This Gingerbread Trifle features layers of homemade gingerbread cake, vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and toffee bits. It’s a festive holiday dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious!
I love the flavor of gingerbread, and this trifle is the perfect dessert for my fellow gingerbread lovers.
Make this for your next holiday get together and your guests will keep going back for seconds!
This recipe works because it’s:
- Semi-homemade. While the cake is made from scratch, you’ll save time by using store-bought pudding and whipped topping.
- Easy to assemble. There’s no extra work pressing the layers into the side of the bowl to create a fancy design. Just arrange, pour, and you’re done!
- The right combination of flavors. The rich flavor of the gingerbread cake is complemented by the light whipped topping and vanilla pudding.
- Perfect for a party! This trifle serves a lot, and it’s beautiful to look at!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl beat together 1/2 cup of butter and 1/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
Add 1 cup of molasses, 3/4 cup warm water, and 1 egg to the butter mixture one at a time while mixing continuously.
Combine 2⅓ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt in a small mixing bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time until combined.
Pour the batter into a greased half sheet (15x10x1 inch) pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Once the cake has cooled, cut it into 1-inch cubes.
Whisk 2 cups of cold milk with 3.4 ounces of instant French vanilla pudding mix.
Let the pudding sit for 2 minutes or until it’s soft-set.
In a 9-inch trifle bowl, place half of the cake cubes on the bottom. Top with half of the pudding, 4 ounces of whipped topping, and 1/2 cup of English toffee bits.
Layer the remaining cake, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
The wet ingredients may look a little strange after you add the water and molasses. But don’t worry! It will turn into a normal batter after you add the dry ingredients. If you use cold water, this will cause the butter to separate from the sugar, so you want to use warm water.
Your cake may get marks from the baking rack, but no one will be able to see them once the cake is in the trifle. If you want to avoid the marks, place a piece of parchment paper on the wire rack before you turn the cake onto it.
You can elevate the whipped topping flavor by adding 1/2 teaspoon of both nutmeg and cinnamon and mixing well.
To make your gingerbread trifle look as neat as possible, make sure the cake pieces are all facing the same way when you put them in the bowl. You can also gently press on the cake layers to create a packed layer so the pudding and whipped topping don’t seep down the sides.
Try this recipe with cheesecake, vanilla, or white chocolate pudding for a different flavor profile.
More Like This
Looking for more delicious holiday desserts? You’ll love these!
- Raspberry Pretzel Jello Dessert
- Cracker Candy
- Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites
- Chocolate Almond Balls
- Marshmallow Fudge
- Snow Globe Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Donut Hole Tree
FAQs
This particular recipe does not create a soggy trifle.
The gingerbread is pretty dense and since there’s no liquid going into the trifle, it will keep it’s texture fairly well. Just keep the trifle stored in the refrigerator either covered with plastic wrap or in an air tight container and it will keep for upt to 5 days.
The best way to serve trifle is to use a large spoon that can reach to the bottom of the trifle dish so you get all of the layers in one serving.
However, this recipe has the same ingredients in two different layers, you if you want to keep the bottom layer in tact, you can scoop out the top layer first and then serve the second. Try to spoon the gingerbread trifle onto the serving dishes with the gingerbread first to keep the presentation.
The trifle will look best if served in small, glass dishes, but it can also be served in small bowls or plates.
I hope your family loves this gingerbread trifle! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
And if you’d like to get a 4-week meal plan featuring my recipes, just enter your email in the form above and you’ll get it straight to your inbox!
Easy Holiday Gingerbread Trifle
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2⅓ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Trifle Layers
- 2 cups cold milk
- 3.4 ounces instant French vanilla pudding mix, 1 packet
- 8 ounces whipped topping, like Cool Whip
- ¾ cup English toffee bits, divided
- caramel sauce, to taste
Instructions
For the gingerbread cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add molasses, warm water, and egg to the butter mixture one at a time while mixing continuously.
- Combine flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time until combined.
- Pour the batter into a greased half sheet (15x10x1 inch) pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- Once the cake has cooled, cut it into 1-inch cubes.
For the trifle
- Whisk cold milk with instant French vanilla pudding mix. Let the pudding sit for 2 minutes or until it's soft-set.
- In a 9-inch trifle bowl, place half of the cake cubes on the bottom. Top with half of the pudding, 4 ounces of whipped topping, and 1/2 cup of English toffee bits.
- Layer the remaining cake, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.