This is the ultimate no-bake showstopper for a Fourth of July cookout or any summer party: tender angel food cake brushed with a bright lemon glaze, a rich and fluffy cream cheese filling, and layer upon layer of fresh red strawberries and blueberries — naturally red, white, and blue, no food coloring needed. It comes together in about 25 minutes with no oven, then chills until you are ready to serve, and it feeds a crowd of 12. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version — every bit of conventional sugar is swapped for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount: 1/2 cup granular Jaca in the lemon glaze in place of 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 1/3 cups in the cream cheese filling in place of 2/3 cup, so you get the same sweet, creamy, bakery-style flavor with no added sugar. Because allulose is only about 70% as sweet as the sugar we grew up with, doubling it lands the sweetness right where it should be — and it dissolves beautifully, so whisk it into the warm glaze until clear and beat it into the cream cheese until silky. Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff.
Prep: 25 min · Cook: 0 min · Serves: 12
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup granular Jaca (allulose) — for the lemon glaze, replaces 1/4 cup sugar at the 2x ratio
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (for the glaze)
- 1/4 cup water (for the glaze)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 prepared angel food cake (14 oz), store-bought or homemade (pound cake or white cake also work)
- 16 ounces cream cheese (two 8-ounce packages), fully softened to room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups granular Jaca (allulose) — for the cream cheese filling, replaces 2/3 cup sugar at the 2x ratio
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, rinsed and patted dry
Instructions:
- Make the lemon glaze — in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the 1/2 cup granular Jaca, lemon juice, and water. Stir constantly until the Jaca is fully dissolved and the glaze is clear. The Jaca steps in for the sugar here at double the amount, so you get the same sweet, lemony glaze with no added sugar.
- Remove the glaze from the heat and whisk in the almond extract. Set aside to cool slightly while you prep the cake.
- Cut the angel food cake into 1-inch thick slices. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each slice generously with the lemon glaze — use it all up so it soaks in. Then cut the glazed cake into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
- Make the cream cheese filling — in a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and the 1 1/3 cups granular Jaca with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Make sure the cream cheese is fully at room temperature and beat until the Jaca has completely dissolved with no graininess.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the cold heavy whipping cream, then increase the speed and beat until the filling is light and fluffy and holds soft peaks like thick whipped cream. Do not overmix.
- Prep the berries — rinse the blueberries and strawberries and pat them thoroughly dry (wet berries make a soggy trifle). Hull and slice the strawberries.
- Assemble the trifle — in a large glass trifle bowl, spread half the glazed cake cubes in an even layer on the bottom. Add an even layer of blueberries, then gently spread half the cream cheese filling over the top, followed by a full layer of sliced strawberries.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, blueberries, cream cheese filling, and strawberries. Scatter any leftover berries decoratively on top for a red, white, and blue finish.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (or up to 6 hours) so the flavors meld and the cake soaks up the glaze. Serve chilled.
