Sweet Strawberry Bruschetta with Almond Pudding and Lemon Curd

Celebrate the summertime with Sweet Strawberry Bruschetta. This angel food cake dessert features homemade almond pudding with fresh berries and lemon curd. Red, white and blue, these individual desserts are perfect for entertaining, whether you’re celebrating Memorial Day weekend, July 4th or even Labor Day. Makes 14 portions.

Love a colorful, fruit-forward dessert? Check out Blueberry Strawberry Pound Cake and Blackberry Peach Hand Pies!

The inspiration behind this recipe goes to my mother-in-law, who made the most delightful berry trifle for Easter when we visited Louisiana.

She combined a few recipes to make the wonderful dish—which featured angel food cake, homemade almond pudding, lemon curd and berries galore. The combination was out-of-this-world, and when I mentioned that to her (and how I, not-so-surprisingly would like to eat the entire trifle dish of dessert), she sent me home with her recipe card.

Today’s recipe was supposed to be individual-sized trifles, but my bruschetta brain got the best of me.

Before you mention it: Yes, I know this isn’t actually bruschetta. It’s a nod to a favorite of mine, but it’s certainly not something you’re going to find in classic Italian restaurants. It’s a dessert bruschetta, similar to a dessert pizza.

Why I love this recipe:

This colorful Strawberry Bruschetta was encouraged by that simple question… and the end result was better than I could have even imagined. It shares striking similarities with my mother-in-law’s Easter trifle while becoming a single serving dessert that’s perfect for a party.

Like a trifle, you can make parts of this dessert in advance, like the homemade almond pudding. But you can also make it the day-of, and it’ll be delicious. (We tried it both ways and couldn’t decide which was better.)

You can double or triple the recipe for a crowd if you’re feeding a crowd. You can leave it at the original serving if not. Again, it stores well in the fridge, so if you and yours don’t eat all of it in one round, you won’t have to toss it. It won’t get soggy in the fridge.

Other desserts meant for sharing: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies | Dairy Free Blackberry Cobbler | Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles | Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

Need some dessert inspiration? Head on over to my Dessert Recipe Index for ideas!

What do I need to make this Strawberry Bruschetta with Homemade Almond Pudding?

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• Glass bowls to create various facets of the dish, as well as macerate the strawberries.
• Liquid measuring cup for all the liquid ingredients required in the pudding.
• Measuring spoons for everything else. 😉
• A whisk for the pudding-making portion of this recipe.
• A sturdy Saucepan for the almond pudding.
• A Fine Mesh Strainer so your pudding doesn’t have lumps in it.
• A Silicone Basting & Pastry Brush to brush the pound cake slices with butter.
• A cast iron grill/griddle (or an actual grill) to grill the pound cake slices.
• Long Porcelain Serving Platter or another platter where the bruschetta can be displayed.

In addition to these tools and serving piece, you’ll obviously need a few ingredients to make this angel food cake dessert. We’re using a combination of homemade and store-bought ingredients, so this recipe comes together quick:

• Powdered sugar
• Cornstarch
• Kosher salt
• Whole milk
• Heavy whipping cream
• Egg yolks
• Unsalted butter
• Pure almond extract
• Fresh strawberries
• Fresh blueberries
• Lemon curd
• Slivered almonds
• Angel food cake
• Unsalted butter

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How to make Strawberry Bruschetta with Almond Pudding and Lemon Curd

How to make Homemade Almond Pudding

In a medium saucepan, whisk together powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, heavy whipping cream and egg yolks. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Should take around 6 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue whisking while the mixture cooks.

When finished cooking, pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir in butter and almond extract, too.

Press plastic wrap against surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (and up to 3 days.)

Prepare the Rest of the Bruschetta Toppings

When the pudding has refrigerated for the allotted time, prepare the rest of the toppings.

Slice the strawberries, and toss with sugar. Set aside and let macerate for at least 20 minutes so they can get nice and juicy.

Toast the almond slivers in a small skillet over medium-low heat. When golden brown, remove from the heat and let cool.

Prepare and toast the angel food cake. Slice the cake into 14 pieces, and brush both sides with melted butter. Grill the cake on both sides in a grill pan, letting it cook for long enough to where grill marks become apparent on the cake before flipping and repeating. Let the angel food cake piece cool.

Make the Angel Food Cake Dessert

Place the cooled angel food cake slices on a serving platter, and dollop on the chilled almond pudding, spreading with a knife.

Next, add the lemon curd, then top with strawberries and their juice.

Finish with the blueberries, pressing just a few into the pudding, and a sprinkling of toasted almond slivers.

Serve immediately, or let stand in the refrigerator for up to two days!

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I pair with this Patriotic Strawberry Bruschetta?

• Strawberry Champagne (not just for Easter, y’all, and the strawberry theme carries over!)
• Mixed Berry Vanilla Bean Cake (if you can’t get sweets out of your head!)
• Prosecco Popsicles (red, white and blue AND boozy! What’s not to love?)
• Patriotic Triple Berry Spritzer (perfect for a crowd!)

Ready to dive into this recipe?

Scroll down to learn how you can make this goodness at home…