Lemon Trifle recipe is light, refreshing, and super easy to make! Perfect dessert for summer with bursts of bright citrus in every bite!

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This is the best Lemon Trifle recipe for spring and summer! Loaded with layers of store-bought cake cubes, creamy pudding, and Cool Whip, this bright, beautiful, layered dessert delivers sweet and tart flavors in every bite.

Lemon Trifles with whipped cream and lemon slices on top.

Lemon Trifle Recipe

Our easy Lemon Trifle recipe takes all refreshing lemon flavors found in my Lemon Bars and Lemon Meltaway Cookies and transforms them into a creamy, cool, sweet, and tangy treat full of light and fluffy layers.

Made like a no bake dessert lasagna, with layers of cake cubes covered with Cool Whip, followed by lemon filling, a lemon cream trifle is a stunning summer staple when it’s stacked until it reaches the top of the trifle dish.

Lemon Trifle Ingredients

Fresh Lemons: If fresh lemons aren’t available, lemon zest or lemon extract can be used, but they might not provide the same freshness.
Cream Cheese: I recommend full-fat cream cheese. This will gives the trifle a rich texture.
Powdered Sugar
Whole Milk: Whole milk contributes to the richness of the dessert, but 2% milk can be used for a slightly lighter version, though it may not be as rich.
Instant Lemon Pudding Mix: If you can’t find lemon-flavored instant pudding, you can substitute it with vanilla or cheesecake-flavored pudding instead. A homemade lemon custard can also be used, though it’s more time-consuming. Make sure you use instant pudding mix and not the cook-and-serve kind.
Angel Food Cake: Sponge cake or ladyfingers can be used as they also absorb flavors well while maintaining a light texture. You can also bake your own homemade cake using our lemon bundt cake, or 7Up pound cake from scratch.
Whipped Topping or Cool Whip: Homemade whipped cream can be used for a fresher taste, though it may not hold up as long as Cool Whip.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

eating Lemon Trifle from a large glass bowl with a spoon.

How to Make Lemon Trifle

Make The Cream Cheese Mixture: Mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the lemon zest.
Make The Pudding Mixture: Whisk together the milk and pudding mix until it begins to thicken with a consistency of yogurt. Mix the pudding with the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
Assemble: Place cubes of cake into the bottom of the trifle bowl, cover it with whipped topping, and spread the pudding on top. Repeat the layers. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Decorate Your Dessert: Pipe dollops of whipped topping over the top pudding layer, then arrange the sliced lemon around the whipped topping.
Serve: Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

In a trifle bowl, assemble the cake cubes at the bottom. Add the whipped topping. Then spread the pudding mixture. Repeat steps and chill.

Tips & Variations

Be sure the cake cubes are uniform in size and tightly fitted to form a sturdy base for your trifle.
When adding each layer to your trifle bowl, be careful around the outer edges to keep the pudding, whipped topping, and cake layers nice and neat. This will ensure that you have a beautiful layered presentation when you are looking at the outside of the bowl.
When using the zest of a fresh lemon, be sure to rinse it with cool water and wipe dry with a paper towel to remove any waxy residue from the outer skin.
My trifle bowl held 3.25 quarts or 104 ounces. Depending on the size of your trifle bowl, you may end up with extra cake cubes and leftover whipped topping.
Make Them Mini: I don’t blame you if you don’t want to share your trifle treat! For individual trifles, swap the trifle dish for mason jars and make them mini-size (like my S’mores Trifle).
Spread More Citrus: If you love lemons like I do, you can spread some of my homemade lemon curd or lemon marmalade over the pudding layer!

How to Store Lemon Trifle

To Store: This lemon trifle is best served chilled. It can be refrigerated and lightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Please note that the longer this sits, the softer the cake will become from the moisture in the pudding and cool whip layers.
To Freeze: This is not a dessert suited for freezing. It is best to make and serve the same day.
Prepare in Advance: You can make this trifle a few days ahead of time. This recipe calls for a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving to allow the cake to soak up the lemon flavors. The longer the trifle is chilled, the better the ingredients will have to meld. It’s a great make-ahead dessert recipe.

serving lemon trifle using small glass bowl.

More Easy Trifle Recipes

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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Trifle

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

Lemon Trifle recipe is light, refreshing, and super easy to make! Perfect dessert for summer with bursts of bright citrus in every bite!

Print Rate PinSave

Prep Time 20

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Ingredients

▢ 2 medium size fresh lemons washed and dried
▢ 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
▢ ¾ cup powdered sugar
▢ 3 cups cold whole milk
▢ 6.8 (2 3.4-ounce) lemon instant pudding mix
▢ 14 ounces store bought angel food cake sliced into 1 inch x 1 inch cubes
▢ 24 ounces (3 8-ounce) thawed whipped topping

Instructions

Zest 1 of the fresh lemons (This should give you 1 tablespoon – this will go into the cream cheese)
2 medium size fresh lemons
Add the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar to a medium size (2-3 quarts) mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer on medium low speed to mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 – 1 ½ minutes. Add the lemon zest and continue to mix just until well incorporated.
16 ounces (2 8-ounce) packages cream cheese, ¾ cup powdered sugar
In a separate mixing bowl, use either a handheld whisk, or a handheld mixer on low speed to mix the cold milk and instant pudding mix until the pudding begins to thicken up (the consistency should be that of yogurt)
3 cups cold whole milk, 6.8 (2 3.4-ounce) lemon instant pudding mix
Once the pudding has reached the desired consistency, add half of the pudding to the cream cheese mixture. Use a handheld mixer on low speed to combine the pudding and cream cheese until smooth, then add the remaining pudding and continue mixing until smooth.
In a trifle bowl (3.25 quart -or- 104 ounce) create a single layer of 1-inch cake cubes at the bottom. (Be sure the cake cubes are uniform in size and tightly fitted to form a sturdy base for your trifle)
14 ounces store bought angel food cake
Spread 1 of the containers of whipped topping over the cake layer. Use either an offset spatula or silicone spatula to smooth the whipped topping.
24 ounces (3 8-ounce) thawed whipped topping
Spoon ½ of the pudding mixture over the layer of whipped topping. Smooth the pudding with an offset spatula or silicone spatula.
Repeat the layers – angel food cake, whipped topping and pudding. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. (The longer the trifle is chilled, the better the ingredients will have to meld)
Just before you are ready to serve, thinly slice the remaining lemon. (This will help with the overall presentation)
Add 2 cups of the final container of whipped topping to a piping bag, fitted with a star shaped tip. Pipe dollops of whipped topping over the top pudding layer. (You will have leftover whipped topping)
Neatly arrange the sliced lemon around the whipped topping. (You can arrange the lemon slices however you wish, It is completely up to you) Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

To Store: This lemon trifle is best served chilled. It can be refrigerated, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Please note that the longer this sits, the softer the cake will become from the moisture in the pudding and cool whip layers.
To Freeze: This is not a dessert suited for freezing. It is best to make and serve the same day.

Tips:

Be sure the cake cubes are uniform in size and tightly fitted to form a sturdy base for your trifle.
When adding each layer to your trifle bowl, be careful around the outer edges to keep the pudding, whipped topping, and cake layers nice and neat. This will ensure that you have a beautiful layered presentation when you are looking at the outside of the bowl.
When using the zest of a fresh lemon, be sure to rinse it with cool water and wipe dry with a paper towel to remove any waxy residue from the outer skin.
Whole milk or 2% milk works best for this recipe. Milk alternatives do not work well as they affect how the pudding sets up.
Make sure you use instant pudding mix and not the cook-and-serve kind.
My trifle bowl was 3.25 quarts or 104 ounces. You may end up with extra cake cubes and leftover whipped topping, depending on the size of your trifle bowl.