Smyrna Depot Farmers Market Recipe of the Month: Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle with Coffee Simple Syrup

Servings: 12
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1½ loaves cubed pound cake
16 oz. room-temperature cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract
2 cups whipped cream
2 lbs. fresh sliced strawberries

For Coffee Simple Syrup
2 cups granulated white sugar
1½ cups strongly brewed coffee
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the simple syrup: stir sugar, coffee and vanilla together in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely and strain any stray bits of coffee through a fine mesh sieve.

Prepare your cheesecake layer by creaming together the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add in the sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Layer the bottom of the trifle bowl with cubed pound cake and brush on the simple syrup to soak into the cake. Spread a thick layer of the cheesecake mixture over top of the pound cake, covering all the cake. Next, layer with the sliced strawberries. Repeat with another layer of cake followed by the cheesecake mixture. Top with sliced strawberries. (If you are not serving the trifle right away, wait to top it with the strawberries. That way the juices won’t run and make for soggy layers.)

Notes:
Store simple syrup in a jar or bottle in the fridge up to four weeks.
To make homemade whipped cream you would need: 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ tsp. vanilla extract and 1 Tbls. sugar.

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For strawberries and more, visit the Smyrna Depot Farmers Market every Saturday morning May through September in downtown Smyrna, Tennessee.