This berry trifle uses fresh berries, cake, and fresh whipped cream with cream cheese, making a yummy and bright summer dessert. You can assemble the ingredients to make one large trifle or split up the layers into individual serving trifles.  For a large trifle, use a traditional trifle dish or any large transparent bowl.  For mini trifles, I like to use my set of whisky glasses or stemless wine glasses for a more sophisticated presentation.  This recipe calls for prepared gluten free cake.  You can choose from a variety of cakes flavors that would complement the berry and cream layers.  My top suggestions would be vanilla cake, lemon cake, pound cake, banana bread, berry cake or blueberry muffins.   If you have leftover gluten free cake that has been sitting in your freezer for ages, use that!  It will be delicious and you will feel great that you purged!  

Gluten Free Berry Bliss Trifle

Yield: One 12-to-14-cup trifle dish or about 12 individual trifles.

Ingredients
Two 16-ounce containers strawberries
Two 6-ounce containers blueberries
One 6-ounce container blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 prepared gluten free vanilla or lemon cake (about 12 ounces)
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish, optional

 Directions

Trim and quarter the strawberries and set aside. Combine the blueberries, blackberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water, lemon zest, juice and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup cream, the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. In a second large bowl, whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until lightened, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

To assemble the trifle, cut the gluten free cake into 2-inch pieces. Place half the cake pieces in the bottom of a 12-to-14-cup trifle dish or 12 individual trifles. Top with the blueberry sauce, cream and the quartered strawberries. Repeat the layers the cake, berry sauce, cream and strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours or overnight. Before serving either dust with confectioners' sugar.