Fluffy angel food cake layered with fresh berries, whipped cream, and lemon razzleberry coulis. This patriotic trifle is both light and perfectly sweet to round out any summer celebration.

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Aloha from Hawaii! I tried to get this posted before we left, but who am I kidding? Between a busy weekend, packing myself and our toddler, as well as randomly getting our second Christmas Mickey wreath order this summer, I was never going to get a full on recipe done.

Which is kind of fitting, because this recipe is very forgiving. Except if you’re Rachel Green. To be honest, I will never not think of Rachel from Friends when I think of trifle. While I may not add beef sautéed with peas and onions, I will always think of her gloriously disastrous attempt at baking when I make this unbelievably easy dessert.

And therein lies the hilarity of Rachel’s mistake: trifle isn’t that hard to make. It’s literally always a backup option if a cake doesn’t pan out. Just crumble it into a trifle and you’re good!

Not that that’s what happened here. I made this trifle on purpose. I wanted something patriotic and simple and light.

Enter: red, white, & blue trifle using angel food cake, whipped cream, lemon razzleberry coulis, and fresh fruit. So it’s easy AND basically a health food. Plus, it’s simple to decorate and even easier to serve—ya just use a big old serving spoon like it’s a casserole.

I’d like to think even Rachel couldn’t mess this one up.

How to make a red, white, & blue trifle

Make the angel food cake first.
While it cools, make the lemon razzleberry coulis and let it cool.
Once the cake is completely cool, remove from pan and dice.
Layer with whipped cream, coulis, and blueberries.
Repeat this process, but use red fruits on the next layer.
Top in any decorative way you like.
Enjoy!

Tips and notes for this recipe

Get the fruit and coulis all the way to the edge

You can actually skimp a little in the middle or do a variety of fruits. But to get those nice, patriotic stripes, you want your coulis and berries right up to the edge so they’re clearly visible in the finished product.

Trifle can be made a day ahead of time

The great thing is that the angel food cake can withstand a night in the fridge—layered with cream and coulis—before it starts to get soggy. This isn’t true of all cakes, so be cautious subbing something else in.

My trifle tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making this trifle. Affiliate links provided.

Angel food cake pan

Fine mesh sieve (for making the cake—a definite must!)

Trifle dish (or this one with a lid—travels well!)

You might also like:

Lemon Berry Galette (can be baked on a grill)

Blackberry Lavender OR Strawberry Basil Lemonade Cupcakes

No Bake Lemon Curd Tart

Oatmeal Cookie Berry Bars

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Red, White, & Blue Trifle

Print

prep time: 35-40 minutes
bake time: 40-50 minutes
total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (plus 2-3 hours cooling time)

servings: 12-16

Ingredients:

half of an angel food cake (homemade or store bought)

for the lemon razzleberry coulis

6 ounces blueberries
6 ounces raspberries
6 ounces blackberries
½ cup (113g) lemon juice
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

for the whipped cream

2 cups (231g) heavy whipping cream
½ cup (50g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (13g) vanilla extract

to assemble

6 ounces blueberries
6 ounces raspberries and/or strawberries (diced)

Instructions:

Make the angel food cake and let cool.

make the lemon razzleberry coulis

While the angel food cake cools, make the razzleberry coulis. Rinse and dry the berries. Place all of the coulis ingredients in a heavy bottomed, medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has turned to sauce-like texture. Adjust temperature as needed so it doesn’t fully boil but only simmers. Place into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until completely cool. Coulis can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

make the whipped cream

Place all of the whipped cream ingredients in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, a handheld mixer, or regular whisk, beat the cream on low until frothy. Increase speed to high (or just whisk as fast as your arm will go) until stiff peaks form. Store in the fridge until ready to assemble the trifle. Whipped cream should be made as close to assembly as possible so it doesn’t deflate.

assemble

Once the angel food cake is completely cool to the touch, gently remove the cake from the pan, running a very sharp, long knife along the inner and outer edges of the pan then also along the bottom if you have a removable bottom pan.
Dice half of the cake into 1” pieces. Spread ⅓ of the pieces on the bottom of your trifle dish. Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream on top of it, filling in the cracks as best you can. Drizzle ⅓ of the coulis on top, spreading it across the whipped cream. Sprinkle most of the blueberries on top of the coulis, making sure there’s a clear line of them along the edge so you can see the colors.
Repeat the process with more cake, whipped cream, coulis, then most of the raspberries and/or strawberries, again making sure the fruit is visible along the sides. Finish with the remaining cake pieces and whipped cream. Use the remaining fruit and coulis to create a ring along the edges or other decorative arrangement that you prefer.
Cover well and refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

Store, wrapped well or in an airtight container, for 3-5 days. Trifle can be made up to a day before serving.