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* This post is sponsored by Holland House. The information and content presented here are all ours.
After all your holiday to-dos are done and the cookies are baked, if you’re still looking for an impressive yet easy holiday dessert that will make your holiday table shine this Holiday Mixed Berry-Marsala Trifle is exactly what you need. While this trifle looks sinfully rich, we decided to lighten it up so that you can have your trifle and a bite of everything else on the holiday dessert table too. With layers of angel food cake, creamy yogurt/pudding instead of a traditional custard, whipped cream and a Marsala infused mixed berry sauce you’ll have a lightened up dessert that tastes amazing and looks decadent but can be ready in under 30 minutes with a few time-saving ingredients. That’s the beauty of trifle. This recipe is also perfect for making ahead and gets better as it rests overnight in the refrigerator.
In fact, I’ve teamed up with members of Holland House’s #HHCookingWineCo to create a custom holiday full-course meal plan and this dessert is one of five recipes on the menu.
Each recipe is designed to be quick and easy to prepare to ensure the holidays stay stress-free (at least in the kitchen anyway). Links to my fellow #HHCookingWineCo member recipes are listed at the end of this post. I want to thank Holland House Cooking Wines for sponsoring this post and bringing all five of us together.
Here’s the breakdown of the trifle layers:
The Angel Food Cake Layer – To make this recipe easy and light we used an already prepared angel food cake (which are naturally fat-free) found in the bakery section at our grocery store and cut it into about 1 to 1 ½ in cubes. They don’t have to be perfect and you can just eyeball it.
The Creamy Layer – Instead of using a custard that’s usually found in a traditional trifle, we folded plain Greek yogurt with one box of instant vanilla pudding we prepared. Keep this stored in the fridge until you’re ready to build your trifle
The Mixed Berry-Marsala Sauce Layer – For this yummy fruity sauce perfect for the holidays, mixed frozen berries are simmered with a little sugar, orange zest, and Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine for a perfectly sweet berry sauce with notes of caramel and hazelnut from the Marsala. Marsala, a fortified wine from Sicily adds a bit of sophisticated flavor to this sauce that matches the presentation. Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine is golden in color and is smooth, well-rounded, with a sweet wine taste A little arrowroot (or cornstarch) helps to thicken the sauce. We used a frozen blend of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. Use whichever mix you like as any berries will work wonderfully here. Strawberries alone would be delicious.
Whipped Cream Topping – For the final layer we garnished this trifle with whipped cream (or prepared whipped topping to save time) and few fresh berries. If you don’t want to spring for fresh berries since they can be expensive this time of year, you can simply drizzle a little leftover Mixed-Berry Marsala Sauce over the top. Shaved chocolate would also be delicious.
Foodie Tool Tip: If you’ve never made trifle before you’ll want to make sure you have a proper trifle dish on hand. A deep clear glass dish can also work in a pinch.
Making The Mixed Berry Marsala Sauce
This Mixed Berry – Orange Marsala Dessert Sauce is so unbelievably easy and it’s absolutely delicious. Besides using it for this trifle recipe it also would be lovely spooned over ice-cream, cheesecake, pound cake or french toast.
To get started we add the 3 16 oz. bags of frozen berries to a saucepan on medium-high with 1/8 cup sugar, ½ cup of the Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine, with the juice and zest of one orange. Give it a stir and bring to a low simmer. Heat for about 2 minutes and then with a slotted spoon strain out the berries into a bowl leaving the juice behind. Next, whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch to the berry and Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine mixture and continue cooking the berry juice down until it’s reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat and add the berries back to the pan and stir. As it cools the sauce will thicken. The sauce should be fully cooled before making the trifle. Pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process if you like.
Marsala Holiday Cooking Tip: With a nutty and slightly sweet flavor Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine is the perfect pantry staple for anytime you want to add a splash of flavor to your favorite dishes. Swirl into gravies, or creamy soups like carrot, butternut or mushroom. It’s also perfect in marinades or bringing out the natural flavor of beef and pork. Check out the Holland House website for more recipes and cooking inspiration!
Building Your Trifle
To build the trifle you start by layering the bottom of your trifle dish with the cubes of angel food cake. Push the pieces to the edge of the glass. This will help keep all the layers stacked so you’re able to see all those beautiful trifle layers. Follow the same step with the yogurt/pudding layer and the berry layer and then repeating. The Mixed-Berry Marsala Sauce will begin to drip down into the lower layers creating a stunning effect.
Trifle Building Tip: If you want the Marsala Wine flavor to really shine through, sprinkle a little over the angel food cake cubes before continuing with the other layers.
Once all the layers are set, top the trifle with some fresh whipped cream (or whipped topping) and fresh berries just before serving. You can always use whipped topping instead which will definitely save you some time and will help your trifle hold shape. Shaved chocolate would also be delicious.
Get The Recipe!
Holiday Mixed-Berry Marsala Trifle With Holland House
Equipment
- Trifle dish
- Sauce Pan
- Whisk
- Spoon
Ingredients
Mixed Berry-Marsala Wine Sauce Layer
- 3 packages of frozen mixed berries
- 1/2 cup Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine
- 1/4 cup sugar
- juice and zest of 1 orange
- 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Creamy Layer Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix (prepared according to box directions)
- 3 cups plain Greek yogurt
Trifle Cake Layer And Topping
- 1 prepared angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz prepared whipped topping or whipped cream
- fresh berries
DIRECTIONS
- MAKING THE CREAMY LAYER
- Fold the prepared pudding with the Greek yogurt. Chill until ready to use.
MAKING THE MIXED-BERRY MARSALA SAUCE
- Add the frozen berries to a medium saucepan on medium-high heat with the sugar, the Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine, and the orange juice and zest. Bring it to a low simmer and stir. With a slotted spoon strain out the berries into a bowl leaving the juice behind in the pan. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch and continue cooking the berry juice down until reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat and add the reserved berries back to the pan. Stir and cool. Fully cool before making the trifle. Pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process if you like.
BUILDING THE TRIFLE
- To build the trifle start by layering with half the angel food cake in the trifle dish and sprinkle with extra Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine for extra Marsala flavor (optional). Follow with the half yogurt/pudding mixture and then follow the Mixed-Berry Sauce layer. Repeat reserving some of the berry sauce for the top if desired.
- Top the trifle with whipped topping and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh berries before serving if desired. The trifle can be made the day before your event and is best eaten within 3 days.
Want more great easy holiday inspiration?
Holland House has partnered with me and other food bloggers! Together, we’ve created a stress-free & full-course holiday meal. Just click through for the recipes!
Here’s the menu:
Appetizer: Carrot and Parsnip Galette with Goat Cheese
Main Dish: Orange Sage Turkey Breast with Creamy Sherry Sauce
Side Dish: Beet Orange Salad
Side Dish: Cauliflower Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans
Dessert: My Holiday Mixed Berry-Marsala Trifle
Holland House Cooking Wines are a great way to boost the flavor of all your favorite holiday dishes like chili, soups, sauces, and even desserts! Besides Marsala, they’re also available in Red, Sherry, White, and White with Lemon to add a splash of flavor to all your favorite recipes.
FOLLOW: Holland House on Facebook and Pinterest for more delicious recipes and tips on how to curate a healthier holiday feast!
VISIT: the Holland House website to download a $ money-saving coupon for your next trip to the grocery store: hollandhouseflavors.com
* This post is sponsored by Holland House. The information and content presented here is all ours.