Berry Cheesecake Trifle
This berry cheesecake trifle is a luscious combination of cream cheese, tart mixed berries, leftover cake, and lashings of whipped cream. Although you can impress your date on Valentine’s Day by adding some romantic touches, this is most definitely an all-year-round dessert.
This simple trifle is the perfect way to use up leftover cake and turn it into a delicious, no-fuss dessert. Layered with juicy berries and a creamy, tangy cream cheese filling, it’s a quick and easy treat that feels indulgent without any of the hassle. You can also adapt it in any way you like. The ingredients are enough to make two huge desserts.
Leftover cake
I know what you’re thinking: leftover cake, what’s that? How does something so universally adored even manage to survive long enough to be considered “leftover”? In my house, it depends on the cake. My kids won’t touch anything with fruit in it, so treats like orange drizzle cake or blackberry and raspberry cupcakes are left entirely to me. I usually just pop any extras in the freezer for another day.
However, on the rare occasion that an overly ambitious baker miscalculates portion sizes (ahem, guilty), or there’s a kitchen fail, repurposing cake can be surprisingly delightful. For this dessert, the cake I used was a flop. It failed to rise, but tasted delicious. I wasn’t about to throw it away, so trifle it was.
Cheesecake trifle
A cheesecake trifle sounds fancy, but in reality, it’s just a delicious cheat code for when you want that creamy, tangy flavour without the effort of making an actual cheesecake. Instead of baking, you simply whip cream cheese with a bit of sugar and vanilla. If you prefer a lighter version, you can skip the cream cheese entirely and use just whipped cream for a dreamy, fluffy texture. Alternatively, you could replace the cream cheese with mascarpone for a richer, more decadent flavour or Greek yoghurt for a slightly tart twist.
Berry trifle
I’ve used mixed berries in my cheesecake trifle, but if you’re looking to switch things up, you can easily swap them for other fruits like sliced strawberries, peaches, or tropical options like mango or pineapple. For a more indulgent twist, try adding caramelised bananas or roasted pears. You could also use a fruit compote for a richer flavour.
More simple desserts
If you’re looking for more simple yet satisfying desserts, you can’t go wrong with easy treats:
- No churn caramel Snickers ice-cream
- Daim and caramel whipped cream dessert
- Greek yoghurt Eton Mess
- Mixed berry pie
- Kladdkaka caramel trifles
- Blackberry and cream puff pastries
- Baked caramel apples
Berry Cheesecake Trifle
Ingredients
Trifle:
- 150g (5¼ oz) mixed berries (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 200g (7 oz) cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 70g (⅔ cup) icing / confectioners' / powdered sugar
- leftover cake (see note 2)
Topping:
- 250ml (1 cup) whipping cream
- decoration of choice (see note 3)
Instructions
Trifle:
- Add the berries, water and honey to a pan.
- Gently heat the berries until they start to bubble, and then cook for a couple of minutes (just until the fruit softens but doesn't become mushy).
- Beat the cream cheese together with the vanilla.
- Add the icing sugar and continue to beat until everything is nice and smooth.
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Assembly:
- Start off by placing a layer of cake in the bottom of your glass or bowl, and push it down a little.
- Pour over some of the fruit and then top with a little of the cream cheese mixture.
- Repeat the process, then finally, top with the whipped cream.
- Finish off with any decorations you like (I used sprinkles, a little candy and a shortbread biscuit). Keep in the fridge until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used frozen for convenience, but you could use fresh.
- I used a cake that was a baking failure. You can use any kind of cake, including cupcakes and muffins.
- This dessert was made for Valentine's and was decorated for the theme. However, you could use any decorations you like.