This Strawberry Parfait is layered with cake, fresh juicy strawberries, whipped cream and topped with crushed walnuts for a refreshing healthy-ish dessert. Serve in a glass for an extra special and fun dessert that is also great for entertaining.
The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require much effort and can even be made with your favorite boxed cake as a shortcut. So, there’s no need to pull out flour, baking powder, and salt. All you need to do is follow the instructions on the box. I promise I will not pass any judgment as this is a shortcut that I often use.
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Why this recipe works
This strawberry parfait will definitely satisfy your sweet craving and is a better alternative to other desserts that are loaded with sugar, rich frosting, buttercream, and added butter. Do not get me wrong, I love all those things but sometimes you want dessert but rather not have the added fat at that specific moment in time.
You'll love the fact that this recipe can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
What goes into this recipe
Ingredient Notes
- You can substitute whipped cream for Greek yogurt. If using Greek yogurt, use vanilla or plain; however, if you're using plain and need to sweeten it a bit, feel free to first combine the yogurt in a bowl with a couple of drizzles of honey then layer into the parfait.
- If you prefer not having cake, no worries instead omit the cake and just layer with fresh strawberries, whipped cream or Greek yogurt, and top with granola.
If you've read any of our more recent posts, you may know that my daughter has to limit her dairy intake and because she loves this strawberry parfait I also made a dairy-free parfait for her. I used one of our favorite boxed cake mixes that also provides instructions for making the cake diary-free. You would never know the difference.
This cake was used in all of the parfaits; however, for the whipped cream layer, we used a dairy-free option for her.
All this to say, that if you follow a dairy-free diet, you can also enjoy this dessert by making a couple of substitutions.
How to make a strawberry parfait (shortcake)
Clean, hull, slice and macerate the strawberries in a bowl to release their natural juices.
Bake the cake either from scratch or use your favorite boxed cake mix. After the cake has baked in the oven, allow it to cool completely then cut the cake into cubes. If the cake isn't completely cooled, the whipped cream will melt.
Grab a glass or mason jar and begin layering by doing the following: add a layer of the cake that's been cut into cubes, then add a layer of macerated strawberries, followed by a layer of whipped cream or topping. Repeat the layers.
Top each strawberry parfait with crushed walnuts for texture.
FAQs
A parfait is a dessert that’s layered in a glass or jar such as a mason jar. It can consist of a fruit layer, a cream layer such as yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream, topped with a layer of granola or nuts. However, it can also contain a layer of cake as in a strawberry shortcake parfait. Typically, you want at least 2 of each types of layer.
Yes, bake the cake the day before and allow it to cool, then cut into bite-sized squares or cubes and store in an airtight container and place on the countertop until the next day.
Macerate your strawberries for at least 30 minutes on your countertop; however, if macerating overnight, store in an airtight container and place in the fridge. To macerate berries is a term used in which you coat the berries with sugar which draws out the natural juices of the berries creating a delicious sweet syrup.
If making the whipped cream from scratch, I suggest making it right before you’re ready to assemble the parfaits and before serving.
Pro tips for making the best strawberry parfait
- Rinse your strawberries under cold water before hulling.
- To hull your strawberries use a paring knife to cut the top end to remove the green leafy stem and its core.
- If making whipped cream from scratch, make sure you do not over-whip the cream as it will turn into butter. Instead, stop whipping when you see soft peaks form.
- When layering your parfaits, make sure your cake has cooled completely to prevent the whipped cream from melting.
- If using boxed cake mix do this instead: Use 3 eggs and if it calls for water use milk. Making these substitutions will add richness to your cake making it taste ‘almost homemade’.
- Create a piping bag using the whipped cream and layer the whipped cream using the piping bag. This will create a really nice neat layer of whipped cream, and it's easy to do. This is optional you can always use a spoon instead.
- Create a piping bag by adding whipped cream to a medium sized ziploc bag. Push out the air from the bag and snip one of the ends with scissors and gently push out the whipped cream into the glass or jar.
Other dessert recipes
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake Parfait
Equipment
- Cake pan
- Mixing bowl to macerate strawberries
- Whisk for boxed cake
- Spoon for giving strawberries a gentle stir
- Paring knife to hull strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix (either yellow or white cake)
- 10 oz whipped cream (or whipped topping)
Macerate Strawberries
- 16 oz strawberries (if you want a think layer of strawberries, use 2 baskets of strawberries)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (if using more strawberries, double the amount of sugar)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (use juice from a fresh lemon. if using more strawberries, double the amount of lemon juice.)
Instructions
Macerate Strawberries
- Clean, hull and lay strawberries on layer of paper towels to adsorb moisture. Slice strawberries and add them to a bowl. Add sugar and lemon juice and give a gentle stir. Cover with plastic wrap and allow them to sit for at least 30 minutes on the counter top or fridge. If macerating longer, place in the fridge until ready to use.
Bake Cake
- Make the cake from scratch or use your favorite boxed cake mix. If using boxed cake mix, follow the instructions on the packaging. After baking, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Use a knife to cut the cake into cubes/squares. Set aside.
- Place cake on a cooling rack. After cake has cooled. Cut cake into small squares.
- Make whipped cream from scratch or use your favorite store brand as a shortcut.
- Grab a glassware that suitable for parfaits or a mason jar and being to assemble.
Assemble Strawberry Parfaits
- Into a glass or mason jar add a layer of cake that's been cubed and gently press down.
- Add a nice layer of strawberries at least 4 tablespoons or whatever amount you choose.
- Add a layer of whipped cream.
- Repeat the layering then top with crushed walnuts for garnish and texture.
- Place in fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- Rinse your strawberries under cold water before hulling.
- To hull your strawberries use a paring knife to cut the top end to remove the green leafy stem and its core.
- If making whipped cream from scratch, make sure you do not over-whip the cream as it will turn into butter. Instead, stop whipping when you see soft peaks form.
- When layering your parfaits, make sure your cake has cooled completely to prevent the whipped cream from melting.
- If using boxed cake mix do this instead: Use 3 eggs and if it calls for water use milk. Making these substitutions will add richness to your cake making it taste ‘almost homemade’.
- Create a piping bag using the whipped cream and layer the whipped cream using the piping bag. This will create a really nice neat layer of whipped cream, and it's easy to do. This is optional you can always use a spoon instead.
- Create a piping bag by adding whipped cream to a medium sized ziploc bag. Push out the air from the bag and snip one of the ends of the bag with scissors and gently push out the whipped cream into the glass or jar.
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