INGREDIENTS
- ▢1 purchased angel food cake, torn into bite-size pieces
- ▢3 pounds fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- ▢2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ▢1¼ cups sugar, divided
- ▢1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ▢pinch of kosher salt
- ▢splash Grand Marnier, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a mixing bowl and electric beaters or whisk in the refrigerator or freezer to chill.
- Wash the strawberries, and remove the leaves, stem, and tough bits below the stem from the fruit. You can use a strawberry huller to remove the stems, but if you don’t have one, you can just cut off the tops of the berries with a knife, then slice.
- Add the sliced strawberries to a medium-sized bowl with one cup of sugar, lemon juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Optional, add a splash of Grand Marnier or another orange-flavored liqueur. Gently toss the berries to combine.
- Set the berry mixture aside for about 30 minutes and stir occasionally. This allows the strawberries to macerate or soften slightly and start releasing their juices.
- To make the whipped cream, pour chilled heavy whipping cream into a large chilled bowl and add a quarter cup of sugar.
- Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a chilled whisk attachment and beat the cream mixture at medium speed until stiff peaks form. You can check for stiff peaks by lifting the whisk out of the cream; if the peaks hold their shape, the cream is ready. Usually, it takes about seven to eight minutes to get to the stiff peak stage.
- Tear the angel food cake into bite-size pieces. Place a third of the cake pieces in the bottom of a large trifle dish. Spread out evenly. Spoon about a third of the strawberry mixture over the angel food cake and spread it evenly. Add about a third of the whipped cream and spread it out evenly, ensuring that it covers the strawberry layer completely.
- Repeat the layers twice, ending with a layer of whipped cream. You can use a spoon or a spatula to spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the trifle.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill the trifle in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This will help the flavors meld together and make it even more delicious! Optional: before serving garnish with a few strawberries.
NOTES
Don’t over-whip the cream; over-whipping the cream can cause it to turn into butter or become grainy. To avoid this, stop whipping as soon as stiff peaks form.
You can also substitute boxed frozen sliced strawberries in syrup for fresh. If using the strawberries in syrup, you do not need to add sugar to macerate them.
The trifle dish I used in this recipe has straight sides, measures seven and one-half inches across the top, and is five inches deep. I prefer trifle dishes without a pedestal; they are easier to transport and store in the fridge.
