Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Layers of pillow-soft cake, fluffy whipped cream, velvety cream cheese, and juicy berries.
Taste: Rich and sweet with bursts of bright berry flavor.
Ease: An easy recipe that looks elegant!
Top Tip: The trifle needs to chill for at least two hours — I like to make this dessert the night before for the best results!
Recommended GF Flour: The cake in this trifle is my gluten-free angel food cake, made with King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
Would I make these again? Absolutely! This is one of my all-time favorite desserts to make, especially in the summer. Plus it’s a great make-ahead recipe!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in August 2013. It was updated with new photos and instructions in April 2025.
Inspired by my gluten-free angel food cake, this trifle combines the cake with fresh berries, decadent whipped cream, and sweet cream cheese (perfected with a hint of almond).
This is such a pretty dessert! And a great make-ahead option which means it is perfect for parties and entertaining. Everyone always loves it!
Featured Comment
From Paulette: “The best gluten free trifle I have ever tasted! Everyone raved about this dessert at our family gathering. Best gluten free angel food cake recipe I have ever made as well! Many thanks for doing all the testing for us as I have no clue how to convert my favorite recipes to gluten free!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can this gluten-free strawberry cream cheese trifle be made dairy-free?
- Can I make it in individual cups instead of a trifle dish?
- How do I serve trifle?
- More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free strawberry cream cheese trifle. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Cream cheese: Two 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese make the rich, tangy base of the cream cheese filling.
- Powdered sugar: Not only does the powdered sugar sweeten the filling, it also makes it smooth without any grittiness.
- Extracts: I love using a combination of vanilla and almond extract to add more depth to the mixture’s flavor. You can omit the almond extract, if you prefer.
- Heavy cream: The heavy cream, mixed with powdered sugar and vanilla, creates the light, airy whipped cream layer.
- Angel food cake: This trifle uses my gluten-free angel food cake recipe for the cake pieces. It’s one of my most popular recipes (since 2013). It uses King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour for the best results!
- Berries: While this is a strawberry trifle, I actually like to use a combination of fresh raspberries mixed with thinly sliced strawberries for the bright, juicy fruit layers. You can use any kind of berry you like!
You also might like this and this full collection of gluten-free cake recipes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle
Here’s an overview of how to make this trifle. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Make the cream cheese filling: Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature, then add to a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and vanilla to the bowl and mix until smooth.
- Prepare the whipped cream: Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla using a stand or hand mixer. Whip it until stiff peaks form.
- In a trifle dish: Place a layer of angel food cake pieces at the bottom. I like to use a glass trifle dish, like this one!
- Add layers: Spread a layer of cream cheese filling on top of the cake pieces, then add a layer of berries.
- Keep adding layers: Top the berry layer with a layer of whipped cream.
- Repeat and chill: Add another layer of each (cake, cream cheese, berries, and whipped cream). Decorate (optional) and then chill the trifle in the fridge for at least 2 hours (I prefer to make it the night before)! Serve cold. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: This trifle is best made the night before serving! You can also make the cream cheese filling and whipped cream up to 2 days in advance, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge, and then assemble closer to serving. The cake can also be made 2-3 days ahead, if stored tightly covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
To Store: Store leftover trifle in the fridge, either covered tightly in plastic wrap or with a lid. It will keep for up to 3 days. The longer it sits, the more tender the cake will become, but beyond 3 days it may become too soggy.
To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the assembled trifle. The cream cheese filling can be frozen for up to 1 month, then thawed in the fridge and re-whipped before use. The cake will also keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing the berries or whipped cream.
Can this gluten-free strawberry cream cheese trifle be made dairy-free?
Yes! You can use dairy-free cream cheese for the cream cheese filling as well as dairy-free heavy cream or coconut cream for the whipped cream. The angel food cake recipe is naturally dairy-free (and so are the berries, of course)!
Can I make it in individual cups instead of a trifle dish?
Definitely! You can make mini trifles using glasses or jars. You’ll want to do all the same layers, just using smaller portions. The individual trifles make for such cute party treats!
How do I serve trifle?
It’s easiest to use a large spoon or serving scoop to gently scoop down all the way to the bottom layer, making sure you are getting all layers in each serving. Dessert glasses showcase all the decadent layers, but regular bowls work too!
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 2 – 8 oz packages (448g) cream cheese
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Rest:
- 1 angel food cake
- 4 cups (492g) fresh raspberries and thinly sliced strawberries or any berries of choice
Instructions
- Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature, then place in a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, almond extract, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Whip up the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it forms stiff peaks.
- Assemble the trifle by placing a layer or broken up angel food cake in the bottom, followed by a spread of the cream cheese mixture.
- Top the cream cheese mixture with berries and then whipped cream on top of the berries. Repeat the layers again and finish with whipped cream on the tp. Decorate with raspberries.
- Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours! (The longer it sits the better – preferably make it the night before). Serve cold, scooping servings into dessert glasses. Enjoy!
so delicious! we made ours with pound cake and it was perfect. we made this for mother’s day and shared it among a dinner party of family friends. sweet but also light and the strawberries were a delicious fresh note among the cream. most of us went back for seconds.
Yay! We’re so excited to hear how much everyone loved the trifle for Mother’s Day! It’s good to know pound cake worked well in it too. Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us, Colleen!
This is an outstanding recipe. As a scratch baker, I struggle with making gf desserts, as we have one celiac in our family. I am always searching for delicious recipes that we can ALL enjoy. This is it!. Paired with your gluten free Angel Food Cake it was the perfect summer recipe for the adults and children alike. Keep up the good work.
Aww, we’re so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe, Anita! Thank you for such kind and thoughtful feedback. Happy baking!
Excellent! I just made this, and it’s super easy and soooo good!~ The angel food cake is aweome too!
Yay! We’re so pleased that you enjoyed both the trifle and the angel food cake, Dione! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us!