Lemon Raspberry Trifle

This light and sweet Lemon Raspberry Trifle combines refreshing lemon pudding with sweet raspberry jam and tart raspberries, layered between soft pieces of pound cake. Prepared in minutes and perfect for holidays and summer celebrations!

Prep Time10

Chill Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Raspberry Trifle Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 302kcal

Ingredients

6.8 ounces instant lemon flavored pudding (two 3.4-ounce boxes)
3 cups whole milk, very cold
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves, Smucker's brand
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, plus more for garnish
8 ounces Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed and divided (4 ounces folded into the lemon pudding and 4 ounces to garnish)
16 ounce premade pound cake, thawed if from frozen and cut into 1-inch sized cubes (Sara Lee brand)
1 ½ to 2 cups fresh raspberries, divided (for decorative layer in trifle and garnish)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the instant lemon pudding and whole milk for 3 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Place the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for 5 minutes to allow the pudding to firm up slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the seedless raspberry jam and fresh lemon juice until the raspberry jam is loose and easily spreadable. Set aside.
Remove the bowl of chilled lemon pudding from the refrigerator. Fold in the fresh lemon zest and 4 ounces of the thawed Cool Whip whipped topping until smooth and no white streaks remain from the Cool Whip.
Add half of the cubed pound cake in a layer at the bottom of a trifle dish (a 3-quart capacity trifle bowl works best).
Next, add half the lemon pudding mixture and gently spread it into an even layer to cover the pound cake.
Carefully place fresh raspberries in a circle around the outer edge of the trifle bowl on top of the lemon pudding layer to form a decorative layer. I like to make sure that they are all placed with the bottom side up for consistency. You will use approximately 1- 1 ½ cups of fresh raspberries. The size of your berries will determine how much you will need to use for this step. The remaining raspberries will be used to top the trifle as a garnish.
To the center of the ring of fresh raspberries in the bowl, spoon the seedless raspberry jam mixture. Gently spread to cover the lemon pudding layer. Be careful not to mix the layers as you spread the jam.
Top the raspberry layer with the remaining pound cake cubes, followed by the remaining lemon pudding spread to an even layer.
Garnish the lemon raspberry trifle with the remaining 4 ounces Cool Whip whipped topping. Do not spread it all the way to the edge of the bowl, but leave about 1 inch of the lemon pudding exposed. Pile the remaining fresh raspberries to the center of the Cool Whip and sprinkle the top of the berries and Cool Whip with additional fresh lemon zest.
Refrigerate the lemon raspberry trifle for at least 2 hours to allow the pudding layer to set completely before serving.

Notes

Gently fold the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture to avoid deflating the whipped topping. This will help keep your lemon filling light and fluffy.
To help cut the pieces of cake into neat squares, use a serrated knife.
Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to smooth out the pudding for an even layer. Try to spread it right to the edge of the bowl.
When making the raspberry ring, place the raspberries with the bottom end up for a consistent look.
Spread the raspberry jam carefully with the back of a spoon to avoid mixing it into the pudding layer.
Check the outside of your trifle bowl as you assemble your layers to you can be sure the bowl is clean and the layers are tidy.

Nutrition