Easy Jell-O Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

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Jell-O Cheesecake Trifle recipe is an easy dessert made with a festive poke cake, cheesecake filling, and fresh berries. Perfect holiday dessert!

Childhood desserts are always some of the best desserts out there. 

This Trifle recipe was inspired by my mom who always made us Jello cake in the summer. Have you had a Jell-O Poke Cake? They’re so easy, and so refreshing on a hot summer day!

I thought it would be fun to make this easy trifle recipe with a cheesecake filling. I mean, what goes better with strawberries than cheesecake? 

Want to see how easy this is to make?

How to make a Jell-O Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

STEP 1: Prepare the Cake.

Prepare a box of white cake according to package directions. While the cake is baking, prepare the gelatin.

STEP 2: Make the JELL-O gelatin.

For today’s recipe I opted for berry blue and strawberry gelatin (the small boxes). But feel free to use ANY flavor you decide, I just wanted a red, white, and blue dessert.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of boiling water with strawberry gelatin mix. Stir until dissolved. Repeat in a separate bowl with the berry blue gelatin. Set aside.

STEP 3: Poke Cake.

Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the baked cake (it can still be slightly warm). Pour strawberry gelatin over one half of the cake and the berry blue Jell-O over the other half. Refrigerate cake 4 hours or overnight. This allows the gelatin to firm up inside the baked cake.

STEP 4: Make the Cheesecake.

Beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk for several minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Add in lemon juice, mix completely. Fold in Cool Whip.

PRO TIP: For easy assembly of cake, make the cheesecake filling when you make the cake. Refrigerate both. When ready to assemble, everything is waiting and ready!

STEP 5: Assemble the trifle.

Cut cake into cubes of red and blue. In the bottom of the trifle bowl, layer cubed strawberry cake and half of the cheesecake. Then layer the berry blue cake with the remaining half of cheesecake. Top with extra Cool whip and fresh berries. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients needed for a Fruit Trifle

If you want a quick glance at what’s needed for today’s recipe, look no further. For the printable recipe with measurements, scroll all the way down!

• White Cake – Using a boxed cake (or from scratch in a 13×9 baking dish), bake cake as directed. This will be the base of your poke cake!
• Gelatin – For the red, white, and blue trifle you’ll want to use Berry Blue gelatin and a Strawberry (or Raspberry) gelatin. Feel free to substitute the Jell-o for your favorite flavor!
• Cream Cheese – Soften before beating for creamy results! You could also use a low fat cream cheese in today’s recipe!
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – Instead of using sugar with the cream cheese, the sweetened condensed milk provides all the sweetness, without any gritty texture! 
• Lemon Juice – I always use a little lemon juice in my no bake cheesecake to bring out the flavor of the cream cheese (it does NOT make it lemon flavored)
• Cool Whip- thawed and perfect for fluffing up your cheesecake and topping. You can also make a homemade whipped cream if you prefer!
• Berries – Strawberry and Blueberry are the perfect complement to today’s red white and blue theme!

Can I layer the fruit IN the trifle

Yes. Absolutely. 

After you layer the strawberry cake with cheesecake, add a layer of strawberries.

Then, layer the berry blue cake with cheesecake, and add blueberries. 

You can also use frozen berries, but they do contain more liquid so you’ll want to serve quickly.

Easy Trifle recipe tips

1. Cake options.
   Lemon Cake or pound cake instead of white cake. Make an easy lemon whipped cream and lemon curd and layer with blueberries. SO TASTY.
   Swap out the white cake for chocolate cake. Skip the gelatin and make chocolate pudding instead. Layer cake, with cheesecake, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream. Add strawberries for a garnish!
2. Make the jello poke cake the night before for easy assembly the day of your party. 
3. Keep it healthier with sugar free gelatin, fat free cream cheese, and fat free Cool Whip. You can also use angel food cake if you prefer!

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More Trifle Recipes and Poke Cake Desserts

• Chocolate Trifle Recipe – fun tiramisu dessert!
• Lemon Orange Poke Cake recipe
• Apple Pie Poke Cake
• Neapolitan Trifle
• Coconut Cream Poke Cake
• Lemon Poke Cake
• Banana Split Poke Cake
• More Cake recipes

Yield: 12

Jello Cheesecake Trifle

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Chill Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes

Jell-O Cheesecake Trifle recipe is an easy dessert made with a festive poke cake, cheesecake filling, and fresh berries. Perfect holiday dessert!

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake with ingredients to make 13x9
• 3 oz box strawberry gelatin
• 3 oz box Berry Blue gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water, divided
• 2- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 12 oz Cool Whip
• 1 lb strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a 13x9 baking pan.
2. In small bowl, mix 1 cup boiling water with strawberry gelatin mix. In another separate bowl mix 1 cup boiling water with berry blue gelatin mix.
3. Using a fork poke holes all over the top of the cooked and slightly cooled cake. Pour the strawberry gelatin over one half of the cake and the blue gelatin over the other half. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to assemble, beat cream cheese with condensed milk for 3 minutes until smooth. Add lemon juice, mix completely. Fold in 8 oz of cool whip.
5. In bottom of trifle bowl, layer with cubed strawberry cake, 1/2 of the cheesecake mixture. On top of the cheesecake layer the berry blue cake, and the remaining cheesecake. Garnish with remaining cool whip and fresh berries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 417 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 16g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 53mg Sodium: 207mg Carbohydrates: 42g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 38g Protein: 8g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

Recipe originally published May 30, 2011. Photos updated April 2019.

Jell-O Cheesecake Trifle recipe is the perfect layered dessert. Poke cake, cheesecake, whipped cream, berries!

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