Vegetarian Recipes

Red, White and Blue Trifle

There are two things I know for sure. You can’t come to a BBQ empty-handed, and everyone loves dessert. This Red, White, and Blue Trifle recipe is just the thing you need for your next summer gathering! It’s budget-friendly, beautiful, fun to make, and a serious crowd-pleaser (trust me). I layer spongy cake, blueberry sauce, velvety whipped cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberries to complete this show-stopping dessert. Not to mention, this berry trifle brings a patriotic pop of red, white, and blue, making it perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or any sunny celebration!

Easy Berry Trifle Recipe

I make a simple homemade vanilla cake for this trifle, but if you’re short on time, a store-bought pound cake or angel food cake works just fine. The blueberry sauce is homemade, too, using frozen blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and a bit of cornstarch. It’s quick to make and adds a juicy, fresh layer between the rich cake and cheesecake filling. I recommend planning ahead when making this mixed berry trifle since both the cake and sauce need time to cool before layering, but once everything’s prepped, assembly is super easy. This is a fun one for kids to help with, too!

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Red, White and Blue Trifle

This easy and festive Red, White, and Blue Trifle is made with vanilla cake, whipped cheesecake filling, fresh berries, and homemade blueberry sauce.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $12.97 recipe / $1.08 serving

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings (1 cup per serving)

Calories 495kcal

Author Melissa Nolan

Equipment

Medium Pot
Medium Mixing Bowl
Large Mixing Bowl
Hand Mixer
Trifle Bowl
9-Inch Cake Pan

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake Ingredients

¼ cup butter room temperature (160g) $0.50
¼ cup vegetable oil 2oz, $0.17
¾ cups granulated sugar 150g, $0.29
2 eggs $0.50
1 Tbsp vanilla extract $0.59
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour 400g, $0.29
1 tsp baking powder $0.04
½ tsp salt $0.01
½ cup buttermilk plus 3 Tbsp extra, room temp (5.3oz total) $0.27

Trifle Ingredients

2 cups frozen blueberries or fresh, (250g) $1.79
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
¾ cup water divided, $0.00
1 lemon juiced (3 Tbsp) $0.58
1 Tbsp corn starch $0.03
8 oz cream cheese room temperature, $1.82
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.67
2 cups heavy whipping cream $2.83
1 cup powdered sugar $0.28
1 lb. fresh strawberries washed and sliced, $2.12

Instructions

Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
To make the cake, in a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to beat the butter and oil together for about 1-2 minutes. It should look creamy and uniform.
Gradually add the sugar to the bowl while on medium speed. Once all the sugar is added, increase to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the buttermilk and flour mixture to the bowl with the butter/sugar mixture in two batches, mixing just until combined—don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.*
While the cake is baking, make the blueberry sauce. Add the blueberries, granulated sugar, ½ cup of water, and lemon juice to a medium pot over medium heat. Stir to combine.
Let the mixture come to a boil. Using a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup of water until it is completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch slurry to the blueberries and stir until incorporated.
Continue stirring until the syrup in the blueberry sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, allow it to cool completely, and set it aside.*
For the whipped cheesecake filling, in a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on medium speed, whisk together the cream cheese and vanilla until soft and creamy, 2-3 minutes, then set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream at high speed until thick and fluffy but not stiff. Turn the hand mixer to low, add the powdered sugar, and continue beating until incorporated. Then, turn the mixer to high until stiff peaks form.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream bowl and fold until smooth and combined.
To assemble the trifle, cut the cooled cake into 1-inch pieces and slice the strawberries. Add half of the cake pieces to the bottom of the trifle dish, covering the bottom. Then, pour half of the cooled blueberry sauce evenly over the cake. Next, spread half of the whipped cheesecake filling evenly over the blueberries. Artfully top with sliced strawberries.
Repeat the process, layering the remaining cake, blueberry sauce, whipped cheesecake filling, then strawberries. Serve and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Make sure the cake and blueberry sauce are completely cooled before you assemble the trifle, or it will become soggy. I recommend you make them the day before for less stress and easy assembly! You can also use an angel food cake, sponge cake, or any store-bought cake.

The total prep time does not include the cooling time for the cake and blueberry sauce, as this can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen, if it is made in advance (recommended), etc.

Nutrition

how to make Red, White and Blue trifle step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make a red white and blue trifle.

Gather all of your ingredients: If you’re making your own vanilla cake, preheat your oven to 325°F and lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan. Line the bottom of the greased cake pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cake after baking.

Make the cake: If you’re making the homemade vanilla cake, I recommend baking it the day before you plan to serve it so it has plenty of time to cool completely. You can also make it the same day, as long as you give it enough time to cool before assembling the trifle.

Add ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to beat them together for 1-2 minutes until creamy.

Granulated sugar being poured into a bowl of whipped butter and oil.

Now, gradually add ¾ cups granulated sugar to the bowl while mixing on medium speed. When you’ve added all the sugar to the bowl, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for a further 3 minutes. The butter-sugar mixture should look light and fluffy once done.

A egg added to beaten butter and sugar in a bowl.

Add one egg at a time and mix well after each egg. You need two eggs in total.

Vanilla added to a beaten butter and sugar mix.

Now add 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

In a different mixing bowl, add 1 ⅓ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.

Butter milk added to the batter for the cake for berry trifle.

Using your mixer on low, alternate adding ½ cup buttermilk and flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar in two batches. Mix until just combined with no streaks of flour remaining. Avoid overmixing, as this will make the cake dense!

Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until it’s golden. A toothpick inserted into the center should also come out clean (a few crumbs are okay).

Let your cake cool completely before using it to make this berry trifle. Once cooled, you can wrap or cover it and keep it at room temperature for about 2-3 days before using.

Make the blueberry sauce: While your cake is baking, you can get started on the blueberry sauce. Again, this needs to cool completely before using it in your strawberry and blueberry trifle, so it’s best to make it the day before if possible.

Add 2 cups frozen blueberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup of water, and 3 Tbsp lemon juice to a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Stir to evenly combine and let the mixture come to a boil.

A cornstarch slurry being poured into blueberry sauce in a sauce pot.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 Tbsp corn starch with the remaining ¼ cup of water until fully dissolved. Pour the corn starch slurry into the sauce pot with the blueberries and stir until combined. This will help thicken the blueberry sauce.

Finished blueberry sauce coating the back of a spoon.

Keep mixing until the sauce has thickened to the point where it coats the back of a spoon, about 2-3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let the blueberry sauce cool completely before using.

Vanilla extract and a block of cheese in a mixing bowl.

Make the whipped cheesecake filling: Add 8 oz room temperature cream cheese and 1 tsp vanilla extract to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whip using the hand mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until soft and creamy. Set this bowl aside for now.

Powdered sugar being added to whipped cream.

In a separate large mixing bowl, use your hand mixer to whisk 2 cups heavy whipping cream at high speed until thick and fluffy (not stiff). Turn the hand mixer to low and add 1 cup powdered sugar. Keep mixing until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated. Now, turn the hand mixer back to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream should hold its shape when you lift the beaters.

Cream cheese mix and whipped cream being combined in a bowl.

Fold the cream cheese mixture into your homemade whipped cream until combined.

Assemble the trifle: Slice your cooled cake into 1-inch pieces, as shown here. Also, slice 1 lb. fresh strawberries into slices if you haven’t already.

Vanilla cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish.

Layer half of the cake pieces across the bottom of your trifle dish.

Blueberry sauce layer added to vanilla cake cubes in a trifle dish.

Now pour half the cooled blueberry sauce on top, evenly coating the cake layer.

Cream cheese filling layer being added to a trifle dish.

Then, spread half the whipped cheesecake filling over the blueberry sauce.

A hand placing slices of strawberries on a blue white and red trifle.

Top the cheesecake layer with half of the sliced strawberries. I like to stand some of the strawberry slices up vertically around the edge of the dish so they’re visible from the outside, and then I layer the rest horizontally over the cheesecake layer. Make sure to only use half your strawberries here so you have some to decorate the top once finished.

Overhead view of a finished berry trifle.

Repeat the layering process by adding the remaining cake pieces on top of the strawberry layer, then top that with the remaining blueberry sauce and cheesecake filling. Finish by topping your red, white, and blue trifle with more strawberry slices, then serve!

I highly recommend you make the blueberry sauce and the cake the day before to make assembly easier. It’s really important both these layers are cooled to avoid the trifle from getting soggy. You can also cool the blueberry sauce in the fridge if you’re in a rush.
Make sure your strawberries are washed and dried well but don’t slice them too early. They’ll hold their shape and stay fresher if you cut them right before assembling (and you’ll avoid ending up with a watery strawberry layer in your trifle).
I don’t recommend swapping the fresh strawberries for frozen in this recipe. However, you can use fresh blueberries to make the blueberry sauce, but frozen usually works out much cheaper.
Avoid overmixing the cake batter. The vanilla cake recipe I’m using here is actually my colleague Jennie’s recipe (thank you, Jennie!) You want to avoid overmixing the batter once the flour is added to ensure the cake bakes up light and fluffy rather than dense and heavy.
Whip the heavy whipping cream in stages. You’ll notice I switch the speed of my hand mixer a few times when making the whipped cream for the cheesecake layer. First, whip it on high until it’s fluffy. Then, lower the speed when adding the powdered sugar so it doesn’t puff everywhere. After that, turn it back up to high and beat until stiff peaks form. This helps keep the texture light and prevents overwhipping!

Variations to Try

This red, white, and blue trifle is the best centerpiece for the 4th of July or any summer party where you want to wow a crowd. But if you’re not celebrating a holiday, it’s also perfect for a backyard birthday party, bridal, or baby shower! I love switching out the flavors and colors to match whatever occasion I’m making it for! Here are some delicious variations to try:

Use any colored berries or fruits you like in place of the strawberries.
Try making a strawberry syrup if you don’t have any blueberries.
Switch the cake for your favorite store-bought or homemade cake. I think a lemon pound cake, chocolate cake, or coconut cake would be fun to try.
Add a flavor extract to the whipped cheesecake layer to compliment which berries or cake you decide to use.
Sprinkle some chocolate, chopped nuts, candies (I think marshmallows like in our red, white, and blue fruit salad would be yum!), or shredded coconut between the layers.
If you don’t have a trifle bowl, don’t worry! I actually took inspiration from our no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe for the filling, and I think this trifle would be cute layered in mason jars, glasses, or any container you have.

Meal Prepping & Storage

I recommend assembling this homemade berry trifle the day you plan to serve it. Creating the layers and assembling them too early can make it soggy. You can make the vanilla cake and store it, covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also make the blueberry sauce in advance and keep it stored in the fridge. Then it’s just a matter of assembling and serving! Just don’t let the finished trifle sit out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s especially hot out) to keep everything fresh and food-safe.

If you do have leftovers, you can keep them stored in the fridge for about 2 days, depending on the freshness of your ingredients. Just note the strawberries and cake layers will become much softer during storage.

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The post Red, White and Blue Trifle appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.