Easy Chocolate Trifle
on Nov 03, 2024, Updated Nov 17, 2024
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Attention all Chocolate Lovers! This Easy Chocolate Trifle has layers upon layers of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream. It’s a tasty chocolate dessert that really wows, and no one will ever suspect it’s dairy-free!
THIS POST IS A CHOCOLATE TRIFLE RECIPE.
This easy chocolate trifle recipe is the perfect chocolate dessert. It’s rich and chocolatey, but also light and airy thanks to generous layers of silky whipped cream. Trifle desserts are usually made by layering cake, pudding, and whipped cream in a glass dish. Sometimes they have fruit, or sometimes they’re made with chopped chocolate bars for crunch.
The best part about making a homemade chocolate trifle recipe like this one is that it’s very easy to assemble, and it serves 10-12 people, so it’s a great dessert to serve at your next gathering.
Looking for more chocolate dessert recipes? Try my Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies or this Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!
Watch Me Make This Recipe
Ingredients for Chocolate Trifle
The ingredients and measurements are listed on the recipe below, but here’s an overview to give you an idea of what you’ll need to make a chocolate trifle.
Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Sugar – the base of the chocolate cake.
Raw Cacao Powder and Sea Salt – opt for raw cacao powder instead of coco powder for best results.
Ground Flax Seeds – I use ground flaxseeds instead of eggs to help bind the cake together.
Soy Milk – you’ll need unsweetened soy milk for both the cake and the pudding.
Oil – I recommend using melted refined coconut oil or organic canola oil. You’ll want to melt the coconut oil before measuring for accuracy.
Vanilla Extract – an all star ingredient that we’ll use several times in this trifle recipe to add a hint of sweet vanilla flavor.
Almond Butter and Vegan Chocolate Chips – two key ingredients that make a rich chocolate pudding. I like using Enjoy life chocolate chips and recommend using a natural almond butter (the kind that only has almonds and salt in the ingredients)
Silken Tofu and Cornstarch – helps thicken the chocolate pudding. Don’t worry, you do not taste the tofu.
Vegan Whipped Cream – I use Silk’s Vegan Whipping Cream to make dairy-free whipped cream.
What You’ll Need to Make a Chocolate Trifle
A trifle dish like this one or this one with a scalloped design. You could also use a large glass dessert bowl. Technically you can use any bowl you like, but something see-through allows for the layers to show through which is part of the fun of this dessert!
How to Make this Easy Chocolate Trifle
Here’s some tips for making a homemade trifle recipe! The full recipe is on the recipe card below.
Step One
Start by baking the vegan chocolate cake. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and bakes in about half and hour.
Step Two
While the cake bakes, mix the pudding ingredients in a blender and warm it up on the stove. The key is to whisk often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. This takes about 10-15 minutes from start to finish.
Step Three
Once the cake and the chocolate pudding are cool, whip the dairy-free whipped cream in a big bowl. The key here to make sure the whipping cream is very cold!
How to Assemble a Trifle Dessert
Layer One – Layer of Cake
Layer Two – Layer of Chocolate Pudding
Layer Three – Layer of Whipped Cream
Repeat with the remaining cake, pudding, and whipped topping until you reach the top of the trifle dish.
Fun Add-Ins
Crushed Chocolate Cookies – Add a nice crunch with crushed Oreos or chocolate chip cookies on top of this pretty layered dessert.
Fresh Raspberries – One of my favorite toppings for this trifle recipe! Adding fresh raspberries on top adds a tasty pop of acidity and sweetness that really compliments the rich chocolatey flavors in this dessert.
Chocolate Candies & Sprinkles – Layer vegan chocolate candies like Unreal Gems or vegan-friendly sprinkles in between the layers for a fun pop of color and crunchy texture.
Chopped Salted Peanuts – Chopped roasted peanuts are a great way to add a peanut butter cup flavor to this chocolate trifle recipe. I’d opt for the salted kind to really bring out the nutty flavor!
Easy Chocolate Trifle
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 6 tbsp water
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cup cane sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- ½ cup organic canola oil or melted refined coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Pudding
- 16 oz soft silken tofu, must be silken
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- ⅓ cup natural almond butter
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- ½ tsp vanilla
For the Whipped Cream
- 2 pints vegan whipping cream, I use Silk
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Prep
- Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees. Then lightly grease a 9×13 in baking dish and set aside.Make the flax "egg" by combining the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
- Add the four, sugar, and salt to a bowl. Then sift in the cacao powder, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- Next combine the soy milk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl and whisk well. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the now thickened flax "egg." Whisk just until combined for about 10-15 seconds (the batter will be thick at this point) and then add the boiling water. Whisk until the water is fully incorporated and then pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Then remove from the oven, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Pudding
- Combine the tofu, soy milk, almond butter, salt, and cornstarch in a blender. Blend until very smooth (about 30 seconds) and then pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla and whisk continually over medium- high heat until the mixture is at a soft boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking often. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Make the Whipped Cream
- Combine the vegan whipping cream in a large bowl with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on a high for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer until thickened.
Assemble
- When the cake and the pudding are completely cool, you can start layering the trifle. They must be cool before assembly or the whipped cream will melt.Start by cutting the cake into 1-2 inch cubes and place 1/3 of the cake on the bottom of the dish. Then spoon in 1/2 of the the chocolate pudding and gently spread it out to the edges of the dish. Dollop in 1/3 of the whipped cream and spread it out to the edges of the dish as well. Repeat with another 1/3 of the cake, remaining 1/2 of pudding, and 1/3 of the whipped cream. Then top with remaining cake and remaining whipped cream. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour to set then serve in your favorite dessert bowls and enjoy!
I can’t wait to try this recipe for the holidays! Thank you for your great videos and recipes. I’m a longtime follower and you truly are dedicated to making and providing great recipes!