Description

These Lemon-Berry Mini Trifles are a delightful layered dessert featuring tangy lemon custard, airy sponge cake cubes, and a medley of sweetened raspberries and blueberries, all topped with whipped cream. Perfect for individual servings, these trifles blend fresh citrus flavors with luscious cream and juicy berries, making an elegant yet easy-to-make treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Lemon Custard:

2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
Juice of 3 large lemons (about 1/2 cup juice)
Zest of 3 lemons
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sponge Cake:

1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour (or King Arthur 1:1 gluten free flour for gluten-free option)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (for added flavor)

For the Trifles:

2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped and sweetened to taste (about 1 Tablespoon sugar recommended) or 2-2 1/2 cups whipped cream

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Instructions

Prepare Lemon Custard: Remove lemon zest from all lemons and set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, buttermilk, and lemon juice from the lemons. Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to bubble. Slowly add about one-quarter of this hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks to temper them, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly for an additional 2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until the butter melts completely. Cover the custard surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and chill for at least 2 hours.
Make Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Beat the egg with an electric mixer on high speed for about 3 minutes until thick and pale. Gradually add sugar and lemon zest, beating an additional 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; gently fold this into the egg mixture. Warm buttermilk and butter in a small saucepan or microwave until butter melts, then gradually stir in vanilla. Incorporate this milk mixture into the batter until smooth. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, then cool completely. Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes.
Prepare Berry Mixture: In a bowl, mix thawed raspberries, blueberries, and sugar. Let the mixture sit while you whip the cream and finish assembling.
Whip Cream: Using an electric mixer, whip heavy cream with sugar to your desired sweetness and consistency. Fold a few heaping spoonfuls of whipped cream into the chilled lemon custard to lighten it. Reserve the remaining whipped cream for topping.
Assemble Trifles: Using individual trifle cups or small bowls, layer the dessert starting with lemon custard, followed by sponge cake cubes, then the berry mixture. Repeat layering until ingredients are used up, usually two layers in small cups. Finish with a generous layer of custard on top. Cover and chill the assembled trifles until ready to serve.
Serve: Just before serving, top each trifle with the remaining whipped cream. Enjoy this refreshing, creamy dessert!

Notes

The recipe yields 4 mini trifles when using 4 stemless wine glasses, layering twice to fill halfway before topping with whipped cream.
You can easily double the recipe to make a full-size trifle suitable for a standard trifle dish.
King Arthur 1:1 gluten free flour works perfectly for the sponge cake if you require a gluten-free version.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 mini trifle (about 1 cup)
Calories: 320
Sugar: 28g
Sodium: 130mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 5g
Cholesterol: 125mg