I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good fruit trifle! I think trifles appeal to not only my palette, but my visual aesthetic. Looking at the gorgeous layers of vibrant reds and neutrals just makes me smile! It also makes my family happy too - I think that's also because they're getting a homemade dessert.
For Valentine’s Day this year, I wanted a dessert that showcases the colours of the holiday (red & white), as well as shows my love – cheesy I know! Cute strawberry heart garnishes were a quick and simple way to turn a Strawberry Trifle into a Valentine’s Day Trifle.
Trifles can be very time consuming to make if you make each layer from scratch (I’ve got an amazing recipe for this – coming this summer), however, there are also a number of shortcuts to take, in order to make creating trifle layers quick and easy!
1. Use store bought sponge cake/loaf. In this Strawberry Trifle, I like to use a lemon loaf to balance the sweetness of the strawberries. The lemon loaf from the Butter Bakery Cookbook is my go-to recipe (linked below), however most grocery shops have a pre-baked lemon loaf in the bakery section – some local Vancouver grocer’s even have the Butter Bakery Lemon Loaf available for purchase.
2. I leave out the custard layer that is often found in trifles. I’m a bit of a custard snob and prefer home made versions to powders that you add liquid too. When I’m in a hurry, I simply omit this layer.
3. Use frozen berries for the fruit compote layer. While you can’t beat the flavour of in-season fresh berries, they are often expensive and not very tasty during the winter months, so I reach for frozen berries, as they are often picked at their peak and flash frozen for best flavour.
The traditional way to serve a trifle is in one large glass bowl. To elevate this dessert for Valentine’s Day, I decided to make individual trifles served on a pretty dessert dish. It’s up to you how you assemble this tasty treat, whether one trifle for everyone, or individual dishes. For individual trifles you will need to cut out circles from the lemon sponge/loaf. I used one of the glasses that I was serving the trifles in as a cookie cutter to cut out the circular shape and then I cleaned up any rough edges of the sponge/loaf with a paring knife.
I hope you try these Individual Strawberry Trifles, as I know your family and yourselves will love them! Wishing you all a Valentine’s Day filled with love and kindness.
Take care,
Krista xo
Individual Strawberry Trifles
makes 4-6 (depending on your glass size)
Ingredients
1 lemon loaf, sliced horizontally into 1/2" thick slices (if using a large trifle dish, you will need more than 1 loaf and then I slice and layer the sponge into rectangles)
1 batch of berry compote (recipe below)
1 batch of chantilly cream (recipe below)
*strawberry hearts & mint leaves, optional (garnish)
Lemon Loaf (or sponge)
Store-bought is fine here, or if you would like to make your own, my favourite recipe can be found here
Mixed Berry Compote
1.5 cups strawberries (I used a combo of fresh and frozen) + 6 fresh for heart garnish
1/2 cup raspberries (I used fresh, as I had some in the refrigerator for this cocktail)
1-2 tablespoon honey (I have some local Raspberry Blossom Honey that I used - if above berries are tart, I add the second tablespoon, if they're sweet I use 1 tablespoon or none)
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1/2 a lemon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice (zest whole lemon and use remaining 1/2 for garnish)
Chantilly Cream
1 cup whip cream, cold
1-2 tablespoons sugar (again, this is to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Method
For The Mixed Berry Compote
To a small sauce pan add the strawberries, raspberries, honey, salt. Bring mixture to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down the temperature and using a fork, lightly mash half of the berries to release some of the juices. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Stir as needed. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Remove compote from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
For The Sponge Layer
Use one of the individual serving glasses like a cookie cutter to cut out circles from the sponge/loaf. I made 4 individual trifles, so I needed 8 sponge/loaf circles - 2 loaf layers per glass serving. If you are using a smaller glass, cut 2 times the number of glasses you are using. Clean sponge/loaf edges with a paring knife.
For The Chantilly Cream
In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer, add the whip cream and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until stiff peaks (the cream sticks to the whisk, or the back of a spoon when dipped in and lifted). Chill until ready to assemble.
To Assemble
In each glass place a layer of mixed berry compote - about 2-3 tablespoons depending on the size of your glass.
On top of the compote, add a layer of chantilly cream to each glass.
Then top cream with 1 sponge/loaf circle to each glass. Don't push down too much when adding the loaf, you don't want to take the air out of your chantilly cream.
Repeat above layering compote, cream and a sponge/loaf circle in each glass.
For the final top layer, add chantilly cream, smoothing the surface with an off-set spatula.
Garnish with fresh Strawberry Hearts (see Recipe Note below) and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Serve with a side of mint.
Recipe Notes:
Heart-Shaped Strawberry Slices
Wash strawberries, then using a paring knife cut a diagonal slice starting at the top right edge of the strawberry, cutting toward the centre (right under the stem). Repeat with a second cut starting at the top left, moving toward the strawberry's centre. Essentially you've cut a "V" shape. Cut strawberries vertically into thin slices.
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