Individual Mixed Berry Shortcake Trifles

Summer is the absolute best time for desserts, especially when you can get your hands on fresh berries. Whenever we have a backyard get-together, I love making these individual mixed berry shortcake trifles. They are easy to serve, look beautiful in small glasses, and combine all the best parts of a classic shortcake in a fun, layered format.

Instead of using standard biscuits, this recipe features a soft, moist sheet cake made with sour cream and a hint of fresh lemon zest. We cut the cake into small rounds, then layer them with sugar-macerated strawberries and blueberries, and a quick homemade cream cheese whipped cream that holds its shape beautifully.

Why you’ll love these berry trifles

First, individual cups mean no messy slicing or serving at the table. Everyone gets their own perfect portion. The cake is baked in a single sheet pan, which means it cools quickly and is easy to cut into circles. Plus, the whipped cream has a little cream cheese folded in, which gives it a rich, thick texture that doesn’t melt or deflate if the trifles sit out for a while. If you like this style of presentation, you should also try our cheesecake dessert cups with caramel apple for a fall-themed alternative.

Ingredients you’ll need

To put this dessert together, you will need a few simple baking essentials along with plenty of fresh fruit:

• The Cake Base: A blend of all-purpose flour, cornstarch (for a tender crumb), sugar, eggs, butter, and sour cream. Sour cream keeps the cake incredibly moist so it absorbs the berry juices without turning into mush.
• The Mixed Berries: Equal parts fresh strawberries and blueberries. We toss them with a little sugar to draw out their natural syrups.
• The Cream Layer: Heavy cream whipped and folded together with softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

How to make mixed berry trifles

We start by baking the cake. Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Alternately fold in the dry ingredients and sour cream, then spread the batter thin on a rimmed baking sheet. It only needs about 20 minutes in the oven.

While the cake cools, chop the strawberries and mix them with the blueberries and sugar. Let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes. The sugar will pull the moisture out of the fruit, creating a syrup that will soak into our cake layers.

Finally, whip the cream and cream cheese together, then layer everything in your glasses. Start with a round of cake, add a spoonful of berries, pipe on some cream, and repeat. Garnish with a few extra whole berries on top before serving.

Tips for the perfect berry shortcake trifles layers

Make sure your cake is completely cool before you cut it or start layering. If the cake is even slightly warm, it will melt the whipped cream and ruin the clean lines of your trifle.

If you have leftover cake scraps, do not throw them away. You can crumble them up and use them to make a larger, family-sized trifle, or save them in the freezer to serve later with ice cream. If you have extra blueberries on hand after making this, check out our easy sourdough blueberry crumb cake.

Mixed Berry Shortcake Trifles

Meriem Tablit

Individual berry shortcake trifles layered with soft, sour cream lemon cake, macerated strawberries and blueberries, and a rich cream cheese whipped cream.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

  

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting pan
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 4 large eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

For the Berry Layer

• 1 lb fresh strawberries hulled and diced, plus extra for garnish
• 1 lb fresh blueberries plus extra for garnish
• 3.5 Tbsp granulated sugar

For the Cream Layer

• 2 cups heavy cream chilled
• 6 oz cream cheese softened
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.75 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

 

For the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, then set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
• Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add half of the sour cream and mix until combined. Repeat this process once more, ending with the final third of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cut the cake into 24 rounds that match the diameter of your serving cups (you will have some leftover cake pieces, which can be saved or frozen for snacking).

For the Berry Layer

• Toss the diced strawberries and blueberries with the sugar in a mixing bowl. Let the berries sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to release their sweet, natural juices.

For the Cream Layer

• In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, then set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, whip the softened cream cheese until it is completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped heavy cream, then whip briefly until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• Place 12 cake rounds into the bottoms of 12 dessert glasses or cups. Spoon a generous layer of the macerated berries and their juices over each cake round.
• Transfer the whipped cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe a layer of cream over the berries in each cup.
• Repeat the layers once more: place another cake round on top, follow with more berries, and finish with a final layer of piped cream.
• Garnish each trifle with a whole strawberry and a few fresh blueberries. Serve cold.

Keyword berry shortcake trifles, berry trifles

FAQs

These trifles are the ultimate summer dessert. They look fancy but are actually simple to make, and they let the fresh flavor of the strawberries and blueberries really shine. Serve them cold at your next gathering, and watch them disappear!