Patriotic Trifle

This is the dessert I made for the last class of my 3-week cooking series at Les Gourmettes Cooking School. The semester ended last night – it is officially summer for me. No more classes until September.

Since I made this during class, I don’t have any step-by-step photos for you, but the recipe is straightforward.

This is the perfect dessert for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, or honestly any day of the week this summer. Enjoy!

Red, White, & Blue Trifle

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 purchased angel food cake, cut horizontally into 1-inch thick slices
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
2 pints blueberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Heat 1/4 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Slowly add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.

Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with about a third of the blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of about half of the strawberries.

Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with another third of the blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture.

Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Serves 10 to 12