This is really a great recipe as is but I like to experiment and have had some good results with both the original and my own modifications (friends pleading for recipe is a good sign!). I used two 8-oz. packages of mascarpone cheese plus one 8 oz. package of cream cheese 3/4 cup sugar and several tablespoons of fresh lemon juice as modifications to the cream cheese mixture. Also increased heavy cream to 2 cups. Folded 1 1/2 bars (6 oz.) of shaved Ghirardelli white chocolate to the combined cream mixture as a last step in that process. Omitted the cocoa dusting. Fresh homemade poundcake works best and is worth the time. Used 1 1/2 loaves. For raspberries thawed and crushed (with juice) 1 1/2 10 oz. packages and mixed with approximately 1 cup of raspberry liqueur (Razzmataz). Used this mixture to generously cover each pound cake layer. It was more like a cold compote but delicious. Used 1 pint of fresh raspberries (3 total) for each of the berry layers saving about a dozen to garnish the top.
I just made this for a dinner party we're going to tonight and put some off to the side for my husband and I to try in case it didn't work out. I couldn't wait to write a review! WOW!! We both loved it and it hasn't even set yet for the 4 hours in the refridgerator as suggested! A couple of things I did: I used 3 8oz pkgs of cream cheese as others suggested and increased the sugar and other ingredients accordingly. I also used 2 cups heavy cream as other suggested. I used regular pound cake from the store and drizzled grand marnier over the slices. Instead of using cocoa I used dark chocolate chunks sold in the baker's isle. For the raspberries I used 2 12 oz frozen packages. As they were thawing I added about 1/4 cup of water so I would have more syrup to pour over the cake slices and sprinkled the raspberries with sugar. On the top I garnished with a couple of raspberries and dark chocolate chunks and then did sift just a little bit of cocoa on the top layer only. YUMMY! And it looks fabulous in the trifle dish. If the others at the party like it half as much as we did it will be a huge hit. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Instead of the cream cheese mixture I used a large box of instant vanilla pudding to cream with the whipped cream mixture. I did dribble a little liquer on the angel food cake. The pudding made it real easy to make and my whole Mothers Day party was in awe. Very yummy and very easy and very fast to make.
Made this for our 4th of July party and it was a hit! Prepared the recipe in an 8 x 11 casseroll dish and not a trifle bowl. Decorated the top with fresh raspberries blueberries and red colored sugar. Will definitely be a regular at my house!
Oh my gosh! This recipe is so easy and tastes great! I used blueberries with the raspberries. Next time I might do more of the cream cheese mixture. I was almost out by the time I got to the top layer. I had guys asking me for the recipe to give to their wives:)
I made this recipe and added layers of shaved chocolate. I didn't use the cocoa as I was out. It was very good! Will definitely do again.
This is a very good and easy recipe. We have tons of raspberries growing in our back yard every year and this gave me a new and tasty way of using them.
This was excellent. I used angel food cake and added raspberry liquer and frozen blackberries with the frozen raspberries! Big hit!
This was an awesome dessert! I served it to my board of directors and it was a huge hit. The raspberries were a little too tart so I also sweetened them with a little sugar before adding them to the trifle. Yum!!
This was WAY too sweet. I'm from a british background and I know my Nana would push her plate away after the first bite. If I do this again (which is doubtful) I would half the sugar in the cream cheese mixture and not sweeten the cream at all. Also I would double the frozen berries. This trifle was very very dry. In traditional trifle the sponge cake is supposed to be saturated in liquid. A very dissapointing dessert.
