Easy Peasy Father's Day Fruit Trifle
To all my 'non-bakers' who want a FANTASTIC summer dessert this one's for you! If you can follow the direction on a package of pudding and a cake mix this one is in the bag! It's light, refreshing, and looks fantastic!
I'm behind on my postings! I still have to put together my last post about my favorite crowd pleasing cake. I've been waiting all year to be able to write about it and cannot believe that I have not done it yet. I feel like this year is just flying by!
Like Mother's Day, I'm also hosting a BBQ for Father's Day...hopefully this one will not be as chaotic lol. When I was growing up my mom worked part-time which meant that sometimes she would have to work on the weekends. This left my brother and I in my father's capable hands. We woke up to pancakes or cream of wheat cooking for breakfast, he made us caterpillars out of bananas for dessert after lunch, spent many hours playing the board game Risk or Duke Nukem on the computer with us....and yes I was totally into both, and ran errands singing Paint It Black at the top of our lungs in the truck. These weekends are also where many many 'don't tell mom' adventures took place...
My dad and I share many things in common...one being our sweet tooth. I remember one weekend my dad had to go to the store to pick up some item for dinner. So off my dad, my brother, and I went to Econo-mart. I'm sure my fellow Transconians will know what that was. For you who did not have the luxury of living in T-town, Econo-Mart is basically an old-school Extra Foods...same idea. While we were looking for our item we came across the bulk candy aisle...to my delight my dad said, "we should get some candy...you know for company" as he winked and smiled...don't need to tell me twice. Now don't forget we're at Econo-mart...this isn't no Bulk Barn... the candies were those variety candies where one is like mint or eclair or toffee and they are all individually wrapped. I have no idea what they are called. The three of us shoveled candy into the bag that he was holding. I feared that any second he would tell us to stop....but he didn't. Our bag was pretty full when he finally slapped the twist tie on and my brother and I smiled all the way to the checkout. At the checkout, he plopped the bag of candy down to be weighed. I can't remember the exact amount but it was well over $20. I remember him saying, "how much??" followed by "holy shit" and a laugh. He turned to us and said, "but it's for company right?" and we both frantically nodded yes. We ate candy the whole way home and once we got home he smiled and reminded us that the candy is for company so we better put it away in a special place. He shared that he will keep it in a cupboard in the basement where his workshop is...and conveniently where my mother would never dream of looking. In the weeks to follow, I would go down to the basement and find my dad playing on the computer with candy wrappers by his mouse. I would go into our secret stash and when he looked at me we would both smile and say..."for company"... and I would scurry back upstairs.
Ironically, when my dad used to take my brother and I to our grandparent's house in Beausjour my grandpa would always pull me aside and tell me to follow him. We both snuck off and he would pull a bag of candy out of the closet in his bedroom and let me take a handful then send me off to play. I always wondered whether he was hiding this from my grandmother or from my dad but never dared to tell either of them haha.
In planning my Father's Day menu I wanted to make a trifle dessert. I reviewed my options and considered a Banana Split Trifle...but there are two people who would not eat it if the pineapple is in it... then thought about a Black Forrest Trifle..but one person does not like cherries and chocolate...it's hard to please everyone isn't it? I ended up going with a classic berry trifle sure to please even the pickiest eater at the table...which i confess that if it is not dessert related that person is usually me haha.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Angel Food Cake Mix
2 boxes Vanilla instant pudding (the 4 serving boxes)
1 lb Strawberries
1 pint Blueberries
1 pint Raspberries
1 container Cool-Whip
4 cups Milk
...I know..easy right? I actually ended up buying way too much fruit. What I have listed above will do it. I promise.
DIRECTIONS:
What I do is prep the cake and pudding the night before so that I can just put everything together a few hours before it is needed...but whatever works for you. I would not put the whole thing together the night before as because I think that the cake might go to soggy. Usually trifle is made with pound cake but the angel food cake is much lighter.
I put mine in a trifle bowl but you can use a clear bowl if you don't have one. The trifle bowl I used is 12 cups and everything fit perfectly.
So, step one is to bake and cool the angel food cake and prepare the pudding according to the directions. Next slice your berries and cut your cake into 1" pieces.
Then the layers should go as follows:
8. Fruit
7. 1/2 cool whip
6. 1/2 of the pudding
5. 1/2 of the cake
4. 1/2 of the cool whip
3. 1/3 of the fruit
2. 1/2 of the pudding
1. 1/2 of the cake
I put a mix of fruit in each of the fruit layers but you could also do one of each. Either way it will look fabulous!
In the end, my Father's Day BBQ did not quite go as planned. My dad was unable to make it but for some reason I feel like Cole's father, Henry, did not mind the extra attention...or the extra serving of dessert.
Enjoy!