Peaches and Cream Trifle
I was laughing about sourdough starter on a Zoom call the other day. During quarantine, it was interesting to see what fads picked up. There was banana bread, Ina Garten’s hilarious midday cocktail, and, of course, bread-baking. Much to the demise of America’s supply of yeast, people all across the country swarmed their baking aisles to pick up necessary items for their kitchen adventures. Among those I never dared to attempt is sourdough.
I think I’m in the phase of life where I just can’t keep one more thing alive. It’s like that time my mother tried to convince me to start making Kefir water– I can’t be responsible for one more active growing thing. Just like a baby, it requires feeding and burping and cleaning and so on… just way too much for someone who can barely keep a small pot of ferns alive. It’s been super impressive to see so many people step out into new activities and become adventurous in the kitchen. These past few months have been notably lonely, but I’m encouraged that I now have a slew of new friends that are excited about something I’m super passionate about. We never quit getting the opportunity to learn new things, and even though sourdough is NO WHERE NEAR my list of priorities, I’m happy to see us old dogs learning new tricks.
Peaches and Cream Trifle
So here’s a peaches and cream trifle. No sourdough or fancy techniques involved, but this trifle is a fun way to tiptoe into baking. Here, a homemade Southern pound cake is layered with a cream cheese whipped cream and cinnamon sugared peaches. The end result is a fancy little layered treat that serves a crowd, tastes great the next day, and will show off all your fabulous summer fruit. The fantastic part is that you can totally skip the homemade pound cake if you feel like it. Those store-bought ones are super yummy, so don’t let me make this troublesome if you don’t have the time. The homemade whip and fresh fruit is the only thing completely necessary, because fresh fruit and perfectly tangy dairy is really necessary for this dessert to shine.
This peaches and cream trifle is prettiest made in a trifle dish, but you can also make it in a large glass bowl or some other kind of serving dish. Maybe you have a slew of mason jars and would prefer to make individual desserts. YOU DO YOU, HONEY. Work with what you have and make this dish shine! I do hope you’ll give this peaches and cream trifle a try, and don’t hesitate to throw in some other varieties of fruit! Strawberries! Plums! Blood oranges! The possibilities are endless. Just make sure it’s ripe and juicy! Stay tuned for a second dessert later on this week. I can’t wait to share it with you!
If you like this peaches and cream trifle you should try:
Peaches and Cream Biscuits
Peach Lattice Pie
Peach Muffins
Honey Peach Pie
Peaches and Cream Trifle
This peaches and cream trifle features homemade Southern pound cake, cinnamon sugared peaches, and a cream cheese whipped cream!
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 120
- Yield: 12 Servings
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
For the pound cake (you can substitute store-bought too!):
- ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1–1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup whipping cream, at room temperature
- 1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the peaches:
- 1–1/2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced (peel if desired)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the brown sugar cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
To assemble the trifle:
- Blackberries, blueberries, or candied nuts, if desired
Instructions
To prepare the pound cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease an 8” square or round cake pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the sugar and cream on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add half of the flour and a pinch of salt and stir on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add half of the whipping cream and the vanilla, and stir barely to combine. Repeat this process to use up the remaining flour and cream. Stir only until almost incorporated and then scrape the sides of the bowl and fold the remaining ingredients in to incorporate. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out barely clean. Be sure to not overbake. Allow to cool completely.
To prepare the peaches:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir and set aside while you prepare the cream.
For the brown sugar cream:
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream on medium speed until it thickens to stiff peaks. Move the whipped cream to another bowl and then put the softened cream cheese and brown sugar into the stand mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed for 1-2 minutes or until the sugar is incorporated and smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese until smooth and then begin to assemble your trifle.
To assemble the trifle:
- Cut the pound cake into small cubes. Begin alternating layers of pound cake, fresh fruit, and cream. Be sure to arrange the components evenly so that each bite has a good sampling of the different flavors and textures. If you prefer a more moist (less cake) trifle, add fewer cubes of pound cake and save those for snacking on. Scatter in berries or candied walnuts or pecans if desired. Cover the trifle and keep refrigerated prior to serving. Trifle is best consumed with 1-2 days.
