Berry Trifle with Orange Liqueur

I finally got a trifle bowl!  Well, actually it's just a big glass bowl but it's the first one that I've had.  My old way of making a trifle was to buy an angel food cake and use the clear plastic lid for the trifle.  It actually worked well but this time I wasn't using angel food cake. Plus, I've been wanting a trifle bowl. 

I'd seen several but just didn't want to spend so much money on something that would only use a couple of times a year. Plus, I have a small house and not a lot of room for storage.

So I was pleased to find this bowl and it was very affordable. 

I knew I wanted to make a trifle for my dad's family reunion but it took me awhile to find just the right one.  The fruit soaked in the orange liqueur was the selling point for me.  Plus I hadn't used mascarpone cheese in a long time and it sounded wonderful together with the whipped cream and fruit. 

It turned out beautifully and everyone loved it. 

I was able to make it gluten free using a gluten free lemon poundcake recipe.  The cake was a bit crumbly and did mush a bit in trifle. It didn't matter, everyone still loved it. 

Berry Trifle with Orange Liqueur Recipe

2 1/2 lbs. mixed berries - I used 1 1/2 lbs. strawberries and then 1 lb. of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup orange liqueur
Lemon pound cake (I used a gluten free one)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Extra berries for garnish

Add the berries to a bowl.  Combine the sugar, orange juice and liqueur in a small bowl. Pour liquid into the fruit and stir gently to combine.  Set aside for at least an hour or up to 3 hours.

Cut the pound cake into 1 lb. cubes and set aside until ready to assemble the trifle. 

In a large bowl, beat together the cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form, about 3 - 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone until soft.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped mascarpone and the lemon zest into the whipped cream until evenly blended.

In a glass trifle bowl, arrange a single layer of the cake cubes in the bottom of the bowl.  Spoon 1/3 of the macerated berries over the cake and then spread 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the berries.  Repeat layers twice, finishing with a layer of the mascarpone mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours to allow the flavors to marry. 

Top with additional berries as garnish when ready to serve.



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