Peaches and Cream Trifle is an easy summertime dessert that’s bursting with flavor! You’ll love this combination of pound cake, fresh peaches, and whipped cream. It’s the best way to enjoy the taste of summer peaches.
Hello lovelies! Happy mid—*does a double-take* Can it really be MID-AUGUST?! What sort of time warp am I living in? Can you believe it’s back to school season already? I still have a few weeks before the wee one goes back to school, and believe you me, I’m at the point in the summer where I’m counting down the days….no, the hours.
Even though I’m ready for some school relief, I’m NOT ready to say goodbye to all of my favorite summer produce. I’ve been living in up with pounds and pounds of fresh cherries, berries, plums, and of course, fresh peaches. I think every state claims to have peaches that rival Georgia’s, and Utah is no exception. (Poor Georgia. Always the target of peach jealousy.) I’m not ready to award a final winner in the battle of the peaches, but I will say that Utah peaches have been exceptional this summer—so juicy and flavorful, with a sweetness tinged with the perfect amount of tartness. It’s peach paradise.
A few weeks ago we were invited to a friend’s house for a weekend barbecue. They provided a huge feast of grilled food and sides, and literally the only thing I was assigned to bring was dessert. I always feel a little pressure when people ask me to bring dessert, because I think they’re going to expect something spectacular and over-the-top every time. (Which is totally untrue, I’m sure, it’s just my stupid brain trying to freak me out.)
Sometimes I overcompensate and try to make an inappropriately dazzling dessert for a casual get-together, but this time I had the recipe and the vibe nailed down from minute one. I had just bought a big bag of peaches at the perfect stage of ripeness, and I wanted to make a dessert that would showcase their texture and flavor without many adornments. No baking, no strong spices or overpowering flavors, just pure peaches and cream all the way.
This trifle couldn’t be simpler: cubes of pound cake, billowing whipped cream, and slices of juicy fresh peaches. I used homemade pound cake (left over from my Dessert Grilled Cheese experiments, natch) but you could easily use store-bought pound cake to make this a quick 10-minute dessert. There’s nothing more delicious or refreshing after a summer barbecue alfresco, and you can easily play with it by adding fresh berries, other stone fruit, jam, or lemon curd. Enjoy!
🍑 More Peach Desserts
- Fresh Peach Tart
- Peach Upside-Down Cake
- Grilled Peaches and Pound Cake
- Peach Passion Pops
- Cast Iron Peach Crisp
Lemon Blackberry Trifle
Raspberry Lemon Meringue Trifle
Peaches and Cream Trifle
Ingredients
For the Pound Cake:
- 8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Trifle:
- 5 large peaches (about 3 ½ lbs)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 3 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Pound Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a large stand mixer combine the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix it in. The batter might appear a little broken at this point—that’s okay.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient and mix just until they’re combined. Finish stirring everything together with a spatula, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth it into an even layer. Bake the loaves for about 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the pound cakes cool completely to room temperature before assembling the trifle.
To Make the Trifle:
- When you’re ready to assemble the trifle, remove the pound cakes from their pans. Cut the cakes into slices about 3/4-inch thick, then cut the slices into cubes. Set the cubes aside for a moment.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Slice a shallow “X” in the bottom of the peaches with a paring knife, just cutting through the skin. Place the peaches in the boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and plunge them into a bowl of ice water.
- Once they are cool enough to touch, peel the skins off—the skins should slide right off thanks to the quick boiling. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. For two peaches, cut them into thin slices about ¼-inch thick. Chop the remaining 3 peaches in rough cubes, and combine the peach cubes with the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir roughly so the peaches start to release their juice—this is what we want!
- Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk attachment until firm peaks form.
- To assemble the trifle, spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom of the trifle bowl. Arrange a layer of pound cake cubes in a single layer on the whipped cream, then top with a generous layer of whipped cream. Press peach slices around the sides of the bowl in a decorative arrangement, then put a heaping spoonful of the peach cubes and their juice on top of the whipped cream. Repeat the pattern with more cake cubes, whipped cream, and another layer of peaches. If you have more pound cake cubes, repeat with a third layer of pound cake, and then cover everything with the rest of the whipped cream. Add a few peach slices and sprigs of fresh mint on top.
- Refrigerate the trifle for at least a few hours (even overnight is okay) before serving, to allow the cake time to soak up the liquid and get softer. Scoop servings into bowls and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
I’m not ready for summer to end either, it has gone way too fast! But this trifle looks like the perfect way to end the season!
Thanks Miranda! It’s so crazy that it’ll be fall before we know it. :/
Peaches & Cream is my favorite summer combination and the trifle looks so fluffy and delicious. Will try soon.
Awesome! I would love to hear what you think if you give it a try, Molly!
This sounds so cool! Light and just perfect and easy to put together.. Beautiful!
Thanks! I’m all about easy desserts right now. It’s too hot to do anything else!
What a gorgeous trifle! Now I know what to make with all the peaches I have at home 🙂
Thanks Igor! Your peaches are probably DYING to be put into a trifle! 🙂
This is an absolutely glorious summer trifle! I love peaches and this is right up my alley.
Thanks Kate! I’m a little peach-obsessed lately, too!
I love summer peaches and just can’t get enough. I think this makes the perfect dessert to feed a crowd or even to just enjoy with the family. So easy to make and I am loving this kind of light dessert.
Yes yes yes! I love how simple it is and how you can make a TON at once to feed a big group!!
I love trifles. You can mix and match so many flavours…plus it’s a great way to use up leftovers!
We are just heading out of a very wet winter so I’m hanging out for September and Spring!!
Totally. It’s like a magic recipe that cleans out your fridge, works with whatever you have on hand, and somehow still tastes amazing! 🙂 Fingers crossed you guys have a lovely spring heading your way!
Trifles are great because they are so easy, but they are always so impressive looking. Always delicious, too! Love that you’re keeping summer alive with this one! 🙂
TOTALLY. Three cheers for trifles!
This looks freaking amazing! I can’t even comprehend how I’ve never even made one before, considering how simple it is. (and yes, I am reasonably embarrassed by that fact and so realize how un-American that is!) So I think tomorrow I will need to change all of that first thing!
Whut?! Amanda, girl, run to the kitchen! I know you’ll put an amazing spin on it, can’t wait to see what you come up with!