I think I am going to have to say, there may be no better dessert than a good trifle. I feel like you get the very best of all the dessert worlds in one forkful. You have cake, incredibly moist after soaking all night, you have juicy fresh fruit, usually custard or jam, and then everything is smothered in freshly whipped cream. Does it get better?

I would definitely recommend making it a full day ahead of time, which has two benefits. The first is that everything will have ample time to soak in each others flavors and get really moist and gooey. The other, is the delightful realization that you will not have to worry about dessert the day of your event. You simply pull the trifle bowl out of the refrigerator, and magically have the best dessert ever.

Something to remember about trifle is that you can mix these flavors up however you see fit, and you should. I am a lemon nut, so that’s what we have got here. But you could switch it for another flavored cake and custard, and certainly substitute the fruit, or subtract it all together. Trifle is really a great opportunity to make something wonderful out of what you have got around the pantry.

Lemon-Raspberry Trifle

-1 Lemon Pound Cake, sliced
-2 cups lemon curd
-2 pints fresh raspberries
-1 pint heavy whipping cream

I am not going to be the made-from-scratch police. If you want to just purchase a lemon pound cake, or make a lemon cake mix, I am going to be the last person to judge. I think the addition of the homemade lemon curd, and the fresh raspberries and cream bring everything together.

Lemon Curd

-6 eggs
-2 cups sugar
-1 cup fresh lemon juice
-1/2 cup butter
-2 Tbs fresh lemon zest

1) In a large stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick.

2) Stir in the lemon juice, zest and butter, and stir until the mixture takes on a custard consistency (or coats the back of a spoon). This should take about 12 minutes.

Whipping cream

3) Beat the whipping cream until it has stiffened to soft peaks.

4) To assemble the trifle, you need to start with a trifle dish, or a large bowl, (preferably glass you can see through). Assemble one third of the cake slices on the bottom of the trifle dish, and then follow with one third of the lemon curd, one third of the whipping cream, and one third of the fresh raspberries.

5) Repeat this two more times, so that the top of the trifle will be the raspberries, sprinkled over the whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours to overnight.

6) To serve, dig in with a large spoon, and pile into a bowl or pretty desert dish.