Strawberry Shortcake Trifle With Buttermilk Biscuits
This strawberry trifle recipe starts with from-scratch buttermilk biscuits that soak up fresh strawberry juice and hold their texture in a way pound cake never could. Layers of homemade vanilla pudding and real whipped cream round out each bite, with no instant pudding and no Cool Whip. It's a make-ahead dessert that serves a crowd and actually gets better as it sits in the refrigerator.
Servings 12
Calories 480kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Biscuit Layer
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons cold butter cut into cubes
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk
Pudding Layer
- 5 egg yolks
- 8 tablespoons sugar divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Strawberry Layer
- 6 cups sliced strawberries
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Whipped Cream Layer
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Biscuit Layer
- In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, soda sugar and salt. Add cold butter and process until there are only small lumps of butter visible. Pour cold buttermilk in and process until the dough begins to gather into moist clumps. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and form into a rectangle. Cut it into three sections, stack and roll into a rectangle. Repeat 3 times. Then gently roll into a 1 inch thick square and cut into 12 biscuits, either round or square. Place on parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450º and bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
Pudding Layer
- Whisk the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until it is pale yellow. Set aside. Add milk, salt and 6 tablespoons sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and it is warm but not hot. Remove from the heat.
- Add some of the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture, a tablespoon at a time, whisking the eggs while you slowly add the milk until the egg yolk mixture is warm. Return the saucepan to simmer over medium heat and gradually add the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened and it has just started to bubble, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Strawberry Layer
- Cut strawberries into ½ inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Add orange juice, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until the strawberries have released their juices. Once the juices have formed, drain the strawberries with a colander and set it aside.
Whipped Cream Layer
- Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Assemble
- Break the biscuits into about 1 inch pieces and place ⅓ of them in the bottom of a trifle dish. Pour ⅓ of the drained strawberry juice over the biscuits. Top with ⅓ of the chopped strawberries. Spread ⅓ of the pudding over the strawberries and top with ⅓ of the whipped cream. Repeat 2 more times. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Keep the butter and buttermilk cold until you're ready to use them.
- Don't skip the folding step. Cutting, stacking, and rolling the dough three times is what creates distinct layers in the biscuits.
- Set the strawberry draining liquid aside after straining, don't pour it down the drain. You'll pour it directly over the biscuits during assembly.
- Short on time? You can substitute 30-minute buttermilk drop biscuits for the laminated biscuits. The trifle will be a little less layered in texture but just as delicious.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
