Fresh berries, a lemony no-bake cheesecake, and pound cake combine for these delicious and delightful Individual Berry Cheesecake Trifles!
Individual Berry Cheesecake Trifles
These Berry Cheesecake Trifles are one of my favorites during the summer. They are such a magical combination of berries and cheesecake mixed in with a simple vanilla cake. They’re just the kind of cool, creamy, make-ahead dessert that summer gatherings demand.
The cake is a nicely sturdy one that will hold up to all that cheesecake and all those berries on top without getting soggy. It’s actually a scaled down pound cake recipe that I use as a base for another summer favorite, Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Bars. If you prefer or if you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought pound cake.
When it’s time to assemble these trifles, I like to cut a round of cake to fit each glass so there’s a nice solid layer in the bottom. I cube the rest of the cake for the next layer of cake, but you can cube all of the cake if you like. The layering begins with the cheesecake filling and berries. The number of layers you’ll need may vary depending on what serving glasses you’re using. The ones pictured here are mini trifle bowls. I like them for these trifles because of their straight sides and footed bottom. They really show off all those layers!
As for the berries, use any that you like. Stick with one kind or use a few. I often have a variety on-hand, so I usually go with mixed berries. Or how about mixing them up with a different single kind of berry in your trifles? Then you can offer a variety to your guests!
I think berries and cheesecake were made for each other, and these beauties are no exception. The cheesecake filling is a simple no-bake one with a hint of lemon flavor to complement all those berries. I could 100% just eat that as my dessert and be quite happy. Add in the cake and berries, and I’m positively giddy.
You’ll need to chill these trifles for a bit before serving. That makes them a perfect make-ahead treat. I usually chill them overnight fully assembled. Make sure your berries are well dried after rinsing to prevent the colors bleeding into the topping. To be safe, you can wait to add those last berries until time to serve.
If you’re a fan of berries and cheesecake, then I hope you’ll try these Individual Berry Cheesecake Trifles. They’re really just lovely and so very delicious. A summer favorite, indeed!
More Desserts in Glasses and Jars
Berry Cheesecake Trifles
Individual Berry Cheesecake Trifles combine cheesecake, pound cake, and berries for a lovely and delicious dessert!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- juice of half of a medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups assorted berries
- sweetened whipped cream
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Spread the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until the edges are browned, and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Cut 4 rounds to fit serving glasses and cut the remaining cake into cubes. Alternatively, cut all of the cake into cubes.
To make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Place the cream in a large, cold mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat at medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken.
- Continue beating until you can lift the whisk out of the whipped cream and a peak that curves downward forms in the cream. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer about 1/4 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until combined. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, mixing just until combined
- Beginning with the cake rounds (or about half the cubed cake if you cubed all of it) and continuing with cheesecake and berries, layer the components in serving glasses until full. Top with sweetened whipped cream and more berries. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
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7 Comments on “Individual Berry Cheesecake Trifles”
Jennifer,
Do you think 2 or 3 times this recipe would fill a regular trifle bowl? I need to serve a crowd!
Looks like the perfect summer recipe.
Thanks!
Lynn
Hi, Lynn. I suppose it would depend on the size of your trifle bowl. This recipe makes four generous servings. These small trifle glasses hold about 8 ounces if you fill them all the way to the top. Doubling the recipe should give you roughly 64 ounces of volume, or about 8 cups (2 quarts). I think larger trifle bowls are usually in the 3-4 quart range. I hope that helps!
Such a gorgeous trifle! I love berry cheesecakes – delicious combo!
Jennifer,Â
I love smaller dessert recipes and this one sounds delicious. Due to diet restrictions could I use reduced fat cream cheese and cool whip instead?
You can certainly do that if you like. The taste and texture will be a bit different.
The recipe calls for 1 egg, but the instructions refer to adding the eggs one at a time. How many eggs should be used?
Oops! It’s just one egg. I’ve corrected the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out!