Easy Lemon Trifle Recipe

4.79 from 19 votes

Lemon cake layered with homemade lemon cream makes up this easy lemon trifle. Bring on the spring with this bright and sunny dessert in a bowl.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

1 box lemon cake mix plus additional ingredients on the box
2 tablespoons lemon zest divided
1 package lemon Jello 3 ounces
2 cups boiling water
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
12 ounces Cool Whip thawed
Optional lemon peel for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare lemon cake according to box directions adding in 1 tablespoon lemon zest to cake batter. Bake and cool completely. Cut the cake in small cubes before assembling the trifle. 1 box lemon cake mix, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
In a mixing bowl, whisk Jello, boiling water and powdered sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour or until syrupy. 1 package lemon Jello, 2 cups boiling water, 1 cup powdered sugar
Once the Jello mixture has thickened slightly, mix in cream. Beat with a hand mixer until cream slightly mounds. 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Fold in 8 ounces of Cool Whip the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.12 ounces Cool Whip
Start with adding a layer of cake cubes at the bottom of serving glasses, a large glass bowl or trifle dish. Next add a layer of lemon cream. Continue layering cake and cream then top with with remaining Cool Whip.
Top the lemon trifle with a twist of lemon peel. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Optional lemon peel for garnish

Video

Notes

A trifle is meant to be very soft and have flavors mingled, so making it in advance is a great idea. Trifles should not get too soggy if made a day in advance.
Want even more lemon flavor? Add dollops of lemon curd on top of the cake layers.
Add fresh berries such as fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. Or drizzle the top with a strawberry ice cream topping.
Lighten it up with sugar free Jello and fat free Cool Whip.

The calories shown are based on the recipe being divided 20 ways, with 1 serving being 1/15 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition