Key Lime Trifle

This key lime trifle makes a fabulous dessert. Once the dessert cream is made, it is easy to assemble and make.

Trifle:

Ingredients

• 1 11-ounce packaged pound cake, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 key lime recipe filling (see below)
• 2 bananas, sliced diagonally
• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, sliced lengthwise
• 1 fresh mango, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla ^[1]

Filling:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoon lime zest
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (.25 ounces each)
• 4 tablespoons water

Directions

1. With your handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it’s creamy. Add the lime juice and zest and beat again until the ingredients are evenly distributed and smooth. Set aside.
2. Place one inch of water in the bottom pan of a double boiler. Heat the water to simmering, but not boiling. Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the top pan and place it over the simmering water. With the element set on low heat, continue to whisk the egg mixture until it reaches 110°F, about two to three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. (At this point, you may want to transfer the egg white mixture into a larger bowl, a two- or three-quart size, to accommodate the increased volume of egg whites as they are beaten.)
3. With your handheld electric mixer, beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until it has doubled in volume and holds a soft peak, about five to seven minutes. Mix gelatin and water together, just to combine; then quickly add it to the egg whites. (If the gelatin sits for very long it will set up.) Beat on slow speed to thoroughly combine. Add the cheese mixture and beat just until smooth. The cream should still hold a soft peak and should mound up when dropped from a spoon.
4. Store the cream in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Baker’s note: If a double boiler is unavailable, you can make one by placing a small shallow bowl upside down in the pan of simmering water. Then set the bowl with egg mixture on top so that it’s close enough to the steam that it will heat up. (Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.)

Baker’s note: We found that the bowls of free-standing mixers are too deep for the amount of egg white mixture of this particular recipe; therefore, the egg whites don’t get beaten sufficiently to create the necessary volume and stiffness to form peaks.  So, we recommend using a handheld electric mixer.

To Assemble:

1. Place one half of the cake cubes on the bottom of a trifle bowl and distribute them evenly.
2. Spoon one half the filling over the cake, being careful to spread it all the way to the edges. (Some of the filling will ooze down the inside of the bowl blocking the view of the cake, but that’s okay.)  
3. After slicing the strawberries, set 1/3 of them aside. Of those remaining, place some on end, around the entire edge of the bowl on top of the filling.
4. Pile some bananas and mango pieces behind the strawberries so the three fruits can be clearly seen from outside the bowl.
5. Except for the reserved strawberries, toss the remaining fruit in a bowl just to combine, and then place enough of it in the center to completely cover the layer of filling.
6. Spoon the remaining filling over the top of the fruit. Strategically place the reserved strawberries around the edge of the bowl.
7. In the center, place the remaining cake cubes. Whip the cream and sweeten it with the powdered sugar and vanilla.
8. Spoon it over the top of the cake, covering it completely. Garnish with the remaining fruit.

Related Articles

• Chocolate Cream Mini-Trifles ^[2]
• Brownie, Banana, and Peanut Butter Trifle ^[3]
• Patriotic Trifle ^[4]
• Strawberry or Raspberry Trifle ^[5]
• Specialty Desserts ^[6]