On the Saturday before Easter, my husband and I sat in our living room debating what to make for dessert for our guests that would arrive on Sunday evening. I was trying to convince my husband that we should try Hummingbird Cake that a friend of mine had been raving about at lunch the week before. However, he reminded me of advice that I often say when having a party. NEVER try a new recipe when you are throwing a dinner or party. It is best to go with tried and true recipes that you know will turn out the way they did in the past. Although, that is sometimes up for debate as well. So we started discussing dessert recipes that have been hits at previous get-togethers and Death by Chocolate came to mind. If you have never tried this dessert, it is a MUST especially if you love chocolate.
Death by Chocolate Trifle
I thought with Easter everyone would be chocolate out and then my mind started replacing each layer of this trifle dessert with different items. For instance, vanilla cake & pudding for chocolate. I started to brainstorm with my husband on this modified recipe on a dessert that everyone loves and he was sold on the idea. THEN, the great “AH” moment was when I started googling Raspberry Lemon Trifle to see many people were doing individual, mason jar serving. Oh and how I love personal servings and all the cocktail dish sets that go along with it. Here is what the final dessert looked like:
Raspberry Lemon Trifle
I love cooking, baking and feeding others. I get so much joy out of sharing my creations with others and seeing their face light up with joy over something that I’ve been able to prepare for them. It truly is a blessing! Here is the recipe so that you can share it with the ones you love:
Raspberry Lemon Trifle
Credit: P.S. I Love Peas Blog
Ingredients:
- 1 Vanilla Pound Cake
- 1 – 5.1 oz. instant Vanilla Pudding Pkg.
- 2 1/2 cups milk (for pudding)
- Lemon (1/4 juice & 2 tbsp. rind)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 box of Vanilla wafers
- 1 jar of Raspberry Preserves
- 1 lg container of Fresh Raspberries (seedless)
- 2 cups of heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup powder sugar
Directions:
Combine instant vanilla pudding with 2 1/2 cups of milk (preferred 1%, 2%). Mix for two minutes and set aside to let thicken.
Now make a simple syrup with lemon, granulated sugar and water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, once boiling and sugar dissolved, remove from heat. Place in a bowl to transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
At this time, make the whip cream. Put heavy cream and vanilla in KitchenAid mixer bowl (or hand mixer). Place bowl cover on and whip on high for 10 minutes or less; until peaks begin to form. Once this happens add powder sugar and lemon rind to cream. Continue to whip for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to taste to confirm the sweet and lemon level is what you desire.
In another bowl, combine a 1/2 cup of raspberry preserves and refresh raspberries. Mash some of the fruit, but make sure that a lot it remains whole. Taste! If too tart, add sugar or honey.
Now it is time to create your trifle. Take 8 to 10 small mason jars and line up in an assembly type fashion. Take your pound cake and cut into cubes. I prefer to remove the more darker parts of the cake, but it is totally your call.
First layer will be cake, then drizzle some of the lemon syrup simple that has been cooling. It is just to moisten the cake lightly not saturate it. Second layer, vanilla pudding. Third layer, raspberry layer. Fourth layer, vanilla pudding. Fifth layer, crumbled vanilla wafer. Six layer, whip cream. Top with vanilla wafer, raspberry and mint leaf.
The layers can be rotated however you would prefer, I was just trying to keep in mind colors. Also, if you would like the dessert to be more lemony, use lemon cake or pudding; both would be good. I’ve also substituted strawberry and strawberry preserve instead of raspberry too.
Enjoy!
P.S. I ♥ Peas 
this looks delicious!!! i’d love to try it, but how much lemon juice do you use?
also, i think there is a typo where you say “remove from heat. Place in a boil to transfer”
thanks!! ~chris
Thanks Chris! I’ll update now. 1/4 cup of lemon juice is used in the simple syrup.
Personally, I LOVE trying new recipes on guests! Otherwise, they’d never get made. Thanks for this great idea. Can’t wait to try it!
You’ll love it!! Glad trying new recipes works for you with guests. Somehow, I seem to mess them up. My husband and I try new recipes weekly. So were are always cooking something we haven’t before.