Egg-free July 4th Parfait

I referenced this eggless Berry trifle, added eggless vanilla pudding, and made the parfait for 4th of July party. In case you are wondering, both trifles and parfaits are a layered dessert, usually made with cake, fruit, and a creamy filling. The difference is that parfaits are served in individual containers while a trifle is served in a large bowl.

Ingredients

Egg-free vanilla pudding

Egg-free cream cheese pound cake cut into cubes (about 1/2 of the cake)
Fresh strawberries - 1 1/2 lb, hulled and diced
Fresh blueberries - 1 lb

Heavy whipping cream - 3 cups, cold

Cream cheese - 12 oz, cold
Confectioners' sugar - 1 1/2 cups (too sweet, reduce to 1 cup)
pure vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Powdered gelatin - 2 tsp
Water- 3 TBSP

Steps

1. Prepare the Pound Cake. It is best to bake it one day ahead.

2. Prepare the vanilla pudding. It is best to prepare it one day ahead.

3. Mix powdered gelatin and water in a small bowl. Let the mixture rest for 5 – 7 minutes. After it sets, microwave the gelatin mixture for 10 seconds, or until liquid again. 

4. Placing cold whipped cream and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Then add liquid gelatin. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Seat aside.

5. Assembly the parfait according to your personal preference. Because it is 4th of July, I layered the parfait with pudding, blueberry, whipped cream, pound cake, whipped cream, strawberry, whipped cream, for a red-white-blue theme. Don’t get too hung up on creating perfect layers or making sure everything is even. It is hard to have clear layers because the size of the glass. It will be delicious even if it appears imperfect.

6. Cover the glass with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours, or overnight, before serving.