Gingerbread Trifle Recipe tastes like cozy spice-shop vibes in a spoon, with tender gingerbread cake, silky vanilla pudding, and cinnamon-kissed whipped cream. It suits holiday hosts and dessert lovers who want a showy, make-ahead treat in about 2 hours 30 minutes total. I baked this for my neighborhood cookie swap, and the bowl came home polished like a trophy.
Why You Should Try This Gingerbread Trifle Recipe
Gingerbread Trifle Recipe delivers big holiday flavor with minimal stress. You bake a simple gingerbread cake, whisk quick pudding, whip cream, then stack everything in a pretty bowl. The layers hold their shape, the flavors mellow, and the presentation looks fancy without fussy piping. I stack it the morning of a party, then stand back while guests take seconds.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- the gingerbread cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of black pepper for extra warmth, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 3/4 cup hot water or hot coffee for deeper flavor
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- Shortcut option: use a boxed gingerbread cake mix, such as Betty Crocker, and bake as directed.
- the pudding and cream layers:
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 oz each (Jell-O works great), plus 4 cups cold whole milk
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened, for extra body in the pudding
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in the whipped cream
- Sub: swap one pudding box for butterscotch if you want caramel vibes.
- Toppings and mix-ins:
- Pantry shortcuts and swaps:
- Use Cool Whip in place of homemade whipped cream if you want speed.
- Use store-bought gingerbread loaf or bakery cake if you want to skip baking.
- Fold in a spoonful of sour cream into whipped cream if you want a tangy note.
- Equipment:
- 3 to 4 quart trifle bowl or clear glass bowl
- 9×9 inch baking pan or 9×13 for thinner cake
- Mixing bowls, whisk, hand mixer or stand mixer
- Spatula, serrated knife, measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Gingerbread Trifle
- Prep: 35 minutes
- Cook: 35 minutes
- Total: about 2 hours 30 minutes, includes cooling and brief chill time
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, egg, molasses, hot water or coffee, and buttermilk until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and whisk just until combined. Pour into the pan.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out and cool fully on a rack.
- Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Whisk milk and instant pudding in a separate bowl for 2 minutes, then whisk the pudding into the cream cheese until silky. Chill 15 minutes to thicken.
- Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to medium peaks. Stash in the fridge.
- Cut the cooled gingerbread into 1-inch cubes. Keep the crumbs; they add great texture.
- Assemble layer one: add a third of the gingerbread cubes to the trifle bowl. Sprinkle a handful of crushed gingersnaps on top for crunch.
- Spoon on a thick layer of pudding, then add a layer of whipped cream. Smooth lightly.
- Repeat layers two more times until you reach the top. Finish with a swoop of whipped cream.
- Garnish with more gingersnaps, toffee bits, and a light drizzle of caramel. Chill 30 to 60 minutes so the flavors settle, then serve.
Tips & Tricks
- Let the cake cool completely before you cube it, so the pieces hold shape.
- Use hot coffee instead of water in the batter if you want deeper molasses flavor.
- Fold cream cheese into the pudding to keep layers sturdy in the bowl.
- Add crushed gingersnaps between layers just before assembly, so they stay a little crunchy.
- Build neat layers by spooning around the edges first, then filling the center.
- Keep the whipped cream at medium peaks; over-whipped cream turns grainy fast.
- For a kid-friendly version, skip the coffee and use all water in the batter.
- For a lighter dessert, swap half the heavy cream with Greek yogurt and sweeten to taste.
What to Serve with Gingerbread Trifle
Serve this holiday dessert with hot coffee, strong tea, or mulled cider. Vanilla ice cream on the side turns it into a sundae situation. A nip of spiced rum or bourbon pairs well with the molasses and ginger. For a sparkling option, pour Moscato d’Asti or a lightly sweet prosecco.
Make-Ahead
Make the gingerbread cake up to 2 days ahead and store it airtight at room temp. Assemble the trifle up to 24 hours before serving and chill it covered. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 2 to 3 days; the texture softens but still tastes great.
Skip freezing the assembled trifle. Freeze plain gingerbread cubes up to 2 months, wrapped well. If the top looks flat on day two, add a fresh swoop of whipped cream and a new sprinkle of gingersnaps. If you saved extra cake cubes, warm them 5 minutes at 300°F and use them to refresh the top layer.
Nutrition Information
- Serving size: about 1 of 12 servings
- Calories: ~420
- Fat: ~22 g
- Carbohydrates: ~52 g
- Protein: ~6 g
- Sugar: ~34 g
- Fiber: ~1 g
- Sodium: ~320 mg
Gingerbread Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the gingerbread cake according to package instructions. Allow to cool completely, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and cold milk until thickened.
- In a trifle dish or large glass bowl, layer half of the gingerbread cubes on the bottom.
- Spoon half of the pudding over the gingerbread, smoothing evenly.
- Add a layer of half the whipped topping.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping.
- Garnish with chopped crystallized ginger and a drizzle of molasses, if desired.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.