Easy Black Forest Trifle

Individual Black Forest Trifle servings in glass bowls, featuring layers of chocolate cake, cherries, and whipped cream.

This Easy Black Forest Trifle is my favorite secret weapon for a showstopping, no-bake holiday dessert. Layered with fudgy chocolate cake, glossy cherries, and clouds of whipped cream, it’s a quick and easy recipe that lets me spend less time in the kitchen and more time making Christmas memories with my daughter, Olivia!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German-American

Keyword: Easy Black Forest Trifle, make-ahead holiday recipe, no-bake Christmas dessert, trifle bowl layered presentation

Prep Time: 30

Chilling Time: 4

Total Time: 4 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 410kcal

Cost: $25

Equipment

1 Large glass trifle bowl A 3-4 quart clear bowl shows off those beautiful layers.
1 Medium saucepan Used for thickening the cherry compote.
1 Electric hand mixer Essential for getting those stiff peaks on the whipped cream.
1 Serrated knife. Perfect for cubing the cake without squishing it.
1 Silicone spatula To get every last drop of chocolate pudding out of the bowl.

Ingredients

Trifle Components

16 oz chocolate pound cake or brownies; store-bought works well
2 cans (15 oz) dark sweet cherries drained, reserve ½ cup syrup
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup Kirsch (cherry brandy) or cherry juice for alcohol-free
2 boxes (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
3 cups cold whole milk
3 cups heavy whipping cream very cold
⅓ cup powdered sugar
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 bar semi-sweet chocolate for shavings

Instructions

Shave your [semi-sweet chocolate] bar over the top using a vegetable peeler. It looks like little chocolate curls! We like to add a few fresh cherries on top just to make it look extra fancy for our guests
In a saucepan, cook cherries, reserved syrup, sugar, and cornstarch over medium heat until thick and glossy. Cool completely.
Stir Kirsch or cherry juice into the cooled cherry compote. Drizzle a little over the cake cubes if desired.
Whisk chocolate pudding mix with cold milk for 2 minutes. Chill for 5 minutes to set.
Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and cream cheese until stiff peaks form.
Layer half the cake, cherries, pudding, and whipped cream in the trifle bowl. Repeat layers.
Shave chocolate over the top and garnish with cherries if desired. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead Tip: This trifle is actually better when made 12-24 hours in advance. It gives the cake time to soak up all those lovely cherry juices.
Stability: If you're worried about the whipped cream, the cream cheese in this recipe acts as a stabilizer. Your layers won't turn into a soup!
Alcohol-Free: Simply replace the Kirsch with an equal amount of tart cherry juice or even the syrup from the canned cherries for a family-friendly version.
Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It rarely lasts that long in my house!

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