This Italian strawberry trifle is the dessert I make when I need something beautiful, crowd-pleasing, and completely no-bake in 15 minutes.
Layers of pound cake soaked in Limoncello-macerated strawberries, silky pastry cream, and whipped cream, finished with a shower of crushed amaretti cookies right before serving. If you love Italian summer desserts, you will also enjoy my Crostata alla Nutella, Easy Italian Plum Cake, and Mango Sorbet.
This article contains affiliate links which support us at no extra cost to you.
Jump To
What makes this trifle Italian is the amaretti. These classic Italian almond cookies from Saronno add a slightly bitter, nutty crunch that balances the sweet strawberries and cream perfectly.
The Limoncello in the strawberry marinade is optional but highly recommended - it turns simple sliced berries into something that tastes like it came from a trattoria in Sorrento. I have made this for large Italian family lunches and it disappears every time.
Ingredients
- Pound cake - store-bought works perfectly; ladyfinger cookies are a great swap if that is what you have
- Strawberries - fresh, hulled and thinly sliced
- Sugar
- Limoncello - or substitute with orange juice to keep it alcohol-free
- Pastry cream - homemade or instant pudding; both work, pastry cream is richer
- Heavy cream - whipped to soft peaks; store-bought whipped cream works in a pinch
- Vanilla
- Amaretti cookies - crushed; add these right before serving so they stay crunchy
How to Make Italian Strawberry Trifle
- Macerate the strawberries: combine sliced strawberries with sugar and Limoncello (or orange juice) in a bowl. Stir and set aside for at least 15 minutes. The berries will release their juices and soak up the Limoncello.
- Whip the cream with vanilla to soft peaks and set aside. Make or prepare your pastry cream or pudding and let it cool.
- Cut the pound cake into rough chunks.
- Layer in a trifle bowl or deep glass dish: start with the macerated strawberries and their juices on the bottom, then add the pound cake pieces, then spread on the pastry cream, then the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Right before serving, crush the amaretti cookies and sprinkle generously over the top.
Here's a quick photo of the trifle while I was assembling it. It was loud and busy in my kitchen and I couldn't get any more photos.
Recipe Tips
- Add the amaretti at the very last minute. Crushed amaretti cookies lose their crunch fast once they hit cream. Add them right before you bring the trifle to the table, not when you assemble it.
- Let the strawberries macerate for at least 15 minutes. The longer they sit with the sugar and Limoncello, the more juice they release - that liquid soaks into the pound cake and makes every layer taste better.
- Use store-bought shortcuts freely. Instant pudding instead of pastry cream, store-bought pound cake, even ready-made whipped cream all work. This is meant to be a no-fuss dessert.
- A glass trifle bowl shows off the layers. Individual glasses or mason jars also work beautifully for serving at parties.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Add the amaretti right before serving.
More Recipes Like This
If you make this trifle, leave a rating and let me know how you served it. I love hearing from you!
Strawberry and Amaretti Cookie Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 pound cake cut into chunks
- 1 cup strawberries hulled and thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Limoncello or another liqueur or orange juice
- 1 cup pastry cream or pudding
- 1 cup chilled cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup amaretti cookies, crushed
Instructions
- Place the sliced strawberries in a small bowl with the sugar and the liqueur (or orange juice). Stir it around and set aside. Let the berries soak up the flavor.
- Cut up the pound cake. If you don't have pound cake, you could use lady finger cookies.
- Whip the cream until soft and fluffy; set aside.
- Make the pastry cream (or pudding); set aside.
- Layer the strawberries on the bottom of your trifle bowl.
- Place the pieces of cut up poundcake on top of the berries.
- Spoon on the pastry cream (or pudding)and spread on top of the pound cake.
- Spoon on the whipped cream and spread it evenly around.
- Chill for at least one hour. Before serving, sprinkle on the the crushed amaretti cookies.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Amaretti cookies must go on right before serving - they soften and lose their crunch within minutes in contact with cream.
- Swap pound cake for ladyfinger cookies for a more traditional trifle base.
- To keep alcohol-free, use orange juice in place of Limoncello.
- Store: Refrigerate (without amaretti) up to 1 day. Add cookies right before serving.
