Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake (a.k.a Strawberry Trifle)
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Featuring layers of moist angel food cake, whipped cream, and strawberries, this Southern strawberry punch bowl cake (or strawberry trifle) is a perfectly fresh and sweet dessert to enjoy this summertime.
You may recognize this as a strawberry trifle but in my neck of the woods, we call it a strawberry punch bowl cake. And most folks I personally know keep a pretty glass bowl on standby just to be able to show off one of these delicious creations.
This Southern strawberry punch bowl cake is my husband’s absolute favorite. He wants this every year on his birthday, which is no small feat considering he was born in February. Easily made into a low-fat or lite dessert, it can actually be very diet-friendly when compared to your typical dessert. I love to make it in the summertime, but it can easily be made in the winter provided strawberries are available in your grocery store, to help stave off your cold-weather blues.
With layers of moist angel cake pieces, whipped cream, vanilla pudding, and fresh strawberries, I know this sweet dessert is going to be a hit when you make it for friends and family. If you’re looking for similar recipes to make this summer, check out my creamy dreamy trifle and my patriotic punch bowl cake.
Recipe Ingredients
- Angel food cake mix
- Whipped topping
- Milk
- Instant vanilla pudding
- Strawberries
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How To Make A Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake aka Strawberry Trifle
Yum yum YUM!
Storage
Store punch bowl cake leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Decorate the top of your strawberry punch bowl cake with 3/4 cup of shredded coconut and 1/4 cup chopped pecans.
- Instead of the angel food cake mix, you can use your favorite pound cake recipe or yellow cake mix.
- If you want to add more fruit to your punch bowl cake, add one sliced banana and half a can of crushed pineapple on top of every layer of your fresh strawberries.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this strawberry trifle ahead of time?
Absolutely! This strawberry punch bowl cake actually tastes even better when it’s been refrigerated overnight, as the pudding/Cool Whip mixture has time to really soak into the angel food cake pieces. So yes, you can assemble your trifle up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to serve.
How do I make my strawberry punch bowl cake diet-friendly?
To make this punch bowl cake recipe diet-friendly, use sugar-free pudding, fat-free or light Cool Whip, and skim milk. The cake is already low in fat and well, fresh strawberries are good for you!
You might also enjoy these sensational strawberry recipes:
Mama’s Classic Strawberry Cobbler Recipe
Cream Cheese Strawberry Cobbler
Ingredients
- 1 angel food cake
- 3.5-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix this is the small box and I always use sugar-free
- 2 cups milk can use skim
- 8-ounce carton whipped topping can use light or fat-free
- 1 pint fresh strawberries washed and hulled
Instructions
- Using a knife, trim the brown from the baked cake, then tear the cake into small bite-sized pieces.1 angel food cake
- Prepare the pudding as directed, using an electric mixer. Add in Cool Whip and mix until well blended and smooth.3.5-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups milk, 8-ounce carton whipped topping
- Place 1/3 cake pieces in a large bowl. Top with 1/3 pudding mixture and 1/2 strawberries. Repeat and top with the remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy!1 pint fresh strawberries
Nutrition
I used to think I was indecisive but now I’m not so sure.
~anon
Looks so good and summertime, can’t wait to try it!
Hi Christy,
Can this be done with good results by whipping my own cream instead of the whipped topping?
Absolutely! Holler if you need a recipe 🙂
Ok you have awesome recipes……
Thank you so much Susan!!!
Looks yummy and so easy.
I tried this and its wonderful, so easy, thanks Christy
Cake looks awesome, can’t wait to make it. It has all the things I love, angel food cake, strawberries and pudding, whats not to like. YUMMMMMMMM
my sister is bringing that dessert Easter. Ymmmm
WOW! This looks and sounds wonderful! I am Southern but never heard of Punch Bowl Cake before.
Thanks so much!
I used to make something similar using French Vanilla yogurt and blueberries, but I’m going to try it your way next time. Yum.
When you use the pudding mixture as icing instead, do you have to keep the cake or cupcakes refrigerated? Or does it set up like regular icing? I’m thinking it sounds really good…plain white cake with this topping! Thanks 🙂
Once again, I am reminding you of the dangers of hydrogenated oils.
I would love to make this recipe, but the “whipped topping” is no better than eating pure lard. In fact it may be worse.
I love southern cooking, but we need to be aware of the most obvious, worst ingredients. Like, I wouldn’t eat canerous red dye #40 for instance.
So why do you include really proven unhealthy ingredients still?
Hey Kristy,
How are you? Good to see ya. Hope you’ve had a great week.
Did it feel strange reading that? If so, I bet I know why. I’ve been writing SouthernPlate.com for over eight years now and it has been a wonderful eight years. I can’t even tell you how many dear friends I’ve made through this site, some of them I only know through our visits together in the comments section. You are pretty late to the party, but you’ve been here and commented a grand total of two times, both within the last week, and each comment an immediate launch into a diatribe about hydrogenated oils, your disdain with people who use artificial ingredients, etc.
Now, I can get that this is important to you and I’m betting that in some part of your mind you think that leaving these comments is somehow going to change the world. The problem lies in your delivery.
We all know that in the age of the internet people skills have taken a nosedive, but thank you for demonstrating it further. However, walking into a party is generally followed with a smile and introduction to the hostess, maybe a nice comment or two, and perhaps a little mingling. Take your time to get to know the people and present yourself as a nice person who cares – or at least pretend to- before telling everyone that the food is horrible and the dye in their drinks is gonna kill them.
Walking into a party, telling the hostess as loudly as you can that her food is gonna kill people, without taking the time to find out why she made that particular dish or to even take notice of the organic, non gmo, gluten free, dye free super food salad sitting right next to it is just flat out rude, and won’t get you invited to any more parties.
You present this like you want to help people but the reality is that it is just said to make you feel more righteous as you sit in judgement of others, judging yourself superior. There is a spot for folks like that at parties, and its in a little corner chair with the other folks looking out the side of their eyes at the kind, smiling people in the room while they can, because they won’t be invited back.
In order for people to care about your opinion they must first know you care. You just don’t waltz into someone’s home, sit back and put your dirty feet up on the kitchen table without so much as a howdy do. Behaving this way betrays your true lack of care beyond yourself.
Subtlety. Kindness. Manners. These are your vocabulary words for the week. Hopefully they will help with the next party you attend.