Strawberry Shortcake Trifle!

There is nothing that says 'summer' like strawberry shortcake!!!   When strawberries come in season and they are extra yummy, I always start thinking about new ways to use them.   My husband loves just a simple strawberry shortcake!   When I tell him I need to think of different ways to use the strawberries for the blog, he still just wants the strawberry shortcake!   

So, I came up with this "Strawberry Short Cake Trifle" to make him happy and to turn it into something a little different for my readers!!!  The results were really wonderful I must say!  This is so delicious, but also very easy!

This is a yummy mixture of pound cake, a creamy custard, whipped cream and sweetened strawberries!!!   I prefer to use the classic pound cake in this, because it's just more like classic shortcake, but to lighten it up some, you could use an angel food cake also!  

Here is what you will need:

Vanilla Pound Cake

1 cup (2 sticks)  butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups all purpose flour

Custard Filling

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

16 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed (reserve 1/4 of it for the top)

2 pints strawberries, capped and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 6 cup loaf pan well with nonstick baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl,  with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat.  

Beat in the vanilla, salt, baking powder, and gradually add in flour.  Beat just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour into the loaf pan and place on middle rack in preheated oven.   Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Cool for about 15 minutes in the pan and then invert on a rack to cool completely before using in the trifle. 

If you really want to make this easy on yourself, you can also buy a frozen pound cake and use it and it's still really good!

I have found that the "Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake" is perfect in this!!!

Place the strawberries, you have washed, capped and sliced in a bowl with a tight fitting lid. 

Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over the berries and drizzle 1/4 cups water over all. Stir with a big spoon just until the sugar is throughout.

Save about three of the nicest, bigger berries for the garnish on top, leaving them whole!

Cover with the lid and place these in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  You need to let them sit for at least 6 hours so this needs to be done the night before or early in the day! This process is called macerating the berries and it makes them taste even better!

As they sit, the juices come out and thicken slightly and it just makes the berries so good!

Cut the pound cake in uniform cubes and spread one half of it in the bottom of a large trifle dish.  If you don't have a trifle dish, you can use a large glass bowl! 

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla until it's fluffy. 

Mix in the 3/4 of the carton of frozen whipped topping.  Reserve the other 1/4 for the top of the trifle. 

Spread 1/2 of the strawberries and some of the juice over the cake cubes.

Spread 1/2 of the custard layer over the berries and cake.  Now repeat all of the layers again!

Spread the 1/4 of carton of whipped topping you reserved  over the top and garnish with the berries you kept out! 

 I like to take the can of aerosol whipped cream and do the top so it's extra pretty!  That's just an optional step, but it's not hard at all and it does look really pretty!!! 

This is best if you chill it in the fridge for about 4 -5 hours before serving!