Red White & Blue Trifle (4th of July Dessert)

This is another crowd pleasing recipe I’ve been making for 20 years! Guests devour it every time, and it’s a dessert you can make ahead when entertaining. Serve it for a 4th of July party menu, Memorial day bbq, Labor day celebrations, and all your summer potluck parties.

The standout to this recipe is the mixture that combines white chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream. It’s silky smooth and pairs perfectly with berries and cake.

Why You’ll Love It

• Make ahead. Make it the night before for stress-free entertaining.
• Light. Although this looks and tastes indulgent, it’s actually not too sweet or too filling.
• Presentation. The layers in a trifle always look impressive served in a clear trifle dish. It can easily act as the centerpiece to the 4th of July table.
• Serves a crowd. You can feed a party of 10 to 12 people with this trifle. Even more if there are other dessert offerings at a potluck party.

Ingredients

• Cake. Use yellow cake, white cake, angle food, or pound cake. For these photos I used a cake mix to get the perfect size cake for the bowl, however I suggest you make this a no-bake recipe and purchasing a premade cake from the bakery.
• White chocolate. Use white chocolate chips, or a bar of chocolate that you chop into pieces to make it easier to melt.
• Heavy cream (or whipping cream). You’ll also need a hand or stand mixer to make homemade whipped cream.
• Fresh berries. Use fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries to get the red, white and blue theme. You can also add in blackberries if you want. Give them a rinse under water to clean them, and let them dry thoroughly before using them.

How to Make It

See full instructions in recipe card below.

• Make the ganache by heating the white chocolate and 1 cup of the cream in a double boiler or saucepan over low heat.
• Use a hand or stand mixer to whip the remaining 1½ cups of cream to form stiff peaks.
• When ganache is cooled, fold in the whipped cream, gently.
• Assemble the trifle by layering the cake, ⅓ of the ganache mixture, berries, and repeat. Finish with ganache cream and add berries on top.

Helpful Tips

• When you’re making the whipped cream, put the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to get them very cold before adding the cream, and mixing. It helps the peaks form faster.
• Chilling the finished trifle is essential to let the flavors fully develop. Cover it with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate up to a day ahead.
• Double up on the berries to make this even more decadent. You can also combine the berries instead of layering them.
• Cut the strawberries in half or quarters to make them easy to eat.

More 4th of July Ideas

I guarantee you and you’re guests are going to love this red, white and blue trifle for a summer dessert. Here are some more ideas to help with July 4th party planning.

• Easy star-studded mini pies using refrigerated pie dough and berry pie filling.
• See how to make an impressive 4th of July flag cake.
• Set up a 4th of July ice cream float bar for a delicious interactive dessert drink.
• These red and white strawberry shortcakes are another color-coordinated dessert option.
• Friends and family of all ages will love a make-your-own ice cream sandwiches bar.
• Another fun food station for summer is a make-your-own-shortcakes with mini cakes and a variety of berries.