Vanilla Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Use a handheld on medium speed to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula before mixing in the egg and vanilla.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, followed by the milk. Mix on low just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Coat a five inch cake pan with cooking spray or butter and flour. Carefully pour batter into the pan.
6. Bake for 34-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack before gently running a knife along the edge of each pan, topping the cake with another cooling rack and turning the cake out. Let cake cool completely.

Whipped Cream

1. Once the cake has cooled, combine heavy cream and sugar in a medium sized bowl.
2. Mix on medium-high with a handheld or stand mixer until somewhat stiff peaks have formed.

Assembly

1. Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully cut off the dome of the cake so that it is level.
2. Use the same knife to cut off the caramelized bottom.
3. With your hand on top of the cake, gently cut the cake into two even layers.
4. Cut cake into 7 slices. Turn cake and cut into 7 more slices again.
5. Fill the bottom of the trifle dish with a quarter of the cake pieces so that it is somewhat packed.
6. Top the cake with berries, making sure to place berries along the inside of the glass since that's what you'll see from the side view.
7. Next top the berries with a dollop of whipped cream so that it is level with the top of the trifle dish. The whipped cream should be supported by the berries so that you see clear defined layers on the sides of the dish.
8. Top with more berries for decoration.
9. Repeat this process with the other three trifles until you have four beautiful desserts.
10. Trifles can be kept in the fridge until ready to be served, but are best when eaten immediately. Store any leftover trifles with plastic wrap for up to a day.
11. Enjoy!