This delicious Easter hot cross bun trifle is easy and quick to make. An excellent last minute dessert using store-bought ingredients.
Love chocolate? This Chocolate Nutella Trifle is a must!
If the thought of making dessert on top of all the other Easter food prep is stressing you out then I have just the thing! This easy trifle recipe can be assembled at the last minute using store-bought ingredients. Cheat’s trifle? You bet!
A traditional English trifle is a labour of love – especially if you make all the elements such as the cake and custard from scratch. Normally I am all about about making everything myself, but sometimes a little cheating is allowed, I think you will agree 😉
Since my Nutella chocolate trifle was such a success this Christmas, I decided an Easter trifle definitely deserved its own post.
Hot cross buns – oh how I love them – are the obvious choice for the base. Add white chocolate custard, tinned pears, whipped cream and a little booze and you have a delicious dessert that’s ready in next to no time.
Hot cross bun trifle step by step
Start by making the white chocolate custard. Pour the store-bought custard into a bowl and add finely chopped white chocolate. Heat in the microwave, in 40 second bursts, stirring until the chocolate melts completely. Alternatively heat the custard in a saucepan, take off the heat then add the chocolate. Cool slightly before using.
Slice the hot cross buns in half. Use the tops to line the sides of a trifle bowl, lightly pressing the buns against the sides of the bowl. Cut the remaining buns into small cubes and use half to line the centre of the bowl. Drizzle with a little spiced rum (see substitutes in recipe notes).
Top with sliced pears – I used tinned pears in juice, cut into cubes. Pour the custard over the pears – if you have time chill the trifle at this stage.
Add the remaining cubed hot cross buns and drizzle with the rest of the rum.
Whisk the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla until you have just firm peaks then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe over the trifle. Alternatively whisk until you have soft peaks and spoon over the trifle.
Drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce and top with more hot cross buns if you like. Add orange zest or sprinkles and serve.
Easter trifle tips and tricks
• You can use (store-bought) pound cake instead of the hot cross buns or leftover cake scraps should you have any. You could freeze cake scraps from levelling cakes for just such a recipe.
• Substitute the rum with orange liqueur such as Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. You can also use Marsala wine or sherry.
• If you would rather not use any alcohol, you could use a little cooled tea instead. Something herbal like spiced apple or cinnamon would work well.
• This trifle is best eaten soon after it is assembled. Any leftovers will keep for another day in the fridge.
• Instead of pears you could use stewed apples or fresh orange segments.
• You could add white chocolate curls, mini chocolate eggs or Creme Eggs as decorations.
HAVE YOU MADE MY HOT CROSS BUN TRIFLE?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
More Easter recipes to try
- Slow cooker Greek lamb kleftiko with potatoes
- Hot Cross Cinnamon Buns – perfect for Easter!
- Orange and Chocolate Hot Cross Bun Loaf (Tangzhong method)
- Coconut and Vanilla Naked Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
Easy hot cross bun trifle
Ingredients
- 500 g | 1lb 1oz store-bought vanilla custard
- 200 g | 7oz white chocolate , finely chopped
- 5 hot cross buns
- 4 tbsp spiced rum (optional)
- 400 g | 14oz tin pears in juice
For the whipped cream
- 480 ml | 2 cups double (heavy) cream
- 100 g | 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
- 1 orange , zest only
- Sprinkles , mini chocolate eggs to decorate (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the custard in a saucepan, take off the heat then add the chocolate. Leave for a couple of minutes then stir until the chocolate melts and custard is smooth. Cool slightly before using.
- Slice five hot cross buns in half. Use the tops to line the sides of a trifle bowl, lightly pressing the buns against the sides of the bowl.
- Cut the remaining buns into small cubes and use half to line the centre of the bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons spiced rum (or see notes for substitutes).
- Drain the tinned pears and cut into cubes. Add to the trifle.
- Pour the custard over the pears – if you have time chill the trifle at this stage.
- Add the remaining cubed hot cross buns and drizzle with rest of the rum.
- Whisk the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla until you have just firm peaks.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe over the trifle. Alternatively whisk until you have soft peaks and spoon over the trifle.
- Drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce and top with more hot cross buns if you like. Add orange zest / sprinkles / mini chocolate eggs and serve.
Video
Notes
• Substitute the rum with orange liqueur such as Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. You can also use Marsala Wine.
• If you would rather not use any alcohol, you could use a little cooled tea instead. Something herbal like spiced apple or cinnamon would work well.
• This trifle is best eaten soon after it is assembled. Any leftovers will keep for another day in the fridge.
• Instead of pears you could use stewed apples or fresh orange segments.
• You could add white chocolate curls, mini chocolate eggs or Creme Eggs as decorations.
kellie@foodtoglow says
Girlfriend, this looks AMAZING! I have to confess I loateh traditional trifle – jelly and fruit cocktail – ugh!!! Modern versions like this obliterate horrible 80s memories of when I first moved here and trifle was what we’d get as a “special treat”. A great use of hot cross buns here, something I also am only just coming to terms with!
Lucy Parissi says
I think trifle is one of these recipes that can be ‘trifled’ with. Sorry its a horrible pun but couldn’t resist 😉