Red Velvet and Strawberry Trifles with Cheesecake Filling

Red Velvet and Strawberry Trifles with Cheesecake Filling
source: inspired by Taste and Tell; cheesecake filling is a Smells Like Home original recipe

The recipe below will yield 4-6 individual size trifles, depending on the size of the serving glass you use.  If you’d like to make a full-size trifle, simply halve the cake recipe linked below and increase the filling ingredients by 50%.  For two “adult”-size servings, halve this recipe (you’ll need 2 or 3 cupcakes).  If worse comes to worse and you don’t have time to make the cupcakes, you can use store-bought red velvet cupcakes which are readily available around Valentine’s Day in virtually every grocery store in the U.S.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, cold
• 2/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp heavy cream

To assemble the trifles:

• 4 – 6 red velvet cupcakes, wrappers removed and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, yogurt, honey, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium-high speed until no lumps remain and the mixture is well-blended, about 3 to 4 minutes.  On low speed, gradually stir in the confectioner’s sugar and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute.  Add in the heavy cream, increase the speed to medium and beat the filling for 10 seconds.  The mixture should be soft, but not liquidy, and easily spreadable with a knife or spatula.
2. To assemble the trifles, layer a small spoonful of the filling on the bottom of each glass, top with a single layer of cake.  Spoon on a couple tablespoons of filling and spread it out with the back of the spoon.  Add a layer of strawberries and repeat the layers until you reach the top of the glass, ending with a layer of the filling.  Wrap the trifles with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  Garnish with a few diced or sliced strawberries right before serving.  Serve chilled.