Berrylicious Banana Cheesecake Trifle!

 

A trifle is the perfect dessert for summer and for serving company, because they are usually cool and creamy and will serve a crowd!   This trifle is all of those things and it's just full of wonderful flavors!  It's got fresh berries, bananas, pound cake (or angel food cake) and a delicious cheesecake filling then topped with whipped cream!!!  Could it get any better than that!   

Actually, it could, because there is also virtually no baking involved, if you buy your pound cake or angel food cake!   This is also a hit with all ages!!!  

Here is what you will need:

1 prebaked pound cake (or you can use an angel food cake if you want something lighter)

1  (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 (3.4 oz.) instant cheesecake pudding mix

1  1/2 cups cold milk

1  (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

1  tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 (21 oz.) can blueberry pie filling

1  (21 oz.) strawberry pie filling

2 bananas sliced

1 pint strawberries, sliced 

1 pint blueberries 

First, you will need to make the cheesecake filling.  Place the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light fluffy.  Add the instant pudding mix and the 1 1/2 cups cold milk and beat until smooth.   Add the can of sweetened condensed milk and beat with the mixer.  The mixture will be starting to thicken.  Add the tsp. of vanilla flavoring and fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.  When it's all combined well, set in the fridge to thicken while you get the other ingredients prepared.

You will need a large trifle dish for this or even a smaller punch bowl will work.   Cut the pound cake in about 1 inch cubes.  If you want a lighter dessert, you can use an angel food cake.  You can purchase either in the your deli section of your supermarket or I used the frozen Sarah Lee pound cake after I thawed it. 

Place half of the cake cubes in the bottom of the dish.  Pour the blueberry pie filling over the first cake layer.  Sprinkle with a layer of fresh blueberries, saving half of them for the top!

Place the banana slices over the blueberries, then spread half of the cream cheese filling over banana layer!   Continue with the layers, by layering the rest of the cake cubes,  the can of strawberry filling, top with half of the strawberry slices and then the rest of the cheesecake filling!

Spread the rest of the whipped topping evenly over the top and then arrange the rest of the blueberries and strawberries over the top! 

 

You can arrange the berries randomly or in a pattern like this!  This is best if you refrigerate it for a few hours before serving so it has time to set up and the flavors to blend.  

This is a great recipe for cookouts or holiday gatherings!  When I served it, it was a hit with everyone!  Enjoy!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pound Cake!

 It's blueberry season in Kentucky and that makes me very happy!  Blueberries are quickly becoming

a more popular cash crop for Kentucky farmers looking for something to take the place of the dwindling tobacco market that used to be so widely grown.  

 I bought these blueberries at a local farmers market and they were grown on farm in Hawesville, Kentucky called Happy Hollow Blueberries!  They not only sell wholesale blueberries, but also blueberry plants if you are interested in starting your own blueberry growing operation.  They have over 50 varieties of blueberries.   The blueberries here in Kentucky get ripe about a month before the more northern states so it makes our blueberries attractive for shipping to other states.  

This blueberry pound cake is a great cake for a coffee cake or even a breakfast or brunch cake.  It's an easy cake to make, but it won't last long if it goes over like it does in our house.

 Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2  1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh blueberries (could use frozen)

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. milk or half and half cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the oil and eggs. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Add the flour 1 cup at a time alternating with the addition of the buttermilk and ending with the flour.  Add the vanilla.  Mix just until blended.

Gently fold in the blueberries.  If you toss the blueberries with a couple tablespoons of flour before adding them to the batter,  they will not sink to the bottom of the pan.

Pour the batter into a Bunt pan that has been liberally sprayed with nonstick spray or greased well.  Bake for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes.   A pick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Remove and allow to sit in pan and cool for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate.

To make the glaze, simply stir together the powder sugar, lemon juice, milk or half and half and vanilla.  

Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it's still slightly warm.  The cake will drink in some of that glaze and become even more moist as it sits.  It's a pretty little cake to be so simple!