Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

This is a trifle that I invented earlier this year.  It was probably the end of April.  I had just gotten this Trifle Bowl for free as part of my hostess credit from the Pampered Chef party I hosted, and I just HAD to find a great use for it right away!!  LOVE that trifle bowl!  Not only does the pedestal part easily detach for storage, but it also has a lid so you can store leftovers in the refrigerator.

And here's the recipe, as promised!

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

1 and 1/2 boxes fresh strawberries 

2  8 oz. pkgs cream cheese

1   8 oz. tub whipped topping

1/2 cup powdered sugar

16 oz. strawberry glaze

2 boxes cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix (regular size)

3 cups milk

1 strawberry cake mix

Make strawberry cake according to box directions.  Bake, remove from oven, and cool completely before cubing half of the cake into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix 2 boxes of pudding with 3 cups cold milk.  Refrigerate 5-8 minutes or until set.  Pudding will be extra thick.

Place cream cheese in microwave safe mixing bowl.  Microwave on high for 1 minute or until soft enough to whisk smooth with whisk.  Add powdered sugar and 8 oz cool whip.  Whisk together until smooth and fluffy.

Wash and  prepare strawberries, removing stem and core.  Slice using egg slicer (don't use an egg slicer from Wal Mart.  It will almost definitely break.)  Mix strawberry slices with glaze.

Layer in the trifle bowl in the following order, using about half the ingredients each time (so that there are two layers of each item when all is said and done):

Cake

Cheesecake pudding

Sliced strawberries in glaze

Cream cheese mixture

Ignore the order in the Trifle in the picture...I realized AFTER the fact that you really don't want to end the last layer in cake if you want a pretty trifle.  That's why I grabbed another tub of whipped topping and loaded the top of the Trifle with it--so that the cake cubes wouldn't be jutting out the top. 

I don't know that you can really see it in this picture, but I ended the trifle by placing a few choice strawberry slices on top to form a flower shape.  Ideally I would have tucked a fresh mint leaf or two along side of those, but I didn't have any, and green onion sprigs on top just didn't sound appetizing at the time...not sure why?!

Good luck, and if anyone decides to try their hand at this trifle, I would love to see pictures and hear what you think!