perfect patriotic dessert!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Keyword: angel food cake, berries, berry trifle, blackberries, blueberries, cool whip, pineapple angel food, raspberries, Red, strawberries, trifle, trifle cake, trifle dessert, Triple Berry Trifle, whipped cream whipped cream, white and blue desserts

Servings: 12 -15 servings

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 Angel Food Cake your own or a purchased one, cut into chunks
• 1 - 16 ounce Cool Whip (or homemade whipping cream)
• 1 large package of each: Blackberries and Raspberries
• 1 package of Strawberries cut into bite sized pieces

Instructions

• If baking your own cake, bake the night before, so it can be inverted overnight and ready to use. Cut cake into chunks, set aside.
• Wash berries and set on a paper towel to dry. Cut strawberries into bite sized pieces.
• Defrost Cool Whip or make your own *homemade whipping cream.
• There is really no set "recipe" or "rule" to this dessert, that's what makes it so much fun to make! You can vary the types of berries based on your family's taste. I went heavier on the strawberries and blackberries this particular time. They hold up better than the raspberries, as they tend to get softer.
• Simply layer in the trifle, cake in the bottom, then berries then whipped cream. Repeat until the trifle bowl is full. I added a big mound of berries and whipped cream to the top of mine.
• Chill until ready to serve.
• *Homemade whipped cream: I use about 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla to a pint of whipping cream. Whip with mixer until stiff peaks form.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 32mg | Sugar: 11g

This recipe was originally posted on August 1, 2014. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on June 14, 2022.