Tantalizing layers of moist lemon cake, fresh blueberry sauce, and fluffy lemon cheesecake filling!
Lemon and blueberry have got to be one of the most popular summer combos. And for good reason too! Lemon adds a nice tartness to blueberries, while blueberries lend a nice sweetness to lemons. They complement each other so perfectly.
So with the Fourth of July quickly approaching, I decided to make the most delectable trifle to honor this deliciously iconic flavor duo!
GUYS. This Lemon Blueberry Trifle is simply irresistible. (Cue Robert Palmer.) With mesmerizing layers of supremely moist lemon cake, fluffy lemon-kissed cheesecake cream filling, and fresh HOMEMADE blueberry sauce, this trifle has the perfect flavor balance of lemon and blueberry. Not to mention, it’s absolutely STUNNING…
Why You’ll LOVE This Lemon Blueberry Trifle
Great for Making Ahead: Trifles are the perfect make-ahead dessert since the layers usually require at least a few hours to set up. I always make my trifles up the day before an event so that I don’t have to mess with it the day of. A few hours before serving, I pipe on some freshly-whipped cream and decorate with a few extra garnishes.
Perfect Balance of Textures: What I absolutely adore about the trifle is its perfect balance of tantalizing textures. Each and every spoonful of this trifle contains pillowy lemon cake, creamy lemon cheesecake filling, and luscious blueberry sauce. What more could you ask for??
Stunning Presentation: With all those luscious layers, this dessert is a looker! Guests are guaranteed to drop their jaws when you unveil this gorgeous little number. Not only does it look good, but it tastes EVEN better!
How to Make the Easiest Blueberry Sauce
Making your own blueberry sauce from scratch is almost TOO easy. All you need are a few simple ingredients–blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice. That’s it! You can also use frozen blueberries, which is what I often end up doing.
For this recipe, you’ll place 6 cups of blueberries into a large saucepan. Turn the heat onto medium, and stir the blueberries until you start to see their juices release. In a separate bowl, stir 1 cup of granulated sugar with 4 and 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Combining the cornstarch with the sugar and salt BEFORE adding it to the blueberries prevents the cornstarch from clumping up in the sauce.
Once the sugar-cornstarch mixture is tossed in with the blueberries, you’ll need to stir it constantly. Once the mixture begins to bubble on the surface, it only takes a few minutes for the mixture to thicken into a consistency similar to blueberry pie filling. Keep a close eye on it and stir constantly until it’s nice and thick. Once it’s done, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice. Pour the blueberry sauce into a shallow bowl (for quicker cooling), and refrigerate until it’s cooled completely. If you REALLY want to speed up the cooling time, place the sauce in the freezer and stir it every 10 minutes.
Can I Use Canned Blueberry Pie Filling?
You most definitely can. HOWEVER, it’s nowhere near as amazing as homemade blueberry sauce. Although the canned pie filling from the store is very convenient, I’ve found that it contains barely any actual berries, and it’s mostly made up of goo. Ew! I also think it’s rather expensive considering what you actually get. If fresh blueberries are out of season or too expensive, just opt for frozen blueberries instead. They work just as well as fresh blueberries!
How to Make the Best Lemon Cake From A Cake Mix
While many might turn their noses up at boxed cake mixes, I find them to be super convenient and “nothing to shake a stick at” as my fiancé would say. Moreover, when it comes to trifles which involve many components, cake mixes are a major time-saver. And if you’re afraid people will be able to tell if it’s a cake mix, don’t worry! I’ve added a few extra ingredients to enhance the flavor and make it taste more homemade.
Pudding Mix: Not only does instant vanilla pudding mix provide extra sweetness and flavor to the cake, but it also keeps it moist and fluffy. Just make sure to double-check (maybe even triple-check) the box that it says “Instant” and NOT “Cook n’ Serve” which is totally different.
Sour Cream: Along with pudding mix, sour cream gives the cake that nice moist crumb. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for supremely moist results. Also, this dessert isn’t exactly low-carb, low-fat, keto-friendly, so why bother saving any calories?
Vanilla AND Almond Extract: The vanilla extract is basically a no-brainer, but if you really want to add that nostalgic bakery cake flavor, add a little splash of almond extract as well. This extract infuses the cake with an almost indescribable sweetness, and it also complements the blueberries SO incredibly well. Keep in mind that almond extract is MUCH stronger than vanilla extract, so you’ll only need to add 1/2 teaspoon to the cake batter.
What If I Can’t Fit Everything Into One Trifle Dish?
Make mini trifles! I’m usually never able to fit everything into one trifle dish, so I like to make mini trifles using pint-size mason jars. Not only are they super cute, but they freeze well too. Just screw on a lid, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Whenever you’re feeling a hankering for something sweet, pull it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature until it’s thawed completely. You can also put one in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, and enjoy it the next day.
If you’re still on the hunt for something sweet to make for this upcoming 4th of July, this Lemon Blueberry Trifle is a guaranteed hit. You truly can’t go wrong when you combine luscious lemon cake, tangy cheesecake filling, and sublimely sweet blueberry sauce. Your guests will be BEGGING for seconds.
And probably thirds…
Lemon Blueberry Trifle
Tantalizing layers of moist lemon cake, fresh blueberry sauce, and fluffy lemon cheesecake filling!
Ingredients
Lemon Cake:
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Blueberry Sauce:
- 6 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Lemon Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For Assembly:
- 1 cup Fresh blueberries
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Lemon slices
Instructions
Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the cake ingredients together until smooth; batter will be thick.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely, then cut into cubes.
Make the Sauce:
in a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the blueberries and continue cooking until a sauce forms and it begins to thicken, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Filling:
In the well-chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl and place in refrigerator to keep chilled.
Return bowl to mixer, and switch whisk attachment out for paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, almond extract, and salt; continue beating until smooth and incorporated.
Add a quarter of the whipped cream and beat until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and use a spatula to fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
To Assemble:
Place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle dish or bowl. Spoon half of the lemon filling on top, spreading evenly. Pour half of the blueberry sauce evenly over the filling. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries on top. Layer the rest of the cake on top of the blueberries. Spread the rest of the lemon filling on top. Pour the remaining blueberry sauce evenly over the filling.
Pipe a border of whipped cream along the top of the trifle*. Decorate with the rest of the blueberries along with fresh-cut slices of lemon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
*To make the whipped cream, I just whipped up 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks formed. Then I added 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract, and continued whipping until stiff peaks formed.
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
Source link