Patriotic Lemon Berry Trifle

I hope that everyone had a blessed and fun Fourth of July!!!  I have always loved this holiday, not only because it's our country's birthday and a celebration of freedom, but because it's packed full of family celebrations.  Parade, street fair, fireworks, grilling, great food (surprise), relaxing outside and just having a blast with the people I love!

I have always wanted to make a trifle dessert, but until this weekend I didn't even have a trifle dish!   As soon as I bought one, I decided to make a festive patriotic trifle filled full of bright berries, lemony pound cake and a light and fluffy cream cheese filling.  (Wow, this is good.)  It was almost as fun to put together as it was to eat!

I tried to layer everything with red, white and blue to resemble the flag and just bring a little more celebration to the table.  I would also love to try this recipe with crushed pineapple and maybe even raspberries!  You can't really go wrong with the fruit combinations here.  This is one of those fun recipes that you can get creative with.  Trifles are basically all that way!  You know, I typed in "Patriotic trifle" on Google and after reading through several recipes I decided to just make it the way I wanted to--not adhering to anyone's recipe, but to our favorite flavors.  Two being lemon and cream cheese!  Whalla!  My own Patriotic trifle is born!  

This is somewhat of a take on a strawberry shortcake. Kind of.  My favorite  thing to use for strawberry shortcake is a pound cake (although I mostly use angel food cake) and even better is a lemon pound cake.  Kroger has the most delicious and moist pound cakes, so yes, I took advantage of that convenience and bough one for this recipe.  Also making this much easier to whip together!  The berries are juicy strawberries and blueberries and the "cream" is a mixture of cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.  

It is as good as it sounds!!!

I know this is a little late for Independence Day celebrations, but why not make it all summer long?! Like I said earlier, you can always substitute the red and blue fruit for other kinds if you don't want it so patriotic looking.  I have to warn you though--to get out your cutest paper plates and fluff up the patio pillows because your friends and family will want to be here when you make this cool and refreshing summertime dessert!  

Patriotic Lemon Berry Trifle

1/2 lemon pound cake (bundt cake)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. strawberries, chopped

1 pt. blueberries, chopped

2 pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 small carton of heavy whipping cream

1/3c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 can of whipped cream (or homemade.  i cheated.)

Put the chopped berries in separate bowls and add just enough sugar to allow the juices to come out of the fruit.  Set them aside for at least an hour. You want the strawberries to release their juices.

In a large bowl,  place the cream cheese and beat with a mixer until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well. Turn down the mixer to low and slowly add the whipping cream.  Once all of it is in, turn the mixer back on high and whip in the cream until very light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.  Set mixture aside.

Take the pound cake and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Set aside and get ready to assemble your trifle.

Start layering, by putting a small amount of the creamy mixture on the bottom of the trifle dish.  

Next, add a layer of pound cake being careful to fill the side around the dish where it's seen.  

Next, add half of the strawberries once again, heavily around the edges.  You want to see the different lines of color.  

Spoon in and spread around a generous portion of the cream cheese mixture.  Try to keep the sides neat.

Add most of the blueberries.  Once again, being aware of the sides.

Pound cake, strawberries, then the rest of the cream cheese mixture.

I topped it off by pilling the remaining blueberries in the center.  Add the whipped cream 5 circles (like a star) on the top around the blueberries.  Place each whole strawberry on the whipped cream.  

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

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