Indulgent Limoncello Trifle

The good news is this delicious Limoncello Trifle recipe is vegetarian and nut-free. With some substitutions, it can be gluten-free.

This is the most delicious trifle we’ve created yet. It combines layers of different ingredients to create a delightful and refreshing taste. While recipes can vary, our lemon trifle includes a sponge cake, jelly, custard, cream, liqueur, and other smaller ingredients to complement it.

All the layers meld together, but the star of the show is the lemon. The lemon flavor adds a bright, tangy, and refreshing taste. It is achieved through lemon cake, lemon jelly, lemon curd, and limoncello liqueur.

That might seem like a lot of lemon, but it’s not as overpowering as it sounds because the custard, cream cheese, and cream layers complement the tartness of the lemon perfectly. The sweetness of the sponge and crushed lemon cookies also enhances the overall flavor.

What’s To Love?

💕 No oven is required.
💕 Doesn’t require any complex prep skills.
💕 No hard-to-find ingredients.
💕 Created with lavish ingredients.
💕 Each spoonful provides a beautiful harmony of flavors and textures making it irresistibly enjoyable.
💕 Tastes as good as it looks making it a great dessert for almost any occasion.
💕 Offers a deep, satisfying, sweet, lemony taste that lemon lovers adore.
💕 Decorate how you wish by adding more ingredients or using less.

Have you already tried the Limoncello Trifle? If so, let us know how it was…we can’t wait to hear all about it!

Let’s Talk Ingredients

We feel every ingredient adds to the overall taste and texture; if you remove one, it’s like you’ve removed them all.

• Sponge Cake — use a lemon-flavored sponge cake or lemon swiss roll adds a soft, spongy texture and subtle lemon flavor to the trifle. Or, make the cake from scratch using our recipe Boozy Lemon Cake.
• Lemon Curd — adds a zesty flavor to the trifle. Use good-quality store brands or easily make your own using this Lemon Curd.
• Cream Cheese — use mascarpone cheese; it’s a beautiful addition.
• Custard — using a ready-made custard makes life much easier, but it’s effortless to prepare your own Thick Custard, and it’ll be thicker.
• Cream — adds a light, airy texture and a touch of sweetness to balance the tanginess.
• Liqueur — though limoncello liqueur is optional, it’s a worthwhile investment as it enhances the flavors further.
• Jelly — we always use jelly in our trifles, so lemon jelly is a must. We think it highly complements all trifles. Where we come from, trifles aren’t the same without jelly.
• Powdered Sugar — adds sweetness to the optional whipping cream.
• Cookies — use lemon cookies.

For more detailed ingredients, see the recipe card.

Customizations

Here are some foodie alternatives should you want to make some changes:

• Sponge Cake — gluten-free cake works well if you’re gluten-sensitive or allergic. Ladyfingers will work well with this trifle, but we think lemon-flavored sponge cake gives better results.
• Cream Cheese — omit the soft cheese and use 600ml double cream. You can also use a dairy-free alternative.
• Cream — trifle is no fun without cream; there are, however, many dairy-free substitutions.
• Custard — use a dairy-free alternative.
• Cookies — use gluten-free cookies.

When substituting ingredients, it’s essential to remember that the taste, texture, and overall result might differ, particularly if you’re substituting many ingredients.

If you have made the Limoncello Trifle with any customizations, we’d love to hear about it; please message us in the comments.

Instructions – Overview

Limoncello Trifle is very easy to make because no baking is required; instead, it’s about layering many different luscious elements. Here’s a breakdown of how to get started (more detailed instructions are in the recipe card):

▶︎ If you plan to prepare homemade custard, consider making it first. It needs to be cooled before layering.

▶︎ Prepare the lemon jelly by chopping the whole jelly into cubes and adding it to a bowl. Pour 300g of boiling water over the jelly cubes and stir until dissolved. Then add 300 ml of cold water and stir well. Leave to cool in the fridge, which usually takes an hour.

▶︎ If you prefer homemade lemon cake, lemon curd, and custard, make them the day before. We think the custard is the most important thing to make; the other two are more convenient and practical to buy from the store. Check out our Perfectionist Thick Custard, our Boozy Lemon Cake (make without the glaze), and our Zesty Lemon Curd.

▶︎ To assemble, cut the cake into slices or cubes, then pour the liqueur over them. Once the jelly is cold but not set, pour it over the cake and refrigerate until fully set, which can be 1-2 hours. Once set, pour the custard over the jelly and spread it evenly.

▶︎ Warm the lemon curd in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, then spread over the custard. Set aside. Next, whip the double cream (heavy cream) until it thickens. Add the mascarpone and mix until both are well incorporated. Spread the mixture over the lemon curd.

▶︎ In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar for extra sweetness. Fill a piping bag with the whipped cream, then decorate by squirting pretty patterns. Finally, crush the lemon cookies and top the trifle. Cover the trifle dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.

For more detailed instructions, notes, and ideas…see the recipe card.

Tools You’ll Need

Want to make the best Limoncello Trifle? Using the correct equipment for preparation is essential; we think they’re a big helping hand. We understand that you might already have some of these kitchen tools to make this recipe, or you might want to use other tools and may not require our recommendations. Here are some of our suggestions to get you started:

• Trifle Bowl
• Mixing Bowl – to combine the ingredients if you’re using a hand mixer.
• kMix – or this award-winning hand mixer.
• Chopping Board – to chop the cake.
• Silicone Spatula – for stirring and incorporating all the ingredients smoothly.
• Weighing Scales and Measuring Spoons – to measure the ingredients accurately.

If you love those gadgets for this recipe, then might love this Kmix for mixing, whisking, creaming, and beating. Sometimes, the Kmix is a better tool than a hand mixer; it’s good at lightening the load. It’s our go-to for many of our recipes, and we think it’s a great asset for all kitchens.

Check out our favorite kitchen equipment that we love to use with all our recipes.

Storing

See our FAQs for detailed instructions on storing, refrigeration, freezing, and defrosting and for answers to readers’ questions.

Do you have a question? If so, let us know in the comments and we’ll reply within 24-48 hours and add your question to our FAQs if relevant.

Pairing

Limoncello Trifle is frequently eaten as a standalone dessert, but can easily be paired. Here are some suggestions and our favorite go-to’s what to eat with it:

▶︎ Topping your limoncello trifle is a personal touch; we, however, love adding lemon cookie crumbs.

▶︎ NOTE: We love chocolate, especially white, but when we experimented with dried chocolate shavings we felt it didn’t complement the limoncello trifle as much as cookie crumbs.

▶︎ Chopped nuts, mint leaves, lemon slices, lemon zest, or fruit are great garnishes.

More Recipes

Here are some other creamy-rich recipes that we think you might also like:

⭐️ Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand. Voila…you’re all set to go!

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FAQ’s & Troubleshooting

By addressing these FAQs and troubleshooting tips, you can overcome common challenges and create a delicious batch of Limoncello Trifle every time.

Your Questions Matter

Do you have a question? If so, let us know in the comments and we’ll reply within 24-48 hours and add your question to our FAQs if relevant. If you don’t already follow us, head over to our Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date with all our new recipes and articles.

For food safety top tips, check out USDA.gov.

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