Lemon Berry Trifle

This show-stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake, fresh berries, a lemon cheesecake filling, and fresh whipped cream. Use store-bought cake if you’re short on time!

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

Trifles are an ideal party dessert, especially in the spring and summer. Served in a lovely glass bowl or trifle dish, the presentation is equally impressive and beautiful. You can prepare trifles in advance and even though I recommend homemade cake for those layers, you can definitely get away with store-bought. Especially when you take the time to make homemade whipped cream and homemade lemon curd!

Trifles are as show-stopping as tall layer cakes, but worlds easier to assemble. There’s always an exciting new layer to discover and unlike Rachel’s trifle, each layer is pretty pleasant!!!

She made half an English trifle… and half a shepherd’s pie! (Lol that’s two Friends desserts in a week.)

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

Today’s lemon berry trifle is my latest kitchen creation. I assembled and photographed it a couple weeks ago when friends came to visit. It was an instant hit, so I made it again for my mother-in-law’s birthday this past weekend. The whole family gathered at our house to celebrate, so I chose this dessert not only because it feeds a lot, but for its ease of preparation. I also baked this easy funfetti cake with chocolate buttercream. Both desserts only had 1 serving left!

After preparing this lemon berry trifle for two separate large groups, I have some helpful make-ahead tips for you. But first, let’s discuss the layers.

Lemon Trifle Layers

Lemon pound cake: I use and recommend my lemon pound cake recipe. You can prepare the cake a day or 2 in advance. Since there are other homemade components to the recipe, feel free to use store-bought pound cake or even angel food cake.

Lemon cheesecake layer: The lemon cheesecake layer is the star of the show. It’s light, fluffy, and a pleasing balance of sweet and tart. It’s prepared with cream cheese, lemon curd, vanilla extract, and homemade whipped cream. I strongly suggest using homemade lemon curd and homemade whipped cream in this lemon berry trifle. Both taste considerably more appetizing than their store-bought counterparts. Homemade lemon curd can be prepared up to a week in advance and the whipped cream is only 3 basic ingredients!

Fresh berries: No extra steps here, just layer fresh berries right into the trifle. Whichever berries you use, I recommend using fresh. Frozen berries are a convenient substitution when fresh berries are not available, but they leak juices in the trifle layers regardless if you thaw or not before layering. Think about how you want the fruit to taste and go from there.

Whipped cream: Always homemade whipped cream. Prepared with heavy cream, a little sugar, and vanilla extract—you can’t go wrong with fluffy and lightly sweetened homemade whipped cream. Half of the whipped cream is beaten into the lemon cheesecake filling and the remaining half is spread or piped on top of the trifle. I used my Wilton 1M tip for piping.

This is my homemade lemon pound cake. Slice and cube the cake after it cools. The pound cake is the foundation of the trifle.

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

Lemon Cheesecake

The lemon cheesecake layer was everyone’s favorite. It reminded us of lemon mousse– very light and very airy. Homemade whipped cream not only tops the entire trifle, but is beaten into the cheesecake layer itself. This addition incorporates air into the lemon cheesecake layer, promising a fluffy texture instead of a heavy texture. All of the lemon flavor in this layer comes from lemon curd, so I definitely recommend using fresh. And all of the sweetness comes from the lemon curd and whipped cream. Store-bought versions of both, made with who the heck knows what, will quickly over-sweeten the entire dessert.

The lemon cheesecake layer uses 1 cup of my lemon curd recipe, so you’ll have 1/2 cup leftover.

Other Ways to Eat Lemon Curd

on lemon poppy seed pancakes

on biscuits

on pavlova

on angel food cake

in crepes

as a filling for vanilla cupcakes

layered in cakes

And if you don’t have plans to eat right away, you can freeze lemon curd for up to 3-6 months.

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

Homemade Whipped Cream

Homemade whipped cream is the finishing touch. You can use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream, but with its slightly higher fat percentage, heavy cream makes a sturdier whipped cream. If you’re using your stand mixer, don’t walk away from it. While beating heavy cream into whipped cream takes a few minutes, there’s only a few seconds between perfectly whipped cream (delicious!) and over-whipped cream (lumpy!).

Rescue tip just in case: you can always fix over-whipped cream.

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

As we finished dessert on Sunday, I asked for everyone’s opinion.

Comments on Lemon Berry Trifle

Lemon is not overpowering

Just the right about of sweet

I’m having seconds

The pound cake is really good on its own AND with all the layers

The whipped cream is really creamy!

My new favorite dessert

So simple, but so good

When can you make it again?

That last comment was my favorite!!

stopping lemon berry trifle recipe includes lemon pound cake Lemon Berry Trifle

So there we have it. Lemon berry trifle is a stunning dessert that can be prepared in advance and impresses anyone who takes a bite. In my eyes, that’s the sweetest ending to any party meal! You’ll also love tiramisu, too!