Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle
Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle checks a lot of dessert boxes at once. It’s bright, fresh, and feels right at home on a summer table. Bonus? It’s a no bake dessert that feeds a crowd AND looks like you spent much more time on it than you actually did. The layers do all the work for you, they make you look good!
This dessert stacks soft angel food cake, a juicy sauce with sweet-tart rhubarb and fresh strawberries, and a creamy vanilla filling into layers that look good from every angle. It’s best made a full 24 hours ahead so the flavors have time to settle together and the cake softens slightly from the layers around it. Once chilled, it scoops easily and feels finished and ready to serve. This is one of those desserts that quietly disappears.
Trifles Are Endlessly Customizable
One of the very best things about trifles are that they are so easy to change up. Don’t have enough cake? No worries just use what you have. Don’t like Angel Food Cake? Use pound cake, yellow cake, brownies, or even muffins would work.
You can use any kind of fruit or berries for trifles. Just pick what you like, sugar it up a bit to make it juicy. If it’s a hard fruit you can cook it like we do in this strawberry rhubarb trifle.
Typically I use cool whip or non-dairy topping for trifles but this time I decided to level it up with vanilla pudding. It gives the whole dessert a rhubarb and custard spin which is one of the classic summer combinations. And I think it’s actually the best trifle I’ve ever made. Notice how I’ve never had on Little House before? That’s because they’re so easy and everyone makes them, but this version is special!
Ingredients for a Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle
Glance through this list of ingredients before shopping so everything is ready when it’s time to assemble. There aren’t a lot of ingredients, but having everything ready makes assembly quick and easy.
- rhubarb
- sugar
- water
- strawberries
- premade angel food cake, I used two loaf cakes from Kroger
- instant vanilla pudding
- milk
- cool whip
- extra strawberries for garnish
The amount of sugar in the rhubarb mixture can vary depending on your preferences. Start with some of the sugar, let the rhubarb cook and soften for a couple minutes, then give it a taste. Rhubarb can vary a lot in tartness, so adjust as needed instead of dumping it all in at once. If you need more
About That Premade Angel Food Cake
Using premade Angel Food loaf cakes keeps this recipe fast and easy. I find a loaf makes cutting the cake easier and the slices more symmetrical. If you can only find a classic Angel Food cake just make sure it’s 24 ounces of cake as that is the total weight of two of the loaf cakes I used.
If you want you can make a homemade Angel Food Cake for this recipe. I’m not 100% sure how much of that you would need but the great thin g about a trifle is that it’s flexible meaning you can use more or less of each ingredient. And it’s still tastes great!
You Need a Trifle Bowl For This Recipe
A trifle bowl is a tall clear glass bowl, often on a pedestal, that lets all the layers show through. If you don’t have one, a large clear glass mixing bowl works just fine. The clear sides are the important part because the layers become part of the presentation. But in the end ANY bowl would work, it doesn’t need to be clear glass.
How To Store A Trifle
Cover trifles as tightly as possible. You don’t want any smells from the fridge getting into your sweet soft cream and cake dessert. Onion smell will ruin a trifle ASAP.
Store leftovers tightly covered as well and of course keep them refrigerated. The trifle stays good for a few days and the flavors continue blending as it sits. The cake becomes softer over time, but that’s part of the appeal. Serve it cold straight from the refrigerator.
Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle
Ingredients
- 4 cups rhubarb chopped into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
- 2 loaves angel food cake 12 oz each
- 5 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix you can use sugar free
- 2 cup milk
- 1 tub non dairy whipped topping 8 oz
- Extra strawberries sliced or whole for garnish
Instructions
Make the Rhubarb Filling
- Add rhubarb sugar and water to a saucepan
- Cook over medium heat stirring often for 5 to 8 minutes until softened but not mushy
- Remove from heat and stir in the sliced strawberries
- Refrigerate until completely cooled
Make the Pudding Layer
- Whisk the pudding mix and milk together until smooth
- Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use
Assemble the Trifle
- Slice each loaf in half lengthwise then cut each loaf into 8 slices
- Arrange 8 slices of cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl
- Spoon one third of the rhubarb mixture over the cake
- Spread one third of the pudding mixture over the fruit
- Repeat the layers ending with pudding
- Top with the remaining cake slices
- Spread the remaining whipped topping over the top
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours for best results
- Garnish with extra strawberries before serving
- Serve chilled
Video
Notes
- For the best flavor and texture refrigerate overnight before serving
- The chill time allows the cake to soften and the layers to blend together
- Fresh or frozen rhubarb can be used in this recipe
- The amount of sugar in the rhubarb mixture can vary depending on your preferences. Start with some of the sugar, let the rhubarb cook and soften for a couple minutes, then give it a taste. Rhubarb can vary a lot in tartness, so adjust as needed instead of dumping it all in at once. If you need more
