Wow, how is it almost July 4th already?! My husband and I spent a wonderful week away in Southern California and I feel like June just totally flew by! (Speaking of vacation, I hope to recap our trip in an upcoming blog post, so stay tuned!)
As a wise old pastor of mine would always say, “After the 4th of July, the summer goes twice as fast!” And as a kid growing up, I always dreaded hearing that statement because I knew the start of school was just around the corner. Nothing like the first day of school to send an already-anxious kid into a tailspin! However, as an adult, remembering this phrase gets me excited because I’m mildly obsessed with all things Fall! (All my summer fans just did a big eye roll!)
But seasonal sentiments aside, let’s live in the present, soak up the summer sun, and make the most of 4th of July week! One way to do just that is by creating and enjoying my new Paleo Triple Berry Trifle! This AIP-friendly, grain-free, and dairy-free layered dessert is bursting with ripe berries, creamy coconut whip, a luscious berry compote, and a rich coconut pound cake. This lovely red, white, and blue(berry) treat will be a sweet way to savor an evening of fun, food, and fireworks!
So, let’s talk trifle. It’s one of those British desserts that sounds and looks super fancy and complicated, when really, it’s easier to make and serve than a layer cake! In fact, I often opt for trifle when I’m baking a cake that doesn’t turn out quite as pretty as I hoped it would. Trifle is essentially a deconstructed layer cake, with oodles of tasty goodness in each layer!
I’ve always been a huge fan of trifle. In fact, it might be one of my favorite desserts of all time! And not ONLY because of it’s British origins and the fact that I’m obsessed with “Downton Abbey,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “The Great British Baking Show.” No, I also love trifle because there are seemingly endless possibilities of flavor combinations, it’s perfect for feeding a crowd, and it can be made well in advance of any special occasion! While it might be ironic that I chose a British dessert to celebrate our day of Independence, it seriously makes a wonderful finale for your 4th of July festivities!
My Paleo Triple Berry Trifle is an Americanized AIP version of traditional British trifle, which includes cake, fruit, jam, and cream. My cake is a nut-free coconut flour and honey sponge cake that holds up well to the rest of the ingredients. The cake is delicious on its own and can also be used to make layer cakes. (So, save this cake recipe for future use!)
Since we’re celebrating our nation’s birthday, I obviously chose a red, white, and blue theme. Fluffy white coconut whipped cream, complimented by fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. And for some extra berry flavor, I cooked down frozen mixed berries into a sweet, tart berry compote to drizzle in between the layers. It’s optional, but recommended!
Even though this trifle is multiple components, you can make each of them a couple days before you plan to serve it and assemble the trifle the day before. Assembly is a breeze! You just stack each delicious component on top of each other until you reach the top of the bowl. Cake, cream, berries, compote, repeat!
So, if you’ve been wondering what patriotic summer dessert to serve on Independence Day, this Paleo Triple Berry Trifle is what you’re looking for! This luxurious layered dessert will never cease to impress, and I’m betting no one will know or care that it’s allergy-friendly and totally refined sugar-free! Hope you enjoy large spoonfuls of this heavenly combination of cake, berries, and cream while you watch the fireworks this year! Have a happy, safe, and trifle-filled 4th of July!
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1.5 cups arrowroot starch
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1-14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional-omit for AIP)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional-omit for AIP)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3- 14-ounce cans coconut cream (cream only, see notes)
- 5-6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13'' cake pan.
- Wash and prep berries. Set aside.
- Mix dry cake ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients except lemon juice in a smaller bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir. Add lemon juice and stir until incorporated.
- Spread cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- While cake is baking, whip the coconut cream in a stand mixer and slowly add the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a small saucepan on medium/low heat, cook the frozen berries, honey, and lemon juice for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. When berries have broken down and mixture is bubbly, whisk in arrowroot starch and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Cut the cooled cake into small squares (I did rows of 6 across, 8 vertical). Crumble the first 2 rows of the cake into the bottom of a trifle bowl.
- Top the cake with ⅓ of the coconut whipped cream. Then, add ⅓ of the fresh fruit, followed by ½ of the berry compote.
- Repeat all of the layers, saving a bit of the fresh fruit to decorate the top. Then finish the trifle with a last layer of the cake and the remaining whipped cream. (You'll have a few extra pieces of cake left, but there's nothing wrong with that!)
- Decorate the top of the trifle with the reserved berries and cover the top with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
~This dessert can be made 1-2 days ahead. In fact, I recommend it! Use any combination of berries or fresh fruit that you like!
This recipe saved my 4th of July!! I was agonizing bc I didn’t know what to bring to the family picnic and this recipe is beyond perfect. Making it now and can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
Diana, that is so wonderful! I’m thrilled my recipe could be of help! Hope everyone enjoys the trifle at your picnic! Happy 4th!
Joanna,
The cake is amazing, the fruit compote is out of this world, but I struggled with the coconut cream. I did it exactly as the recipe says but it was super runny. I poured it on the first two layers but it made everything soggy. Should I have drained the coconut cream?
Hi Stacy,
Ah, I’m sorry the coconut cream was tricky to work with! I’ve learned over time that not all brands work the same. You don’t want any coconut water in the cream prior to whipping it, so depending on the brand, refrigerating the cans overnight can help separate the cream from the coconut water. (Mine was pretty thick to begin with so I didn’t refrigerate it.) Or draining any excess liquid after it’s whipped can help, too. I’ll put a note in the recipe with those details. Thanks for letting me know and hope a second attempt works out better!
It was a huge hit! I made it for a Birthday party and everyone loved it! I did what you suggested and it was a great success! Thank you so much!
That’s wonderful! I’m thrilled that it was a winner for you! Thanks for sharing! 😃
Yes, very important to refrigerate the full-fat coconut milk for 24 hours and then only use the thick cream. at the top. You might just use a tiny amount of the thinner water. Good luck the next time, I think you’ll find this makes a huge difference. : )
What is arrowroot starch. Seems like a large amount. Is there a sub
Arrowroot is a grain-free, gluten-free starch that comes from the arrowroot plant and is used to obtain light textures in baking. It can also be used in place of cornstarch in recipes. I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand. There is a large amount in this recipe, but it’s because the cake is large- 9×13. I personally find arrowroot more easily digestible than other starches, but you can try substituting tapioca starch in its place. I haven’t tried tapioca in this recipe, so the texture of the cake might be off if arrowroot isn’t used. But if it works out for you, let me know!
Hi! I am so excited to try this since my sister loves Paleo desserts! They sit better with her stomach. You say that preparing it one day in advanced is recommended, but does that make the cake soggy at all? I have time to make the separate layers tonight, but was wondering if I should save the assembly until tomorrow (day of my party)? Or you feel assembling one day before allows flavors to marinate? I will take your word for it ! Thank you so much for your help I appreciate it!
Hi EJ,
I personally like the texture and flavors better of trifle desserts when they sit in the fridge overnight. On this one, the cake softens up some but I wouldn’t say it’s soggy. But if you’re concerned about that you can just assemble it the morning of the party and it should work fine, too! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
My cake was more spongy/rubbery. Can you provide the weight of the arrowroot starch and the coconut flour as I’m thinking that may have been the issue. I know it’s easy for measurements to be off when using cups vs weight. Any input would also be appreciated.
Hi Tammy,
I’m sorry I don’t have weights to give you since I wrote the recipe with just the cup measurements. But the cake is supposed to be a sponge cake, so more of a dense texture so it holds up to the wet fruit compote, berries, and whip. That softens it up quite a bit as it sits assembled. It’s best when made ahead. Different coconut flours also tend to yield different results. Those are my initial thoughts. If I make it again at some point soon, I’ll weigh my flours and update the recipe. Thanks for the feedback!
In the end even though I thought the texture might have been off, I prepared it the day before and it ended up being really good!
That’s wonderful, Tammy! So thrilled to hear that! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Is it ok to sub maple syrup in the cake for the honey?
I haven’t tried it myself but I’m assuming that should work! Hope it turns out well for you!
This is very good and not sickening sweet as many desserts can be. Plus, it’s beautiful. I would suggest breaking up the cake for sure. It’s dense when it’s cold so will meld more with the other ingredients if the pieces aren’t too big. I used only the compote on my first run so I made more of that. I have missed trifle, thanks for this. Yum.
Great! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I halved the cake recipe and baked in an 8×8 and made the compote recipe to make myself a little AIP treat for Mothers Day. The compote is wonderful and adds just the right sweetness to the cake which is mildly sweet. I would probably leave out the almond extract next time and maybe double the vanilla, but that’s personal preference. The texture is a little gummy because of the Arrowroot. I’ve found that when using it to thicken things too if I let it go too long. I may try this with Tapioca starch to see if there’s a difference, but with the other elements it’s fine as is! I wasn’t able to find coconut cream without additives this time, but hopefully next time! I love trifle too and hope to make the whole recipe sometime this summer. Thank you!
Thanks, Simone, for sharing your experience and comments! I appreciate your feedback and hope you enjoy the trifle if you get a chance to try it!
I made the trifle! I couldn’t find coconut cream in time, so I made stabilized whipped cream with gelatin and maple syrup (no dairy allergies). The only thing I changed otherwise was leaving out the almond extract and using 1tsp vanilla. Thank you for sharing your creativity and this amazing recipe! This isn’t just an “AIP dessert that you settle for”, this is an excellent dessert you can feel good about eating and sharing with those you love! I brought it to a gathering and everyone enjoyed it (no allergies present). The only thing I’ll do next time is double the fruit compote because it is out of this world! And I do plan to try the whipped coconut cream some day. This is a little labor of love, but completely worth it!
Wow, thank you so much for the compliments, Simone! And great ideas for substitutions, as well. So thrilled you enjoyed it! 🥰