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Strawberry shortcake trifle in a glass dish with strawberries and fresh mint leaves on top.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

With moist yellow cake, fresh strawberries, and homemade whipped cream, this light and airy dessert is a perfect treat for spring and summer and made entirely from scratch. Quick and easy to prepare, it’s an irresistible crowd-pleaser that will brighten up any gathering.
5 from 1 vote
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time:45 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes
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Ingredients
 

Yellow Cake Mix*:

  • 1 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil (sub: vegetable oil)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • *Sub: An 18-ounce box of yellow cake mix from the store

Strawberries:

  • 2 pounds fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice

Whipped Cream: 

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  1. Make Yellow Cake*: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13 pan by either lining it with parchment or coating it with cooking spray.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
  3. Whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk in a medium bowl.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until no flour is visible and no lumps are remaining, but do not over-mix.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula until the batter is smooth on top and evenly distributed. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating after 8 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs with no batter remaining. The top will be lightly golden.
  6. Let cool on a rack before transferring from pan to a cutting board. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes, cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap, and set aside.
  7. Macerate Strawberries: Toss cut strawberries together with sugar and lemon juice. Cover and store in the fridge until needed.
  8. Make Whipped Cream: Place heavy cream in a medium bowl or stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed with a whisk attachment until it has reached the “soupy peaks” stage - the whisk will leave an impression in the cream and it will have increased in volume but not quite form peaks yet.
  9. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whip on medium-high speed until the whipped cream forms firm peaks - when you pull the whisk up out of the cream, you will see the “Dairy Queen swirl.” Be careful not to over-whip the cream.
  10. Assemble: Before assembling, set aside a portion of strawberries and whipped cream for decorating if desired. Put an even layer of cake cubes (about 1-2 cubes deep) in the bottom of a trifle dish. Cover with half of the strawberries, followed by half of the whipped cream. Repeat this process once more.
  11. Decorate & Store: Decorate the top of the trifle as desired, cover, and keep refrigerated until needed. Store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Extra cake cubes can be frozen for up to 3 months or used to make miniature trifles (see full article for how to do this).
  12. *If using store-bought cake mix, skip Yellow Cake steps 1-6 and follow instructions on box instead.

Freezer Instructions

Freeze for Later: While the entire trifle will become soggy if frozen and thawed, the cake cubes can be frozen for up to 3 months. The strawberries can also be frozen if necessary but fresh ones are recommended for best results.
Prepare From Frozen: Let cake cubes thaw to room temperature and then finish trifle according to the recipe.

Notes/Tips

  • The cake can be made a few days in advance, or made up to 3 months in advance and frozen. Thaw before using.
  • Recipe makes 1 large trifle, 8 (9-ounce) trifles, or 15-16 (4-ounce) trifles. For the smaller trifles, it is recommended cutting the strawberries and cake cubes into smaller pieces.
  • Frozen and thawed strawberries can be used but fresh ones are recommended for best results.
  • Strawberries can be cut to whatever size and shape is desired, it is completely up to personal preference. More or less sugar can also be used as desired.
  • If you want to try a different spin on this dessert, try our Healthy Strawberry Shortcake.

Nutrition

Calories: 401 kcal (20%) | Carbohydrates: 40 g (13%) | Protein: 5 g (10%) | Fat: 25 g (38%) | Cholesterol: 87 mg (29%) | Sodium: 239 mg (10%) | Fiber: 2 g (8%) | Sugar: 27 g (30%)
If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!
Author: Polly Conner