How to Make a Strawberry Shortcake Trifle for a Stunning Mother's Day Dessert

Strawberry shortcake was all the rage, to a degree, still is, when it comes to picking cheerful and fruit-based desserts. So, this Mother’s Day, bake a cake, whip some heavy cream and create a sauce to layer a trifle to surprise your mom, breaking a fast perhaps and bringing some cheer into her life. This Mother's Day strawberry shortcake trifle recipe is sheer perfection, as we take you through basics of the cake baking process, whipping up an airy cream and preparing the strawberries. Read on toward the end, as we introduce a fun element if you have a mom who seriously loves her chocolate as much as we do!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

(Makes 10 servings)

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk

For the Strawberry Sauce

• 1 lb strawberries, pureed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the Whipped Cream:

• 2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups strawberries, chopped

Instructions

1. Let’s start with making the vanilla cake first. For that, preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
2. Take a medium-sized bowl and sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into it. Set aside.
3. Take another big bowl, add the butter and sugar, and use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract into the bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth.
5. Divide the flour mixture into 3 parts. Add 1 part into the egg bowl, and beat it on medium speed, until it is incorporated.
6. Keeping the mixer on medium speed, pour half of the milk into the bowl, and beat until mixed in. Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix again. Add the remaining milk, mix it in, and add the last of the flour mixture and mix again. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as need be.
7. Your cake batter is ready, transfer it into the greased cake pan and bake the cake for 35-40 minutes. Check with a toothpick inserted into the center to check for doneness. If it comes out clean and the cake is browned on top, it is done.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and set it aside to cool.
9. Next, let's make the strawberry sauce, to make that, add the strawberry puree, sugar and vanilla extract to a saucepan.
10. Bring the strawberry goo to a boil on medium heat, while stirring occasionally. After 1 minute, once it boils, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
11. Once the cake and strawberry puree have cooled, make the whipped cream and then assemble the trifle.
12. Take a big mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to it. Whip using an electric mixer on high speed, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
13. Take a large trifle dish. You can crumble the cake if you wish or cut it to fit the bottom of the dish.
14. Layer with half of the chopped strawberries, then half of the strawberry sauce, and then half of the whipped cream.
15. Add another layer of the cake, then layer with strawberries, followed by the strawberry sauce, then pipe the remaining whipped cream in swirling motions on the top.
16. To finish off, add a few extra strawberries on top of the trifle as decoration.

A Fun Variation

If this strawberry shortcake trifle felt like a bit much, when it comes to the fruit bit, you can swap the strawberry sauce in here. Swap it for ganache or a thinner chocolate sauce as you’d use for drizzling. You can top the strawberry shortcake trifle with chocolate truffles, Oreo crumbs or chocolate shavings instead of the strawberry slices that the recipe calls for.