Strawberry–Kiwi Trifle with Orange Cream

Ingredients

• 250 g plain sponge cake or pound cake, cut into approximately 2 cm cubes
• 400 g strawberries, washed, thoroughly dried, hulled and sliced
• 3 ripe but firm kiwis, peeled and sliced, reserved for the topping
• 300 ml cold whipping cream
• 150 g thick plain Greek yogurt
• 30 g icing sugar, sifted, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, from a washed orange
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

How to assemble the trifles

1. Prepare the fruit and cake. Pat the strawberries dry before slicing. Cut the cake into even cubes. Reserve a few strawberry slices for the tops. Keep the kiwi separate until serving.
2. Whip the cream. Beat the cold cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks: lifting the whisk should leave a peak that folds over at its tip. Stop before the cream looks grainy.
3. Finish the orange cream. Gently fold in the yogurt and orange zest with a spatula. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed. Avoid vigorous stirring, which can flatten the whipped cream.
4. Build the first layer. Divide half the cake among the six glasses. Spoon half the orange juice over it—about ¾ teaspoon per glass. Add half the sliced strawberries, then half the cream mixture.
5. Repeat. Add the remaining cake, juice, strawberries and cream. Leave a little space at the top for the fruit garnish. Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
6. Finish just before serving. Top with the kiwi and reserved strawberry slices. Serve cold, with a long spoon that reaches every layer.

Ingredient choices and variations

Sponge or pound cake? Sponge makes lighter layers; pound cake gives a firmer, richer base. Both should be fully cooled. If your cake is very soft or already moist, use less orange juice.

Orange-liqueur option: For an adults-only version, replace 1 tablespoon of the orange juice with 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur. It is not cooked, so the alcohol remains. Keep the juice-only version for anyone avoiding alcohol.

No yogurt? Use an additional 150 ml of whipping cream, whipped with the rest. The filling will taste richer and less tangy. Sweetness depends on the cake and fruit, so taste the cream before assembling.

Avoiding soggy cake and runny cream

Wet strawberries and too much juice are the easiest ways to flood the cake layers. Dry the fruit and measure the juice instead of pouring it directly from the carton. Choose thick yogurt; pour off any separated liquid before folding it into the cream. Use chilled cream and stop whipping when soft peaks form.

For the cleanest appearance, spoon the cream into the centre of each glass, then spread it outward. Wipe stray cream from the rim before chilling. Add kiwi at serving time to keep its texture fresh.

Make-ahead, storage and allergens

For advance preparation, refrigerate the prepared fruit and cream separately and keep the cake covered; assemble on the day you serve it. Aim to eat the assembled trifles within 24 hours for texture. Keep them refrigerated at 4°C/40°F or colder. Do not leave this dairy dessert out for more than two hours, or one hour above 32°C/90°F. See USDA guidance on keeping perishable food cold.

This recipe contains milk. Most sponge and pound cakes also contain wheat and eggs; check the cake label and all ingredient packaging for your household’s allergens. Freezing is not recommended for the assembled dessert because the fruit and cream can lose their texture when thawed.