Black Forest Trifle for Christmas Recipe
Delight in this festive Black Forest Trifle, a luscious layered dessert perfect for Christmas celebrations. Featuring moist chocolate cake cubes, creamy vanilla pudding, juicy cherries soaked in cherry juice, and fluffy whipped cream, this no-bake assembly comes together easily and is topped with rich chocolate shavings for a stunning and mouthwatering treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (if baking cake from mix)
- Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix (or 1 homemade chocolate cake)
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherries
- 2 cups canned or fresh cherries (pitted, with juice or syrup)
- 1/4 cup cherry juice (from the canned cherries or fresh)
Other
- 2 cups vanilla pudding (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate shavings (or grated chocolate)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake: Bake the chocolate cake according to the package instructions or your homemade recipe, then let it cool completely. Once cooled, cut the cake into 1-inch cubes to facilitate layering.
- Whip the Cream: In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract using a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside for assembly.
- Prepare the Cherries: Drain canned cherries reserving the juice, or pit and chop fresh cherries. Mix the cherries with their juice or syrup in a small bowl and let them marinate to enhance flavor.
- Assemble the Trifle: Begin layering by placing chocolate cake cubes at the bottom of a large trifle dish or individual glasses. Press gently to create an even base.
- Add Pudding Layer: Spread a generous layer of vanilla pudding over the cake cubes, smoothing evenly with a spoon.
- Add Cherries: Spoon marinated cherries over the pudding layer, distributing them evenly along with some of their juice.
- Layer Whipped Cream: Top the cherry layer with a thick layer of whipped cream, smoothing gently with a spatula.
- Repeat Layers: Continue layering cake cubes, pudding, cherries, and whipped cream until the trifle dish is full, finishing with a whipped cream layer on top.
- Garnish: Decorate the top with dark chocolate shavings or grated chocolate and a few extra cherries for a festive look. Optionally dust with cocoa powder.
- Chill: Refrigerate the assembled trifle for at least 3 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld and the dessert to set completely.
Notes
- You can use store-bought brownies or sponge cake as a shortcut instead of baking a cake.
- If fresh cherries are out of season, canned cherries with syrup work perfectly for this recipe.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with whipped topping.
- Make the pudding homemade for a fresher taste, or use your favorite vanilla pudding brand.
- This trifle improves in flavor after chilling overnight, making it ideal for preparing a day ahead of celebration.
Keywords: Black Forest Trifle, Christmas dessert, layered trifle, chocolate cherry dessert, holiday trifle
