Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

By jenlin

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 1 baked 9 x 5 pound cake
• One 12-ounce jar strawberry preserves
• 2 pounds strawberries, trimmed and halved
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sugar, optional
• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the strawberries: Heat the strawberry preserves in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just warm. Add the strawberries and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer; simmer until the strawberries are just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Add a little sugar to taste if desired. Cool completely. (The strawberries can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate in an airtight container.)

For the cream layer: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until very smooth and light. Add a little bit of the cream, and beat to loosen. Beat in the remaining cream, a little at a time, until the mixture just holds stiff peaks, stopping occasionally to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.

To assemble the trifle: Cut the pound cake into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Spoon a little more than a quarter of the cream into the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with a third of the pound cake, followed by a third of the strawberries and their juices. Repeat the layers, starting with cream, then cake, then strawberries. Top with the remaining cream and a few strawberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.