Trifles are delicious and easy to make. I never plan to make a trifle, but I always have it in mind as my Plan B when a cake goes in the oven. So why would I need a plan B?
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I was cooking a tightly budgeted Easter dinner. The main course and side dishes were going according to my plan, but then I had a cake disaster! My daughter convinced me to use white chips in place of walnuts in the carrot cake recipe. I thought that was a brilliant idea, but the white chips stuck to the cake pan and the cake came out in chunks.
I didn’t have enough time to make another cake, so I grabbed a few things from my pantry and the cake disaster became the most awesome trifle we have ever had. The trifle was so good that my daughter asked me to ruin more cakes. 🙂
Trifles require Pudding or Custard. I usually have the ingredients on hand to make pudding or custard. You can rapidly cool the pudding or custard in the freezer, if you need to. Although I prefer homemade puddings, it never hurts to keep a box of instant pudding mix on hand for emergencies.
Carrot Cake Trifle Recipe
Ingredients:
Carrot Cake:
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ( or gluten-free flour )
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups grated carrots
- 1 cup walnuts, cranberries, or white chocolate chips (optional)
Trifle:
- carrot cake
- 3 cups vanilla pudding or chai spiced pudding
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup nuts
- 2 cups whipped cream
Directions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan.
- In a large bowl, blend sugar, oil, and eggs using a whisk or mixer on low.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix on high for 2 minutes.
- Add in grated carrots and optional ingredients. Stir in by hand until fully incorporated.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Set on rack to cool.
Trifle:
- Cut carrot cake into 1 inch pieces.
- Spread ⅓ third of the cake pieces across the bottom of the trifle bowl.
- Spoon half of the pudding over the cake pieces.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup cranberries, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, and ⅓ cup nuts over the pudding.
- Drizzle ½ cup caramel sauce over the cranberries and nuts.
- Repeat steps 2 – 5.
- Spread the remaining cake pieces over the caramel layer.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup cranberries, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, and ⅓ cup nuts over the cake layer.
- Top with the whipped cream.
- Drizzle remaining caramel sauce over the whipped cream.
- Keep chilled until it can be served. Serve it as soon as possible.
Printable Recipe for Carrot Cake Trifle
Carrot Cake Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups grated carrots
- 1 cup walnuts cranberries, or white chocolate chips (optional)
Trifle:
- carrot cake
- 3 cups vanilla pudding or chai spiced pudding
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup nuts
- 2 cups whipped cream
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan.
- In a large bowl, blend sugar, oil, and eggs using a whisk or mixer on low.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix on high for 2 minutes.
- Add in grated carrots and optional ingredients. Stir in by hand until fully incorporated.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Set on rack to cool.
Trifle:
- Cut carrot cake into 1 inch pieces.
- Spread ⅓ third of the cake pieces across the bottom of the trifle bowl.
- Spoon half of the pudding over the cake pieces.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup cranberries, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, and ⅓ cup nuts over the pudding.
- Drizzle ½ cup caramel sauce over the cranberries and nuts.
- Repeat steps 2 - 5.
- Spread the remaining cake pieces over the caramel layer.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup cranberries, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, and ⅓ cup nuts over the cake layer.
- Top with the whipped cream.
- Drizzle remaining caramel sauce over the whipped cream.
- Keep chilled until it can be served. Serve it as soon as possible.
More Cake Recipes
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Mixed Berry Glaze
Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake with Chai Spices
Mocha Fudge Bundt Cake with Mocha Fudge Glaze
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