Strawberry Banana Triffle

This is a favorite of ours; Cassidy even requested it for her birthday in lieu of cake and ice cream. I happily obliged! It was a "winning recipe" published in Taste of Home.

Strawberry Banana Triffle
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp. Strawberry gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 3/4 cold milk
1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix
3 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
6 cups angel food cake
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
Additional strawberries or banana slices, optional

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and gelatin; stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in strawberries; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes; set aside. Toss bananas with lemon juice; set aside. Place half of the cake cubes in a trifle bowl or 3 quart serving dish. Layer with half of the pudding, bananas, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with additional fruit if desired. Yield: 14 servings.