Easy Chocolate Trifle

This stunning Chocolate Trifle is the perfect quick and easy Christmas dessert! It can feed a crowd, be made ahead of time and requires almost zero effort.

You will also love Christmas Tree Brownies

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Today is my blog’s sixth birthday! And I only realised it this morning which made me feel pretty awful – I usually plan a big cake or festive dessert to celebrate the occasion.

By the time realisation dawned, it was far too late to bake something from scratch. But fear not… it’s (cheat’s) chocolate trifle to the rescue!

This spectacular chocolate pudding is a perfect last-minute dessert if you cunningly employ a few shortcuts. It requires zero cooking and zero baking making it just the thing for novice cooks – or even those who can’t boil an egg!

Although this chocolate trifle is perfect for Christmas, it is also suitable for any large celebration or kid birthday party as it feeds up to 10 people easily. Plus you could have the kids decorate the final layer if you like.

What is a trifle?

I must admit the first time I heard of trifle was probably through that famous Friends episode in which Rachel attempts to make a ‘Traditional English Trifle’ from scratch.

As you may recall she accidentally combines the trifle recipe with the one for Shepherd’s Pie making a dessert that “tastes like feet!” (even though Joey didn’t seem to mind).

A proper trifle is a layered dessert made of cake or ladyfingers soaked in sherry, vanilla custard, fruit and lashings of whipped cream. Sometimes there’s jelly involved too! The layers are repeated if the trifle dish is really deep.

What is in my cheat’s chocolate trifle?

Though I always advocate baking from scratch – and indeed cooking most meals from scratch – I have embraced convenient store-bought products with both arms in this recipe.

Ideally you should use a trifle bowl for this recipe but any large bowl can be used as well.

• Cake layer: store-bought Swiss Roll or you can use any chocolate cake or even brownies.
• Instead of Sherry (which would be all wrong here) I have used Baileys Irish Cream. If you don’t want to include any alcohol you could replace this with a little coffee.
• Custard layer: I used store-bought vanilla custard and mixed it with chopped chocolate and Nutella… I need not tell you it tastes amazing! If ready-made custard is not available you can use instant pudding mix.
• I added a layer of crushed Oreos over the custard… because why not! You could skip that or replace the Oreos with other types of cookies or more cake.
• Whipped cream: this is literally the only bit of actual hands-on effort. I whisked double cream, Baileys, vanilla and icing sugar together until it held medium peaks. I would advise against using Cool Whip or anything of that type if you can.
• Toppings: chocolate shavings, Maltesers, icing sugar and chocolate syrup. But you could use whatever you like here.

How to make chocolate trifle

Step 1: Pour the custard into a bowl and add chopped chocolate and 2-3 heaped tablespoons Nutella. Heat in the microwave for one minute, stir and heat for another minute.

Stir together until the chocolate melts and custard is smooth. If you have time you should chill the custard while you prepare the rest of the trifle so it has time to firm up a little.

Step 2: Slice one Swiss Roll cake and line the bottom and sides of a trifle bowl (or a large glass bowl). Cut small pieces of cake to wedge in any small gaps.  Drizzle the Baileys over the cake – it will absorb quickly.

Step 3: Pour the custard over the cake-lined trifle bowl and chill (if you have time).

Step 5: Scatter the chopped Oreos over the custard if using.

Step 6: Put the icing sugar, double cream, Baileys and vanilla in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to whisk on very low speed to combine. Increase the speed to maximum and whisk until you have medium -firm peaks. You can also do this in a stand mixer.

Step 7: Pipe (or spoon) the cream over the trifle. If you are making this in advance then chill after you pipe the cream and add any toppings just before you serve.

Step 8: Drizzle with chocolate syrup, scatter with chocolate shavings, Maltesers and dust with icing sugar.

MORE RECIPES FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS

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This delicious Chocolate Orange Cake is so easy to make - simply add all your ingredients in a bowl, whisk and bake. Cover with glossy chocolate orange glaze and decorate with Terry’s Chocolate orange segments – swooooon!

Make sure all your cake ingredients are at room temperature before starting this recipe.

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Molten chocolate lava cakes

These molten chocolate lava cakes (also known as chocolate fondants) hide a core of gooey chocolate inside their sponge shell. A delicious and easy dessert in your Instant Pot or oven.

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HAVE YOU MADE MY CHOCOLATE TRIFLE RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day  Make sure to also check out my Easter Trifle made with, what else, hot cross buns!

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Easy chocolate and Nutella trifle

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

This stunning chocolate and Nutella trifle is the perfect quick and easy dessert! It can feed a crowd, be made ahead of time and requires almost zero effort.

4.70 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Continental

Keyword: chocolate trifle, Simple trifle recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 650kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 500 g | 1lb 1oz store-bought vanilla custard (or pudding mix)
• ▢ 150 g  | 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or chocolate, finely chopped)
• ▢ 3 tbsp Nutella
• ▢ 450 g | 1 lb Swiss roll cake , sliced
• ▢ 3 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream or coffee
• ▢ 10 Oreos , roughly chopped
• ▢ 500 ml | 2 cups double (heavy) cream
• ▢ 200 g | 1 ½ cups icing sugar
• ▢ 3 tbsp Baileys
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ Chocolate syrup , to drizzle
• ▢ Chocolate shavings , to decorate
• ▢ Maltesers or chocolate truffles , to decorate
• ▢ Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Instructions

• Pour the custard into a bowl and add chopped chocolate and 2-3 heaped tablespoons Nutella. Heat in the microwave for one minute, stir and heat for another minute.
• Stir together until the chocolate melts and custard is smooth. If you have time you can chill the custard while you prepare the rest of the trifle.
• Slice the Swiss Roll and line the bottom and sides of a trifle bowl (or a large glass bowl). Cut small pieces of cake to wedge in any small gaps.
• Drizzle the Baileys over the cake – it will absorb quickly.
• Pour the custard over the cake-lined trifle bowl and chill (if you have time).
• Scatter the chopped Oreos over the custard.
• Put the icing sugar, double cream, Baileys and vanilla in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to whisk on very low speed to combine. Increase the speed to maximum and whisk until you have medium -firm peaks. You can also do this in a stand mixer.
• Pipe (or spoon) the cream over the trifle. If you are making this in advance then chill after you pipe the cream and add any toppings just before you serve.
• Drizzle with chocolate syrup, scatter with chocolate shavings, Maltesers and dust with icing sugar.

Video

Notes

The trifle will keep in the fridge for a couple of days – best made one day in advance or on same day you are serving.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 929IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 3mg

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