Chocolate Trifle
Growing up, my oldest brother requested this trifle every year for his birthday. It’s a family favorite dessert recipe that my mother created and the best part is that it’s SO easy to make! It seriously took me maybe 45 minutes, start to finish. Easy peasy, AND Delicious!
Trifle is a layered dessert that usually includes cake, pudding, and whipping cream in different varieties. For example, my Angel Food Cake Fruit Trifle is made with angel food cake, fruit, vanilla pudding and whip cream where this trifle is triple chocolate (chocolate pudding, health, and chocolate cake).
Chocolate Trifle in 7 simple steps:
- Cut cake in cubes. You can use a cake mix for the cake, or make it from scratch, just be sure to bake it in a 9×13” pan so it’s easier to cut into cubes.
- Make pudding. Prepare pudding according to package directions, or make it from scratch if you’d like.
- Beat whipping cream. Place whipping cream in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric beaters for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Crush heath bars into small chunks.
- Assemble trifle:
- Layer ⅓ of your cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Dallop ⅓ of your pudding mixture over the cake.
- Crumb ⅓ of the heath bar pieces over the pudding.
- Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream over the heath bars.
- Repeat this process two more times!
- Refrigerate trifle for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Making Ahead, Storing, and Freezing:
To Make Ahead: This chocolate trifle is ideal made ahead of time. It’s actually best to make it several hours or 1 day ahead of time. You can also make the pudding and chocolate cake 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in fridge until ready to use.
To Store: Store the chocolate trifle covered, in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
To Freeze: There are a couple options for freezing this chocolate trifle.
- Freeze the baked cake and chocolate pudding until ready to use. Allow to thaw completely before assembling the trifle.
- Make the trifle in a smaller Tupperware or casserole dish and freeze the entire trifle, covered tightly for up to 2 months.
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Recipe
Triple Chocolate Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake (baked in a 9x13 pan)
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large box instant chocolate pudding
- 4-5 heath candy bars
Instructions
- Cut your baked chocolate cake into small cubes. (You can use a cake mix for the cake, or make it from scratch, just be sure to bake it in a 9x13'' pan so it's easier to cut into cubes).
- Prepare pudding according to package directions.
- Place whipping cream in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric beaters for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Crush the health bars into small chunks.
- Layer ⅓ of your cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Dallop ⅓ of your pudding mixture over the cake. Crumb ⅓ of the heath bar pieces over the pudding. Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream over the heath bars.
- Crumb ⅓ of the heath bar pieces over the pudding.
- Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream over the health bars.
- Repeat this process two more times!
- Refrigerate trifle for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2014. Updated September 2019.
I made this added graham cracker crust on bottom and mixed chocolate chips in with heath bars. Turned out fantastic
When I make this I pour some Kailua over the warm cake! Its so good!
Hi! This recipe looks so yummy. I’m going to make this but was wondering can I use a yellow cake mix instead of chocolate?
Sure!
Easy and so delicious!!!
I love this recipe!!! I use KitKat bars instead though, so tasty!
I made it with brownies so mine was not quite as tall. I also used peppermint as a sprinkle for the top and served it at Christmas. Big hit and yummy! So easy and such a hit! I also think you could flavor your homemade whip cream to compliment the candy topping you use. Thanks for the recipe!!
I made this for Thanksgiving desert!!!! It is SOOOOOOOOO GOOD I love, love, love it!!! My family loved it!!!! I will definitely make it again! I might use Butterfingers the next time!!!!!
Can brownies be used instead of the cake?
Sure, sounds delicious!
I brought this to a party yesterday and it got RAVE reviews! Seriously one of the best desserts I have ever made! Great recipe!
My niece brought a trifle cake to a family reunion this summer, it was so delicious! I will be taking one to an all school reunion this weekend, I hope it will taste as well 🙂
I have too questions: would it work if you used canned whipped cream instead? I do not own an electric mixer.
If you made this the night before, then refrigerated it, would it be too mushy by dinner the next day?
Hi Kristen, you could use Cool Whip instead of the fresh whipped cream. You could make it the night before and it would still taste yummy–OR, It would be easy to just make the cake, and make the pudding the night before and then assemble it all the next day….Hope that helps!
Hi. Looks awesome cant wait to try this recipe lits of chocoholics in my family. Just eant to ask though what health bars do u use? Thanks
Hi Marian, just a regular heath candy bar– http://www.thehersheycompany.com/brands/heath/toffee-bar.aspx
Yum, chocolate! I love trifles too. Great combination. Kathleen @ Fearlessly Creative Mammas
I love trifles – this looks yummy!
This looks heavenly! All these ingredients together sounds so amazing!
Looks flippin amazing! Pinned this baby for sure!
Yum! The heath bars sounds so good in this! Pinned!
YUM! That looks so good, trifles are so pretty AND yummy.