Fourth of July is next weekend! I love the parades, fireworks, and BBQ’s that come along with this holiday! Cricket, on the other hand, hates the 4th because she thinks fireworks means the world is coming to a dramatic end! I’m going to try out some doggie earmuffs this year and see if that helps keep her calm:)
EVERYTHING is red, white and blue on the 4th! I wanted to make a light, summery, elegant dessert, that celebrates this holiday in the traditional colors. Trifle is one of my favorite desserts because its easy and quick to make and is quite impressive in any glass vessel- such as a martini glass (as I did here) or large glass bowl.
I used India Tree all natural food coloring in the mini cupcakes to add a swirl of red and blue, but this can be omitted and you can let the berries celebrate the red and blue on their own if you wish. You can also just bake a cake and tear it up into pieces as opposed to making mini cupcakes. I just like using my mini-cupcake tin! So many options here- the beauty of a trifle is that there is no wrong way!
I used strawberries, raspberries, blueberry, Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake Mix, and made a coconut creme-yogurt whip to create this beauty. You also can use Cool Whip if you’d like, or there is a healthier version called Truwhip that I’ve spotted at most grocery stores.
4th of July Summer Berry Trifle
A easy and healthy trifle created with summer berries, coconut creme-yogurt whip, and vanilla cake.
- I box of Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix (or a brand of your choosing)
- 2 eggs for cake
- 1/4 cup coconut oil for cake
- 1 cup almond milk for cake
- 1 container of strawberries (sliced)
- 1 container of blueberries
- 1 container of raspberries
- 1 can chilled coconut creme (I used Trader Joe's, or use the top thick portion of chilled full fat coconut milk- most likely will need 2 cans then)
- 1 cup vanilla coconut milk yogurt (you can use greek yogurt if you aren't avoiding dairy)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Bake the cake (or cupcakes) as directed on box (I used coconut oil in place of the butter, and almond milk in place of regular milk, and 2 eggs) yield is around 34 mini cupcakes
- Meanwhile wash the all of the berries and then slice the strawberries.
- Combine the coconut creme with the vanilla yogurt, add the vanilla and maple syrup and whip until fluffy with an immersion blender. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Let the cake cool completely then assemble your ingredients- make alternating layers of fruit, whip topping, and cake, final layer should be the colorful berries.
