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Easy Summer Berry Trifle Recipe with Vanilla Custard and Brown Butter Pound Cake for Perfect Summer Desserts

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A layered summer dessert featuring a rich brown butter pound cake, creamy vanilla custard, and fresh berries. Quick to assemble and perfect for casual gatherings or treating yourself.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, browned
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
  • 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean scrapings or pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup (150 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup (125 g) fresh raspberries
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
  • 1–2 tbsp sugar (optional, for berries)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter for the pound cake by melting it in a medium saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  2. Make the pound cake batter: whisk sugar and eggs in a large bowl until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Stir in cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding dry mixture and milk to wet mixture, starting and ending with dry. Mix gently until just combined.
  3. Pour batter into a prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
  4. Prepare the vanilla custard: warm milk, cream, and vanilla bean scrapings or extract in a saucepan until just simmering. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Slowly temper yolks by whisking in hot milk mixture gradually. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, strain if desired, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, and chill until cool.
  5. Prepare the berries by tossing strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with lemon zest and a light sprinkle of sugar if needed. Set aside to macerate for 5 minutes.
  6. Assemble the trifle: cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. In a trifle bowl, layer one-third of the pound cake cubes, one-third of the custard, and one-third of the berries. Repeat layers two more times, finishing with berries on top.
  7. Chill the assembled trifle for at least 1 hour before serving to let flavors meld and custard set.

Notes

If custard is thin after chilling, whisk gently before layering to restore creaminess. Pound cake can be made a day ahead and stored wrapped tightly. Toast pound cake cubes lightly before layering for extra texture. Use a light-colored pan to brown butter to monitor color changes. Avoid soaking cake cubes too much to prevent sogginess. Custard can be made ahead and covered tightly to prevent skin formation.

Nutrition

Keywords: summer dessert, berry trifle, vanilla custard, brown butter pound cake, easy dessert, layered dessert, fresh berries, summer berries

Find it online: https://magnetmeal.com/easy-summer-berry-trifle-recipe-with-vanilla-custard-and-brown-butter-pound-cake-for-perfect-summer-desserts/