Berry Dessert Lasagna
Despite the fanciful name, this chilled trifle makes for an easy dessert with bright, crowd-pleasing flavors. Using frozen cakes makes them easier to slice into "noodles."
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan For sugar syrup
- 1 Blender For smooth raspberry sauce
- 1 Fine-Mesh Strainer To ensure a silky raspberry sauce
- 1 Electric Mixer For whipping cream to stiff peaks
- 1 8-inch Square Baking Dish For assembling the lasagna layers
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Two 10.75-ounce frozen pound cakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 12 ounces fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Stir 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water together in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar mixture and the raspberries to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl.
- Beat the heavy cream with the vanilla and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place a pound cake on its side and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick strips to make the lasagna "noodles." Repeat with the second pound cake. Place 2 pieces of cake side-by-side in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup of the raspberry sauce over the cake and smooth out with a silicone spatula. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coconut, dollop with 1/4 cup whipped cream and sprinkle with a third of the blueberries. Repeat this process 3 more times so you have a total of 4 layers. Chill for 6 hours and up to overnight. Slice and serve.
Notes
1. For the smoothest raspberry sauce, ensure the sugar is fully dissolved before blending, and do not skip the straining step to remove seeds. 2. When whipping cream, ensure your bowl and whisk attachment are very cold; this helps achieve stiff peaks faster and prevents over-whipping. 3. Slicing frozen pound cakes is indeed easier and yields cleaner, more uniform 'noodles.' Use a serrated knife for best results. 4. The extended chilling time is crucial for the dessert to set properly, allowing the cake to absorb the raspberry sauce and the layers to meld, making for clean slices.