Summer Berry Trifle
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This berry trifle is perfect for a summer party — it’s refreshing, gorgeous, and make-ahead.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Berry trifles make wonderful (and patriotic) summer party desserts. Not only are they gorgeous, they feed a crowd and are made in advance. The only drawback is that, with all their layers, they can be time-consuming to make from scratch. I save time by using store-bought Savoiardi biscuits (a.k.a. crisp ladyfingers), cream cheese, and raspberry jam. The result is a dazzling, delicious berry trifle that can be made in 30 minutes. Use a deep, clear glass bowl or a footed glass trifle dish so the pretty layers can be seen. And don’t worry if the layers look slightly uneven or if the layers mix a bit — that’s the beauty of a trifle. You can also make the trifle in small glasses as individual parfaits.
“Oh my! This is so easy, beautiful and absolutely delicious!! Made for a party and everyone raved.”
What You’ll Need For Summer Berry Trifle
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, warm the raspberry jam in the microwave.
Toss it with the berries and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the trifle.
Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and Confectioners’ sugar.
Beat until smooth and creamy, then beat in the vanilla.
Add a third of the whipped cream.
Beat until smooth and then add the remaining cream.
Fold with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
To assemble, begin by layering the lady fingers in the bottom of the dish. Top with a third of the berry mixture, followed by a third of the cream. Continue alternating the lady fingers, berries, and cream.
End with the cream cheese mixture on top; for the last layer of cream, leave a 1-inch border around the edge showing the fruit beneath. Sprinkle some berries and a fresh mint on top.
Let the trifle chill for at least 8 hours, then top with some fresh berries and a spring of fresh mint, if desired.
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Video Tutorial
Summer Berry Trifle
This berry trifle is perfect for a summer party — it’s refreshing, gorgeous, and make-ahead.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (8 oz) seedless raspberry jam
- 1 quart (1½ pounds) strawberries, hulled and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 pint (12 oz) raspberries
- 1 pint (12 oz) blueberries
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 16 ounces cream cheese (preferably Philadelphia brand), at room temperature
- 1¾ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (7 oz) package crisp lady fingers (also called savoiardi biscuits)
- Fresh mint spring, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set aside a few berries for topping the trifle.
- Heat the raspberry jam in a large bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until hot and liquidy. Add the fresh berries and toss to coat. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe, stirring occasionally.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in a third of the whipped cream. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until well combined.
- Cover the bottom of a 9-inch (14-cup capacity) trifle dish or glass bowl with a layer of lady fingers (break into pieces as necessary). Follow with ⅓ of the berry-jam mixture (including ⅓ of the juices), then ⅓ of the cream. Alternate, ending with the cream cheese mixture on top; for the last layer of cream, leave a 1-inch border around the edge showing the fruit beneath. Garnish with the reserved whole berries and a fresh mint spring if using. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 554
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Sugar: 41g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 197mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My friend made this for my daughter’s bridal shower. It was absolutely fabulous. I made it the next day for the my poor guys who missed the party and substituted blackberries for the blueberries. That was a little tangier and not quite as sweet.
Can cool whip frozen topping be used for the heavy cream?-Diana
Sure – hope you enjoy!
Can this recipe be halved?
Sure, Cheryl, but I’d use a smaller dish. Hope you enjoy!
Is there a way to make the whipped cream mixture lemon flavored
Sure Cory, you could fold some lemon curd or stir some lemon zest into the whipped cream. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
I don’t think I can find fresh blueberries in Israel this time of the year, can I use frozen, if not can I use only strawberries?
Thanks!
Jenny
Hi Jenny, I would stick to fresh fruit here. While I like the color that the mix of berries provides, you could get away with using all strawberries here. Hope you enjoy!
I used the soft lady finger put them in the oven 250 for approx 30 min turning midway and they turned out crisp and and worked out great.
I made my first recipe from Jenn’s website – the summer berry trifle. Now, because I don’t like raspberries, I substituted homemade strawberry jam and blackberries. I took it to a party tonight, and it was a great hit. Everyone absolutely loved it! I’m looking forward to making some of her savory dishes too.
I just made this. Followed directions and ingredients to the T. The only thing I don’t have is a trifle dish lol. I used my salad spinning bowl (large OXO brand). I hope it’s a decent size. I’ve never been awesome at making homemade whipped cream. I felt like mine was a little watery and flat, but not as bad as it could’ve been. It had some sad peaks but the fluffiness was somewhat there. I didn’t want to over beat because I’ve had it get chunky before. Will this compromise the overall texture and flavor of the dish?
Hi, Sorry to hear you had some problems with the whipped cream. Because of the other elements in the dish, I don’t think the imperfect texture will impact the trifle.
Are you beating your whip cream in a plastic bowl? If so, that could be the problem.
Hi Jenn, I am planning to make this for my brother’s 40th birthday on Boxing Day, do you think I could make this two days in advance and keep chilled? Looking forward to serving your Peruvian chicken & black bean salad for Xmas dinner!
That’s fine, Melissa – it keeps well for several days (and happy early 40th to your brother)!
Thank you Jenn, and I will pass on your birthday wishes too! It’s so nice how you take the time to reply your readers, I wanted to let you know that it really helps with planning for the busy Xmas season. Merry Xmas to you and your family!
Happy to help! Merry Christmas to you and yours! xo
OMG, this is beyond delicious. I did a half recipe dummy run for Christmas next month. Being a non cook, I made the mistake of putting the fruit straight from the fridge into the hot liquid jam. Of course it didn’t stay liquidy and that worried me a bit. What a wasted worry, the lady fingers still softened. The trifle was in the fridge 24 hrs. It was truly delicious. Of couse I gave credit to you, Jenn, and the recipe to our Australian visitors. Thank you so very much.
I’m wanting to make this for Christmas but noticed there’s no custard 😳
Has anyone tried it with custard?
Instead of blueberries try blackberries to make it a Xmas trifle. It was so good that a midnight fridge raider finished it off 🤣