Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle – This strawberry cheesecake trifle is one of those make-in-advance crowd pleasing desserts. It’s filled with sweet strawberries, cubed cake and a homemade vanilla cheesecake mousse. I literally make this year-round when I can get my hands on sweet strawberries. It’s a given it will show-up during the glorious strawberry picking season, but the colors make it perfection at Christmas, too.
Ingredients you’ll need:
Strawberries:
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and cubed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 [21 oz] can strawberry pie filling
Vanilla cheesecake mousse:
2 [8] oz cream cheese, softened
2 cup powdered sugar, divided
4 cup heavy cream, divided
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 angel food or vanilla pound cake, cubed
Directions:
Mix together the cubed strawberries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 juiced lemon. Stir well then set aside to macerate while you make the filling. Whip together 2 [8] oz softened cream cheese with 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add 1 Tbsp pure vanilla. Whip for 2-3 minutes until creamy, fluffy and combined. In a separate bowl, whip the remaining 2 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, more if desired. Whip until stiff peaks form. Fold 2 cup of the whipped sweetened fresh cream into the cheesecake mixture by hand. Reserve the remaining whipped sweetened fresh cream for the top of the trifle.
Add the strawberry pie filling to the macerated strawberries, mix well.
To assemble, alternate layers of cubed cake, strawberries, and vanilla cheesecake mousse. Repeat until all ingredients have been used. Top with the remaining sweetened fresh whipped cream and garnish as desired. Store chilled. Yield: 14-16 servings
Cook’s note:
If desired, you may use 8 oz frozen whipped topping [i.e. Cool Whip] for the cheesecake mousse in place of the 2 cup of whipped sweetened fresh cream. Also, you’ll also need an additional 8 oz whipped topping to garnish the top.
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- Strawberries:
- 2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and cubed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 [21 oz] can strawberry pie filling
- Vanilla cheesecake mousse:
- 2 [8] oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 4 cup heavy cream, divided
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 angel food orvanilla pound cake, cubed
- Mix together the cubed strawberries with ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 1 juiced lemon. Stir well then set aside to macerate while you make the filling.
- Whip together 2 [8] oz softened cream cheese with 1½ cup powdered sugar and 1½ cup heavy cream. Add 1 Tbsp pure vanilla. Whip for 2-3 minutes until creamy, fluffy and combined. In a separate bowl, whip the remaining 2½ cup heavy cream with ½ cup powdered sugar, more if desired. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Fold 2 cup of the whipped sweetened fresh cream into the cheesecake mixture by hand. Reserve the remaining whipped sweetened fresh cream for the top of the trifle.
- Add the strawberry pie filling to the macerated strawberries, mix well.
- To assemble, alternate layers of cubed cake, strawberries, and vanilla cheesecake mousse. Repeat until all ingredients have been used.
- Top with the remaining sweetened fresh whipped cream and garnish as desired.
- Store chilled.
Hmmm, this looks and sounds delish! I will definitely try it soon.
xo
Pat
Adding this to my Dessert board on Pinterst! Love the photo! =)
Thanks Pat!
Thanks so much Melissa!
Hello Meliisa, I am really gonna try this recipe, looks delicious. I have a question about the amount of Cream cheese. Though I am starting to get used to American measures (we follow you all the way from Holland) I hesitate bij this one. Do you mean 2 x 8 OZ Cream cheese ( approx. 450 grams). Sorry to bother you, but the trifle looks so yummie.
Hello Hedy, yes, that’s correct. 2 [8] oz cream cheese or 1 pound total. I know conversions can be a challenge, thanks so very much for visiting from beautiful Holland! I’ve visited your country and loved it.
Hi Judith, I sure hope so. It’s usually a crowd pleaser. ☺ Enjoy!
I have been looking for a strawberry trifle to make and this one looks just right! I plan on making it for a celebration and I know it will be a hit.
Thanks Melissa,
Judith
Hi, how ahead of time can this be made ?
You can make this a day in advance if needed.
Hi I live in New Zealand. I dont think we sell strawberry pie filling here. What could I use as analternative?
I wonder, do you have access to instant clear jel? If so, you could make your own filling for this recipe quite easily. It’s a modified cornstarch made especially for thickening the juice of fruit pies without the “milky” look an texture.
After macerating the strawberries, mix them together with the pie filling.
Melissa- this one might be crazy, but I don’t understand at what point do I use the pie filling?
Thanks Marsha
I used cheery pie filling…couldn’t find strawberry…it was a wonderful substitution.
Did you still use the fresh strawberries along with the cherry pie filling?
If you can’t find strawberry pie filling {I find it easily at Walmart and local grocery stores} then yes I would still use the strawberries unless you want to make it a cherry trifle. In that case you’d have to adapt it a bit which would be perfectly fine. Totally up to you.
I made this today for our July 4th celebration. It was delicious and a huge hit. I’ll definitely be making this agsin soon
Melissa – this recipe is awesome!! Easy and delicious and perfect for summer parties. Made for our 4th of July picnic. Raves!
Thank you for sharing
So happy to hear it, my pleasure!
Does the powdered sugar and cream cheese “stabilize” the heavy cream in the mousse? I’m curious as I have not had good success storing desserts with whipped cream for more than a an hour or so :-). This mousse would make an interesting banana pudding variation.
Yes it does. This dessert will remain stabilized for much longer than an hour. [Unless it’s eaten ☺]
I can’t wait to make this Truffle it looks so good. I have an important Question. Is there a way to make this and other recipes for Diabetics? I’m trying not to cheat.
Hi Sharon, there are so many wonderful low sugar substitutions these days I would suggest you make those based on the brands you like. Perhaps use neufchatel cheese in place of full fat cream cheese, sugar free whipped topping and so on. Hope this helps, stay healthy!
One question, are you mace rating the berries with the juice of the lemon or with the juiced lemon itself?
The berries are macerated with the juice of the lemon not the actual lemon. Hope this helps!
Hi Melissa , this was a wonderful dessert . Everyone just loved the flavours and it was easy to put together. I used the lemon burst buttermilk cake for this and the flavour of lemon complimented the strawberries wonderfully! I must add that I reduced the quantity of cream cheese and cream a little to make it a little guilt free. Also did not have the pie filling . But I just increased the fresh fruit quantity. It turned out well with minor modifications. Thank you so much for the recipes! This will definitely be made for get togethers. The other dessert recipes are equally tempting to try out and taste of course😊
I love the idea of using that cake in this trifle, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know.
If preparing the day before, would you recommend using the angel food or the pound cake? Would you add the whip topping to the top of the trifle the day before, or add it before serving?
If kept well chilled, either of those cakes should maintain their texture. If you’re planning on topping this as pictured, I usually frost with the cheesecake layer and then cover with plastic wrap to keep it fresh then I finish the top with the decorative topping just before serving. This way,I can leave it uncovered and not ruin the garnish. If traveling with this do the same, so you won’t have to cover it and damage the whipped cream.
How could I cut this recipe in half?
Since this recipe isn’t baked requiring adjusting ingredients you could adapt this into a smaller version just by cutting things in half.
I made this last week end and it was FABULOUS!!! We were at our week-end beach home and our grocery store is limited. I used a frozen pound cake – I would never have eaten this cake by itself, but in this trifle, it was perfect! Next time I will use a pound cake and see if I like it any better. Thanks for a a really, really good recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear it, thank you!
Hi Melissa,
Question: Does the recipe as is , make enough to garnish the top or should I plan on buying extra whip topping?
Can’t wait to try it!
You may need extra so make sure you have ample if you want to pipe the whipped cream on top.
Strawberry is my Fav Fruit and I love those dish which uses strawberry
I’m hoping someone in my family picks up on my hints and makes me this for Mother’s Day!
I hope so too, Michelle!
I am going to make this sunday for Mothers Day. I have a question can i make individual small ones or does it have to be in the bigbig bowl and everytone takes some.I thought it would be nice if everyone had their own.cant wait to make it it looks so good.
I assume you mean as parfaits. Sure, why not if you have a collection large enough to handle the amount of ingredients. They would be pretty!
Hi. I made this last week and company raved! I want to make it again for Mother’s Day perhaps with a different fruit. Do you think peach works with the cheesecake mousse ? Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed this one. I think you could use any fresh fruit you like in this trifle, the cheesecake should compliment peach as well.
I really would prefer not to use pie filling. Would you recommend using more doubling the strawberry/sugar/lemon juice part?
It won’t be the same but, you could try it if you prefer.