Mini Strawberry Trifle Recipe

Decadent and elegant, yet surprisingly easy to make, this Mini Strawberry Trifle recipe comes together in mere minutes by layering a simple strawberry jam or compote with a dreamy whipped cream layer and cubes of store-bought angel food cake. These mini strawberry shortcake trifles are simple, delicious, and guaranteed to be a hit!

I’ve been obsessed with trifles for years now. They are the ultimate carefree dessert, built with layer upon layer of flavours and textures. From a simple holiday Cranberry Pomegranate Trifle featuring leftover cranberry sauce to an extravagant Lemon Curd Mascarpone Trifle, each trifle recipe I add to the blog puts a smile on my face.

Mini Strawberry Trifle Recipe

You gotta love a no bake strawberry dessert, am I right?! I know you’re going to love this easy strawberry trifle recipe because it’s absolutely delicious and takes mere minutes to make. What’s even better is that you can customize it to your liking.

Want to use fresh or frozen strawberries… your choice. Need to use Cool whip in place of whipped cream… okay! Prefer to add a layer of vanilla pudding or use pound cake instead of angel food cake? Do it! 

I use the term short cake trifle loosely, as this no bake dessert contains similar components to a baked strawberry shortcake but without the hassle of an oven. The most important parts are there… sweet macerated strawberries, some sort of cake component, and dreamy whipped cream. This is the perfect dessert for a carefree and delicious summer!

What is a Trifle?

A word of warning. In the UK, trifles are not to be trifled with. A trifle is a classic English layered dessert that is as much about visual presentation as it is about taste. It traditionally features distinct, repeating layers of cake, fruit, custard, and cream, all beautifully showcased in a deep, straight-sided glass bowl.

The beauty of a trifle lies in the contrast of textures—the soft soak of the cake, the smooth richness of the custard, and the light fluffiness of the whipped cream.

To build a traditional British trifle, you assemble the components from the bottom up, ensuring each layer is visible from the outside of the glass starting with either ladyfingers, pound cake, or sponge cake (often soaked in alcohol).

Next, is the fruit layer containing fresh or macerated fruits with vintage recipes containing fruit in jelly. Then comes the custard layer, real vanilla egg custard (crème anglaise) cooked and cooled. Finally, a dream like layer of whipped cream and final garnishes like toasted nuts, fresh berries, or shaved chocolate.

Modern variations frequently swap out the flavour profiles entirely while keeping the layers. Try a chocolate version with brownies, Oreos, and chocolate pudding, a lemon curd and berry dessert, or a tropical version with fruits like mangos, passionfruit curd, and pineapple.

Ingredients for this Simple Strawberry Trifle

For this recipe you’ll need a saucepan, a sharp serrated knife, a hand or stand mixer, four large stemless wine glasses, mini trifle bowls, or four 1-cup wide mouth jars.

• Strawberries
• Granulated Sugar
• Water
• Cornstarch
• Angel Food Cake
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract

Use fresh or frozen strawberries for the jam/compote but reserve a few fresh strawberries for garnish. Feel free to replace the angel food cake with pound cake or crumbled lady fingers and the heavy whipped cream with Cool whip. Do not use light cream.

If you choose to add a pudding layer, use a box of instant vanilla pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Layer the pudding mixture above the angel food cake to prevent the strawberries from mixing into the cake.

How to Make Strawberry Trifle

Cook the Strawberries

Begin by making the strawberry compote as it requires time to cool to room temperature. If you prefer not to cook the strawberries with cornstarch, you can macerate sliced fresh strawberries with sugar for 20 minutes. Note macerated strawberries are juicier than the fruit compote and will run through the layers of the dessert.

Add sliced strawberries and granulated sugar to a small saucepan, cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is brought to a simmer. Let the strawberry mixture simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Note: If you use frozen strawberries, the compote will take longer to cook.

In a separate cup or small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch to make a slurry, then stir it into the strawberry jam. Stir for 30 seconds while the mixture is still simmering then remove from heat. Set compote aside.

Whip the Cream and Cut the Cake

Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer bowl. Add the whisk attachment.

Mix on low speed to incorporate the ingredients, then bring the mixer up to high and whisk the mixture for 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Slice the angel food cake horizontally into large slices, then cut each slice into cubes. When finished, the cake should all be cut into ½ to 1-inch cubes.

Assemble the Trifles

Start layering the trifles by adding roughly ½ cup of the cream filling to the bottom of each glass in an even layer.

Next, add ½ cup of angel food cake cubes on top of the cream layer then spoon ½ cup of the strawberry jam over the angel food cake cubes.

Top each trifle with an additional scoop of whipped cream then add fresh sliced strawberries for garnish.

Note: To make one large strawberry trifle start by layering ¾ of the cream at the bottom of a trifle dish, then adding the cubed angel food cake, then the jam, and topping with the remaining ¼ of the cream layer.

Make Ahead and Storage

To make this dessert ahead of time, make the jam and cream layer then store them separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Wait to slice the cake and assemble the trifles directly before serving.

Store the trifle in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Please note the angel food cake will become soggy the longer it sits.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Mini Strawberry Trifle Recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!