Black Forest Trifle for a Festive Christmas Dessert Recipe
This Irresistible Black Forest Trifle is a festive and delicious dessert perfect for Christmas gatherings. Layers of moist chocolate cake cubes, sweet cherries with cherry juice, creamy vanilla pudding, and fluffy whipped cream come together in a beautiful trifle dish, topped with decadent dark chocolate shavings for a classic holiday treat with both American and German influences.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American, German
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
For the Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cherries
- 2 cups cherries, pitted (canned or fresh)
- 1/2 cup cherry juice
For the Pudding
- 1 package vanilla pudding (store-bought or homemade)
For the Garnish
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate shavings
- Cocoa powder (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake: Follow the instructions on the chocolate cake mix box to bake the cake. Once baked, allow it to cool completely to ensure it holds its structure when layered.
- Cube the Cake: Cut the cooled chocolate cake into approximately 1-inch bite-sized cubes for easy layering in the trifle.
- Make Whipped Cream: In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, creating a smooth and fluffy whipped cream.
- Prep the Cherries: If using canned cherries, drain and reserve the cherry juice. If fresh, pit and chop the cherries to a size suitable for layering.
- Layer the Trifle: In a trifle dish, start by placing a layer of chocolate cake cubes at the bottom.
- Add Vanilla Pudding: Spread a generous layer of vanilla pudding evenly over the cake cubes.
- Layer Cherries: Distribute a layer of cherries evenly over the pudding, adding some reserved cherry juice to enhance flavor and moisture.
- Top with Whipped Cream: Spread a layer of the whipped cream over the cherries, smoothing it gently with a spatula.
- Repeat Layers: Continue layering the cake cubes, pudding, cherries, and whipped cream until the dish is filled to the top.
- Garnish and Chill: Finish by garnishing the top with dark chocolate shavings or grated chocolate and optionally dust with cocoa powder. Refrigerate the trifle for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to meld beautifully before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the chocolate cake is completely cooled before layering to prevent sogginess.
- Allow cherries to marinate in their juice for enhanced flavor and moisture in the trifle.
- Chilling the trifle for several hours is essential for the flavors to meld and the dessert to set properly.
Keywords: Black Forest Trifle, Christmas dessert, holiday trifle, chocolate cake dessert, cherry trifle, whipped cream dessert
