Lemon Raspberry Trifle

5 from 3 votes

Lemon Raspberry Trifle is light, refreshing, and super easy to make! Perfect dessert for summer when fresh berries are in season.

Prep Time10

Chill Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: (approximately 1 cup) servings

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

6.8 ounces (2 3.4 ounce boxes) instant lemon flavored pudding
3 cups whole milk very cold
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves Smucker's brand
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest plus more for garnish
8 ounces cool whip whipped topping thawed, divided (4 ounces folded into the lemon pudding and 4 ounces to garnish)
16 ounce premade pound cake thawed if from frozen, cut into 1 inch sized cubes (Sara Lee brand)
1½ - 2 cups fresh raspberries divided (for decorative layer in trifle and garnish)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the instant lemon pudding and whole milk for 3 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Place the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for 5 minutes to allow the pudding to firm up slightly.
6.8 ounces (2 3.4 ounce boxes) instant lemon flavored pudding, 3 cups whole milk
In a small bowl whisk together the seedless raspberry jam and fresh lemon juice until the raspberry jam is loose and easily spreadable. Set aside.
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves, 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Remove the bowl of chilled lemon pudding from the refrigerator. Fold in the fresh lemon zest and 4 ounces of the thawed cool whip whipped topping until smooth and no white streaks remain from the cool whip.
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 8 ounces cool whip whipped topping
To a large (approximately 3 quart capacity) trifle bowl, add half of the cubed pound cake in a layer in the bottom of the bowl.
16 ounce premade pound cake
Next, add half the lemon pudding mixture and gently spread it into an even layer to cover the poundcake.
Carefully place fresh raspberries in a circle around the outer edge of the trifle bowl, on top of the lemon pudding layer, to form a decorative layer. I like to make sure that they are all placed with the bottom side up for consistency. You will use approximately 1- 1 ½ cups of fresh raspberries. It will depend on the size of your berries as to how much you will need to use for this step. The remaining raspberries will be used to top the trifle as a garnish.
1½ - 2 cups fresh raspberries
To the center of the ring of fresh raspberries in the bowl, spoon the seedless raspberry jam mixture. Gently spread to cover the lemon pudding layer. Be careful not to mix the layers as you spread the jam.
Top the raspberry layer with the remaining pound cake cubes, followed by the remaining lemon pudding spread to an even layer.
Garnish the lemon raspberry trifle with the remaining 4 ounces cool whip whipped topping. Do not spread it all the way to the edge of the bowl, but leave about ½ inch of the lemon pudding exposed. Pile the remaining fresh raspberries to the center of the cool whip and sprinkle the top of the berries and cool whip with additional fresh lemon zest.
Refrigerate the lemon raspberry trifle for at least 2 hours to allow the pudding layer to set-up completely before serving.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: This lemon raspberry trifle is best served chilled. It can be refrigerated, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Please note that the longer this sits, the softer the pound cake will become from the moisture in the pudding layers.
To Freeze: This is not a dessert suited for freezing. It is best to make and serve the same day.

Tips:

When adding each layer to your trifle bowl, be careful around the outer edges to keep the pudding, raspberry, and pound cake layers nice and neat. This will ensure that you have a beautiful layered presentation when you are looking at the outside of the bowl.
When using the zest and juice of a fresh lemon, be sure to rinse it with cool water and wipe dry with a paper towel to remove any waxy residue from the outer skin.
It is easier to zest a whole lemon so I suggest that you zest the lemon first before slicing in half to then squeeze for the fresh juice to use in the recipe.
If you bake your own cake, allow time for it to cool off before assembling the trifle.
My trifle bowl was 3 quarts. You may end up with extra cake cubes, depending on the size of your trifle bowl.

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