Layers of chocolate cake, fresh cherries, chocolate custard, and whipped cream make this Black Forest Trifle the ultimate low-fuss Christmas dessert to serve this festive season.
This recipe uses box-mix chocolate cake and store-bought chocolate custard, but if you'd like to make everything from scratch, use this Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting for the cake and this Vanilla Bean Custard recipe instead!
Why This Black Forest Trifle Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Black Forest Cherry Trifle
- Ready in: 1hr 30 minutes
- Serves: 15 people
- Main ingredients: Chocolate cake mix, eggs, oil, custard, dark chocolate, fresh cherries, stewed or tinned cherries, and cream.
- Perfect for: Christmas celebrations or as an ideal make-ahead dessert.
- Why I love it: The store-bought custard and box-mix chocolate cake make this recipe approachable for everyone!
- Calories: 469kcal
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This recipe can be made year-round, but it is especially perfect for Christmas! It is the perfect make-ahead dessert that serves all the Christmas flavours you could ask for, and it is ideal for chocolate lovers and baking beginners!
If cherry recipes are what you are after, you can't miss trying these Cherry Cinnamon Rolls or these delicious Cherry Filled Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting.
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Key Ingredients
- Cherries - This recipe uses fresh cherries and stewed cherries. The stewed cherries I found had been cooked in a port reduction, which added a boozy taste to this trifle that I loved. Tinned cherries in syrup will also work. Or you can try this Spiced Cherry Jam recipe!
- Strawberries - Although these aren't traditional for a black forest, they added a great flavour. These are optional.
- Dark chocolate - This is melted and added to the custard. I prefer dark chocolate for a less-sweet-tasting dessert.
- Cake mix - Choose a cake mix that doesn't include a frosting pack, as you won't need it for this recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Instead of making the chocolate cake using a box mix, you can use store-bought chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, or chocolate Swiss rolls and slice them up. For a completely different trifle recipe, try this South African Peppermint Crisp and Caramel Trifle.
How to Make a Black Forest Trifle
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and line a rectangular cake tin (35 x 28 x 7 cm) with oil and baking paper. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Step 2: Gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring often. Once melted, add this to the custard and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Step 3: To make the whipped cream, add the cream and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Step 4: Slice the cooled cake into cubes of about 3cm (1.2inches) and create a layer of cake at the bottom of the trifle dish. Dot the strawberries, sliced and stewed cherries, in between the cake pieces.
- Step 5: Spoon a layer of chocolate custard over the cake layer. Add a layer of cream on top. Continue layering the trifle with a layer of cake, then fruit, then custard, and finally cream, until you have used up all the ingredients.
- Step 6: Finish with the remaining cream, then top the trifle with grated chocolate and whole fresh cherries. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Allow the cake to cool properly before layering this dessert.
- Be careful not to overwhip the cream.
- Be sure you have removed all of the cherry pips before adding the cherries to the trifle layers.
- Heat the chocolate slowly in the microwave.
Black Forest Trifle FAQs
I do not recommend freezing this dessert. This dessert is best eaten the day it is assembled, as the custard and cream will soften the cake pieces.
Absolutely, chocolate cake without frosting, brownie pieces, and chocolate Swiss roll slices will all be great in this recipe.
More Christmas Baking Recipes
Chocolate, cherries, and cream are truly made for one another, and the boozy hint that comes from the port-stewed cherries is also just fantastic! If you love desserts with a boozy edge, you can't miss this Baileys Panna Cotta!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what else to add to your Christmas dessert table this year, try this Christmas Carrot Sheet Cake.
📖 Recipe
Black Forest Trifle
Equipment
- Trifle dish
- rectangular cake pan 35x28x7cm (14x11x3 inches)
Ingredients
- 1 packet chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs extra-large
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 180 g dark chocolate
- 750 g custard room temperature
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar
- 350 g fresh cherries pitted and halved
- 100 g stewed cherries or tinned cherries
- 350 g strawberries halved
- whole cherries for decorating
- dark chocolate for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and line a rectangular cake tin (35 x 28 x 7 cm) with oil and baking paper. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring often. Once melted, add this to the custard and stir to combine. Set aside.
- To make the whipped cream, add the cream and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Slice the cooled cake into cubes of about 3cm (1.2inches) and create a layer of cake at the bottom of the trifle dish. Dot the strawberries, sliced and stewed cherries, in between the cake pieces.
- Spoon a layer of chocolate custard over the cake layer. Add a layer of cream on top. Continue layering the trifle with cake, fruit, custard, and finally cream, until you have used up all the ingredients.
- Finish with the remaining cream, then top the trifle with grated chocolate and whole fresh cherries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature custard so the melted chocolate incorporates into the custard easily.
- I have mentioned the eggs and oil in the recipe card, as you will most likely need these to make the cake mix, along with water.
Julia says
This recipe was so easy to follow, the chocolate custard layer was my favourite! Plus it looked beautiful on the Christmas table 🙂