This rhubarb trifle has a sweet and tart rhubarb compote with juicy fresh strawberries, moist ladyfingers, a light and creamy whipped vanilla bean custard, and is smothered in fluffy, toasted meringue. It's light, refreshing, and so quick to whip up! Premade ladyfingers work perfectly to soak up the rhubarb and strawberry compote juice. This versatile dessert is perfect to use up your in season rhubarb and fresh strawberries. It's so light, creamy, and refreshing - making it the perfect summer dessert!
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🍓 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Rhubarb and fresh strawberry compote: Tart chunks of rhubarb cooked until soft with fresh, juicy strawberries stirred in at the end. The resulting texture and flavor is incredible!
- Easy custard: You only need one saucepan to cook this custard and everything is added at once. No need to temper your eggs here! Whipped cream folded in at the end gives the custard a whipped, airy texture.
- Swiss meringue: You don't need to figure out where to use the leftover 4 egg whites because they get heated and whipped up to create a meringue topping that doesn't contain raw eggs. Torch it for a toasty flavor or leave it as is.
- No bake summer dessert: Perfectly balanced, sweet and tart, with a light and creamy texture. It's the perfect, no bake spring and summer dessert.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Rhubarb: I made this recipe using fresh rhubarb, but frozen chopped rhubarb will work just as well! Make sure that you only use the stalks. If you have any leftover rhubarb you should make my rhubarb cheesecake.
Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are key to this recipe because they're only slightly cooked in the compote so you still get firm, juicy strawberries in each bite. If you don't have fresh strawberries, use frozen strawberries but cook them down a little more. The texture won't be as satisfying but it will still be delicious.
Eggs: You'll need the yolks for the custard. I didn't want to waste the whites so I made a swiss meringue using the leftover whites for topping the trifle.
Ladyfingers: You'll need some kind of sponge component that will get saturated in the rhubarb compote. I had ladyfingers on hand from when I made mango tiramisu, and it worked beautifully! You can also use lemon pound cake, nilla wafers (think banana pudding), or angel food cake. Trifles are the perfect way to use up a cake that didn't quite turn out or came out too dry. Just rip it up or cube it into large chunks and layer it in.
Milk: Whole milk is the best option for custard! You can use 2% if that's the only one that you have.
Heavy whipping cream: This gets added to the custard when it cooks and also whipped and folded into the cooled custard at the end. This results in a light and airy custard with a "whipped" consistency.
Vanilla bean: Vanilla bean is my favorite way to flavor custard. It adds an intense, natural vanilla flavor and gorgeous vanilla specks. Alternatively, use vanilla bean paste to get a similar result.
Cornstarch: This helps thicken the custard further. If you don't want to use cornstarch, you can substitute it with arrowroot starch or even potato starch.
Cream of tartar: This helps the meringue whip up beautifully. It's not necessary in the success of the meringue but it helps make it more foolproof.
👩🍳 How to make rhubarb trifle
Rhubarb fresh strawberry compote step by step
Step 1: Wash, trim, and slice the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces. Place the chopped rhubarb into a medium saucepan with sugar, orange juice, and salt. Stir together and heat on medium low heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning until it releases more juice.
Step 2: Simmer and cook the rhubarb until it softens and starts to break down, this will take about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Step 3: While the rhubarb cooks, wash and remove the leaves from the strawberries. Cut the strawberries into large pieces like halves or quarters depending on their size.
Step 4: Add the strawberries into the hot rhubarb compote while it's still on the stove. Cook for another 1 minute, take it off the heat, and transfer the compote into a nonmetal container to cool to room temperature.
Whipped custard step by step
Step 1: Combine cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir to ensure that there are no clumps in the cornstarch.
Step 2: Add the egg yolks into the saucepan and stir to break up the yolks.
Step 3: Add the milk and ½ cup heavy whipping cream into the egg yolks. Slice a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a knife. Add the vanilla bean and seeds to the saucepan. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Heat the saucepan on low heat, stirring all the time with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom. It will look a little lumpy at first but keep stirring until whole mixture thickens and starts to bubble.
Step 5: Cook for thirty seconds after it thickens, stirring frequently to make sure that the cornstarch in the custard gets cooked thoroughly.
Step 6: At this point the custard shouldn't be lumpy. If it is, you can blend it up or strain it through a sieve. Set the custard aside in a container, laying a piece of parchment paper right on top of the custard so that it doesn't form a thick skin. Refrigerate it until it cools to room temperature or until it's completely chilled.
Step 7: Whip 1 cup of chilled cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl with an electric mixer and a whisk attachment. Fold half of the whipped cream into the custard. Once incorporated, gently fold the second half until there aren't any more streaks.
Step 8: In a trifle bowl or regular glass bowl, layer ladyfingers at the bottom, half of the rhubarb and fresh strawberry compote, and half of the whipped custard. Repeat one more layer on top. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to set the texture and let the flavors mix.
Swiss meringue step by step
Step 5: Top the trifle with the swiss meringue and toast the top with a kitchen torch. I'd caution against broiling the trifle as the bowl may not be heat safe.
Step 6: To serve, scoop heaping spoonfuls of rhubarb trifle out of the bowl and onto serving plates. Enjoy this rustic, delicious, light and refreshing dessert!
✔️ Expert trifle tips
- Don't overcook the strawberries: This will give the compote a beautiful texture with a fresh strawberry flavor.
- Stir the custard frequently when cooking: This will ensure a smooth, lump free custard.
- Give the trifle enough time to set: 4 hours in the fridge is good enough for the ladyfingers to become soft and moist, but it's better to let it set overnight for the flavors to develop.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This rhubarb trifle is perfect for making ahead of time as it needs time in the fridge to chill, set, and let all the flavors get cozy with one another. I made this two days ahead of serving and it was perfect! The trifle stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don't recommend freezing this trifle as sauces thickened with cornstarch lose their structure during freezing and thawing, and can liquify.
🍮 Can you cook custard in one pot?
Yes you can!
Traditionally, milk/cream is heated up in a separate saucepan. Yolks, sugar, and cornstarch are whisked together in a separate bowl and then the hot liquid is added to the yolks, gradually, to temper the eggs.
However, the same result can be achieved if you just heat everything low and slow and stir constantly on the stovetop. It will look a little chunky at first but once it heats through completely, the texture will even out.
🍓 Strawberries - the perfect rhubarb companion
Rhubarb and strawberries are the perfect companion. Rhubarb is very tart with a leafy flavor, and strawberries are juicy, sweet, and also a little tart. There's no wonder they're such powerful companions and are usually paired together. Especially in this trifle recipe, where fresh strawberries are added at the very end of cooking so that they stay firm and juicy and are only slightly cooked. Since the rhubarb gets cooked down until very soft, the strawberries add a beautiful juicy texture. This especially works in the trifle setting where everything is very soft, and the pop of texture is exactly what it needs!
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. I love the addition of strawberries as it adds more texture as opposed to just mushy rhubarb. However, if you want it to be a purely rhubarb trifle I recommend doubling the rhubarb compote and omitting the strawberries.
Yes of course, you can use gluten free ladyfingers or nilla wafers. Or any gluten free dry cake like pound cake or angel food cake, cut into chunks. The rest of the trifle is naturally gluten free.
Rhubarb is in season from April through June. It can sometimes be found in July but not often as harvesting that late can damage the plant.
🍰 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Rhubarb Trifle
Equipment
- trifle dish or bowl
Ingredients
Rhubarb and Fresh Strawberry Compote
- 1 lb rhubarb 450g
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 orange juiced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 lb fresh strawberries 450g
Easy Whipped Custard
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks reserve the whites for meringue
- 1 ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean whole, or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 20 ladyfingers poundcake, or angel cake
Swiss Meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Rhubarb and Fresh Strawberry Compote
- Wash, trim, and slice the rhubarb into 1 inch pieces. Place the chopped rhubarb into a medium saucepan with sugar, orange juice, salt, and vanilla. Stir together and heat on medium low heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning until it releases more juice.1 lb rhubarb, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 orange, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- Simmer and cook the rhubarb until it softens and starts to break down, this will take about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While the rhubarb cooks, wash and remove the leaves from the strawberries. Cut the strawberries into large pieces like halves or quarters depending on their size.1 lb fresh strawberries
- Add the strawberries into the hot rhubarb compote while it's still on the stove. Cook for another 1 minute, take it off the heat, and transfer the compote into a nonmetal container to cool to room temperature.
Easy Whipped Custard
- Combine cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir to ensure that there are no clumps in the cornstarch.¼ cup cornstarch, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg yolks into the saucepan and stir to break up the yolks.4 large egg yolks
- Add the milk and ½ cup heavy whipping cream into the egg yolks. Slice a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a knife. Add the vanilla bean and seeds to the saucepan. Add the salt. Stir to combine.1 ¾ cup milk, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 vanilla bean, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Heat the saucepan on low heat, stirring all the time with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom. It will look a little lumpy at first but keep stirring until whole mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Cook for thirty seconds after it thickens, stirring frequently to make sure that the cornstarch in the custard gets cooked thoroughly.
- At this point the custard shouldn't be lumpy. If it is, you can blend it up or strain it through a sieve. Set the custard aside in a container, laying a piece of parchment paper right on top of the custard so that it doesn't form a thick skin. Refrigerate it until it cools to room temperature or until it's completely chilled.
- Whip 1 cup of chilled cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl with an electric mixer and a whisk attachment. Fold half of the whipped cream into the custard. Once incorporated, gently fold the second half until there aren't any more streaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- In a trifle bowl or regular glass bowl, layer ladyfingers at the bottom, half of the rhubarb and fresh strawberry compote, and half of the whipped custard. Repeat one more layer on top. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to set the texture and let the flavors mix.20 ladyfingers
Swiss Meringue
- In a large, clean heat safe bowl or stand mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir to combine.4 large egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Stir the egg whites and sugar. Measure the temperature with a thermometer, you're looking for it to reach 160°F (70°C). If you don't have a thermometer, rub the mixture between your fingers. If it feels hot and not grainy, then it's ready.
- Remove the egg whites from the heat and whisk with a whisk attachment until it reaches stiff peaks and the bowl cools to room temperature. Add the vanilla extract and whip again very briefly just to incorporate it.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Top the trifle with the swiss meringue and toast the top with a kitchen torch. I'd caution against broiling the trifle as the bowl may not be heat safe.
- To serve, scoop heaping spoonfuls out of the bowl and onto serving plates. Enjoy this rustic, delicious, light and refreshing dessert!
Notes
- Don't overcook the strawberries for the perfect fresh strawberry flavor and texture in each bite
- Stir the custard frequently when cooking to ensure a smooth, lump free custard.
- Give the trifle enough time to set, at least 4 hours or even better, overnight
Rick
Do you put the meringue on after you assemble the trifle and then refrigerate or refrigerate and then put the meringue on after chilling
Thanks
Mary
I put the meringue on after refrigerating (right before serving) so that it doesn't deflate and weep moisture.