Name: Stars and Stripes Berry Trifle
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 store-bought pound cakes (16 ounces each), thawed and edges trimmed; 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam; 6 cups fresh blueberries; 1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon; 1 teaspoon water; 3 cups fresh raspberries; 4 cups vanilla custard , refrigerated until firm; 1 cup whipped cream (lightly sweetened)

Why This Recipe Works

With creamy custard, tender cake, and fresh fruit, berry trifle recipes are the perfect summer dessert. And the best summer trifles make their appearance right around Independence Day, like our Stars and Stripes Berry Trifle recipe. Homemade whipped cream takes just minutes to make and tastes much better than store-bought varieties. We found that blueberries and raspberries lent the trifle a festive red, white, and blue color scheme, but any favorite summer berries would work just as well.

Instructions

For the stars: Slice each cake lengthwise into 6 equal pieces. Spread 2 teaspoons jam each on 6 cake slices and top with remaining slices to create jam sandwiches. Using 2-inch star cookie cutter, cut out 3 stars from each sandwich. Chop remaining sandwich scraps into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

For the berries: Toss blueberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water in bowl. In separate bowl, toss raspberries with remaining sugar. Let sit until sugar dissolves and berries are glossy, about 5 minutes.

To assemble: Arrange 7 star sandwiches upright around bottom of 3-quart trifle dish. Place 2 cups sandwich scraps in center of dish. Arrange 3 cups blueberries around stars, piling up blueberries so that they surround all edges of stars. Spread 2 cups custard in even layer on top of blueberry and cake layer. Place 1 cup sandwich scraps on center of custard layer. Arrange 3 cups raspberries around perimeter of dish. Spread remaining custard in even layer on top of raspberries. Arrange 9 star sandwiches upright around perimeter of dish. Arrange remaining blueberries around stars and pile remaining raspberries in center of dish. Spoon whipped cream on top of raspberries and top with remaining 2 stars.