Lemon Berry Gluten Free Trifle

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Berry Gluten Free Trifle

This Lemon Berry Gluten-Free Trifle recipe is seriously amazing. It's a beautiful gluten free dessert with vibrant red, white, and blue colors. The gluten-free lemon cake plays together nicely with the berries and whipped cream.

This dessert is gluten, nut, and soy free. I've made this dessert with and without dairy and will give instructions for choosing a dairy free whipped cream if necessary.

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dairy free optional, gluten free

Servings: servings

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Emily Meyer | Eat or Drink

Equipment

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup room temperature butter (soft to the touch) - margarine is also an option, country crock or earth balance sticks work well
2 eggs - at room temperature is best
1/2 cup milk - unsweetened plain dairy free milk is an option
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour -most all purpose or 1-to-1 gluten free flours will work here
1 teaspoon xanthan gum if needed **ONLY if your gluten free flour mix does not contain it already
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
2 lemons zest of two lemons

Berries

1 pound strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1 lemon juice from one lemon
1 tablespoon cane sugar

Dairy Free Whipped Cream

1 container silk heavy whipping cream *see blog post for other options
1 tablespoon powdered sugar *optional

Instructions

Preparing the Berries

Add sugar and lemon juice to your berries and mix well. Leave them in the fridge for a few hours while everything else is made. As they sit the sugar and lemon juice will become a little bit saucy with the berries.

Making the Gluten Free Lemon Cake

Prepare a 9x9 baking dish by greasing with butter and lightly coating with some flour to ensure the cake does not stick. Preheat your oven to 350℉.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the sugar and softened butter on medium until combined very well. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary.
Add in your eggs and mix again until combined very well and some air is incorporated (about a minute - as this is mixing you can prepare the next two steps), scraping down sides as necessary.
In a separate bowl mix together your milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and set aside.
Sift together your gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (only if your mix does not contain it), baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Then whisk in your lemon zest.
Slowly add your dry and wet ingredients to the ingredients already in your stand mixer - to do this you're going to alternate adding the dry and wet in about 3 batches. Begin by adding one batch of your dry mixture, mix slowly in your stand mixer until completely combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Then add 1/3 of your wet ingredients, mixing until completely combined, and scraping down sides as necessary. Continue on this way making sure to end with dry ingredients and combining completely each time.
Pour into your prepared square baking dish, smooth out with a rubber spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center no longer comes out wet (moist crumbs on the toothpick is ok). Another test for a cooked cake is lightly pressing the center, if it sinks or feels wet, it's not done. If it springs back up when lightly touched and feels spongey and firm then it's done.
Let your cake cool completely then carefully remove from your baking dish and cut into cubes.
Store in a ziplock bag or airtight container at room temperature until ready to use. If storing for more than a day or two I suggest freezing for optimal freshness. Then defrosting at room temperature before making the trifle.

Making the Dairy Free Whipped Cream

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add in your silk heavy whipping cream. Whisk on medium to medium-high until fluffy - could take a few minutes. If you want it sweeter add in the sugar and mix well.
Refrigerate if you don't plan to use it right away.

Assembling the Lemon Berry Gluten Free Trifle

In a clear glass bowl or tall serving dish make even layers of each component. One layer of cake squares, a layer of fruit (including the flavorful natural juices), and a layer of fluffy spoonfuls of whipped cream. Continue until you have filled your bowl. I like to end mine with fruit at the top and top with a bit more lemon zest for a nice presentation.

Video

Notes

If you have extra ingredients: I actually had some extra cake chunks after assembling my trifle, depending on the size of your dish this could happen. If this happens to you and you don't have a use for the extra cake chunks you can seal them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for a future dessert.
Storage: This trifle looks and tastes best the day of - so if you're making it for an event you can make the separate components ahead but it's best to assemble the day of. However, you can definitely store it covered in the fridge if you need to and enjoy it for a few days (I did and it was still quite good).
For more details on making the trifle including pictures of the process please read the blog post.
For ideas on ways to substitute the cake or the whipped cream used in this recipe card see the blog post.
Notes on Nutrition: I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition facts provided are not always 100% accurate and are calculated using an automatic generator using general brands and estimates. If you need exact nutrition facts please consult a certified dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition