Single serving dessert recipes typically sound much better on paper than they actually taste, but our easy berry trifle dessert tastes great and looks fantastic!
This trifle dessert is so great when you’re in a rush because you can easily put it together in less than 30 minutes, or make the components the night ahead of time and just assemble the trifle prior to the dessert course.
We love this dessert for a number of reasons, but like all dishes they start with quality ingredients.
For us, ever since we got our first taste of an Oregon marionberry while visiting Willamette Valley, we’ve been hooked on that state’s incredible bounty when it comes to berries.
We use Oregon blackberries and marionberries in a lot of different ways, from simple morning smoothies with frozen berries, to a cozy berry bread pudding, to a nontraditional topping on a steak in our blue cheese and berry steak bites.
Additionally, this trifle features Karen’s favorite childhood cake, the angel food cake.
This cake can typically be picked up at any grocery store during the summer, but if you can’t find angel food cake, reach for a pound cake or a shortcake.
As we stated earlier, this easy dessert recipe is super simple to make and it also uses just a few ingredients.
It is perfect to make on-demand for individual self-servings or an adorable addition to a dinner party.
What is a trifle?
A traditional English trifle is made with layers of fruit, custard, spongy cake soaked in sherry, and whipped cream.
We think any layered dessert should be called a trifle.
For this recipe, we took a slightly healthier approach by skipping the custard and sherry.
We also served them up in individual wine glasses which makes these one of the best healthy single serving desserts.
The berry trifle can be assembled just for one, or make a few of them for an impressive make-ahead dessert recipe.
There is a ton of flavor from the berry sauce and it is a very easy trifle recipe that can be made in a flash!
How do you put a trifle together?
Layer by layer. You can start with the berries or whipped cream, and then in between those layers always add a thin layer of angel food cake.
Also, a tip to keep the trifle dessert looking pretty for your party we recommend using a slotted spoon when scooping up the berries layering it on. Using the slotted spoon will slow the darker fruit sauce from bleeding into the lighter layers.
Will trifle get soggy overnight?
Yes, trifle will become mushier as it sits. That’s why these individual berry trifles are the perfect solution!
They taste great from the second you put it together so we like to make each trifle on demand.
Simply prepare all the ingredients and store them in airtight containers.
It only takes a few minutes to assemble the single serving trifles and the ingredients will last for up to three days!
What is angel food cake?
Angel food cake, sometimes known simply as angel cake, is light, fluffy, and lower in calories compared to most cakes.
It gets its fluffy texture from whipped egg whites, and it’s cooked without using butter.
Because of all of these qualities, angel food cake makes for the perfect cake addition to any fruit trifle recipe, and it was always the cake Karen requested for her birthday when she was a child.
Homemade whipped cream recipe
We think that homemade whipped cream really elevates this recipe.
However, feel free to use store-bought whipped cream if you’re looking to save time.
When we make whipped cream, we like to add a little bit of powdered non-fat milk. This acts as a stabilizer so that your whipped cream doesn’t collapse or melt right away.
Stabilized whipped cream is similar to what you will find on bakery cakes.
To make our homemade whipped cream recipe, add all ingredients to a food processor and whip until thick, it’s as easy as that!
- 1 pint of whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of powdered non-fat milk (an optional stabilizer)
Berry Trifle Recipe
Makes 4 individual single-serving trifles
- 4 cups frozen Oregon black berries, divided
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- Splash of water
- 4 cups of angel food cake, shortcake, or pound cake, cut into 1cm cubes
- 4 cups of whipped cream
- Sliced almonds, for garnish
- Mint, for garnish
- Combine 2 cups of frozen Oregon berries with sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan on medium heat.
- Once the berries have thawed and the heat has drawn out the juices, mix together the cornstarch with a splash of water and add the cornstarch slurry to the berry sauce.
- Let simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in 2 more cups of frozen berries. The heat of the sauce will thaw the additional berries.
- While the sauce cools, cut your cake into 1cm wide cubes.
- In an individual serving dish, layer the berry compote, angel food cake and whipped cream. Continue until the dish is full.
- Garnish with fresh mint, sliced almonds, and additional berries.
Berry Trifle Recipe
A sweet and low fat berry trifle dessert that's so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen Oregon black berries, divided
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- Splash of water
- 4 cups of angel food cake, shortcake, or pound cake, cut into 1cm cubes
- 4 cups of whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, for garnish
- Mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups of frozen Oregon berries with sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan on medium heat.
- Once the berries have thawed and the heat has drawn out the juices, mix together the cornstarch with a splash of water and add the cornstarch slurry to the berry sauce.
- Let simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in 2 more cups of frozen berries. The heat of the sauce will thaw the additional berries.
- While the sauce cools, cut your cake into 1cm wide cubes.
- In an individual serving dish, layer the berry compote, angel food cake and whipped cream. Continue until the dish is full.
- Garnish with fresh mint, sliced almonds, and additional berries.
Click this link to pin this recipe on pinterest. Also, don’t forget to follow us on instagram and facebook for more recipes and recommendations, we love to see when you make our recipes!
If you’d like to automatically receive our posts in your email, register here.
This trifle recipe was sponsored by Oregon Berries. Thanks for supporting the products we love.
No Comments