NO BAKE Black Forest Trifle

I can't believe it's been 3 years since I started this blog! When I first started it, I really wasn't sure I'd like doing it, but here I am 3 years later and still loving it. And there is no recipe more fitting for my 3rd year bloggiversary than this NO BAKE Easy Black Forest Trifle ! It's the recipe that inspired my very first blog post. This easy, NO BAKE, 5 ingredient Black Forest Trifle recipe, with layers of chocolate cake, pudding, cherry filling and whipped cream, makes a great last minute dessert and is perfect for summer or anytime of the year!

I've learned a lot of things about blogging over the last few years, but the most important things I've learned surprised me because they are not only blogging lessons, but life lessons, as well.

My very first blog post, in May 2016, was my No Bake Black Forest Tiramisu, which was inspired by THIS Black Forest Trifle recipe. Actually, I can't believe it took me 3 years to post this Black Forest Trifle! But I have too many recipes and too little time...

🥘 Ingredients

This cherry chocolate trifle recipe is not only my family's favorite dessert, it's easy and only has 5 ingredients! I got the recipe from my mom, made a couple little changes and have been making it for many years. It's like making a super easy Easy Black Forest Cake with no baking! And because there's no baking required it makes a great last minute dessert for entertaining or to bring along to a potluck. You won't believe how easy it is, especially considering how spectacular it tastes and how pretty it looks!

You only need 5 ingredients to make this recipe!

• prepared chocolate pudding
• chocolate cake
• cherry pie filling
• whipped cream (whipping cream with white granulated sugar added) *do NOT use whipping cream in the spray can
• Kirsch (optional)
• Garnish (optional) shaved dark chocolate and maraschino cherries or fresh cherries

Even when I used to spend endless hours decorating cakes and making desserts, THIS easy chocolate trifle recipe would be the one recipe I'd get asked for. I guess you just can't go wrong with whipped cream, cherry pie filling, pudding and chocolate cake all together in a bowl.

I've spent a lot of my spare time over last 3 years on this blog and learned a lot along the way. There's so much more involved than simply cooking and snapping pictures. I have also learned a great deal about marketing, writing, the back end of a blog, adapting to new trends and technology and especially that the online world is truly the Wild West! 

5 Blogging and Life Lessons

• #1: It's not fair

When I was a kid and things didn't go my way, I'd complain, 'it's not fair!' and my Dad would always tell me, 'life isn't fair, kid; get used to it." I hated when he said that. I wanted justice; I deserved justice. But unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

And guess what?! Blogging doesn't work that way either. It's not fair. Even though you work harder there will be others that don't and are still more successful and/or simply luckier than you. You could work hard on a recipe for 3 years, another blogger will come along, change one ingredient and post it on their blog. You can't copyright a list of ingredients anyway. And they may even get more hits to their website than you... Then IF you're lucky, they'll give you credit for the original recipe and/or ask permission to use your photos. Other bloggers and scraper sites will simply steal your recipes, pins and photos. The online world is virtually lawless. Like I said, the Wild West.

So, I try to focus on the positive things...THE FOOD!~

• #2: Don't compare yourself to others

I know it's human nature, but it's a slippery slope. You see others' stuff constantly and you can't help but play the comparison game. But try to use it for inspiration and resist the urge to beat yourself up because your stuff isn't as good or they are more successful because remember lesson #1: BLOGGING ISN'T FAIR! Plus everyone has their own journey and has to find their own style and voice. If you're just doing what everyone else does, you're probably not going to be noticed... It's highly competitive out there. As your Mom always said, "just be yourself"!

• #3: Set goals & write them down

You have to set your own goals. How can you possibly measure YOUR success if you have no reference point? Success looks different to everyone. When I first started blogging and told my friend and blogging mentor Sue, from Travel Tales of Life that I wanted to be successful, she replied, "well, what does success look like to you?" I realized I hadn't even thought of that. Success means different things to different people and especially at different stages of the game. That's why it's important to set goals and write them down. It will motivate you to see how far you've come and you get some warm fuzzies in return. My year 1 goals look very different from my year 4 goals!

•  #4: LOVE what you do

Loving what you do is critical! The one thing that remains that same since I started blogging is my passion for it; that has not faltered. Otherwise I wouldn’t still be doing it. It's really hard work at times, often discouraging and not easy to fit it in my already busy life. But I do it for me because I love the creative challenge of it. You've heard the saying, 'love what you do and you never have to work a day in your life?' Well, I think that's a bunch of crap! You can love doing something and sometimes it still feels like work, because it is work! And that's part of the intrinsic reward. As humans, we need meaningful work in our lives - it's part of what fulfills us.

• #5 : Be grateful

Be grateful. I'm grateful for my supportive and understanding husband and kids who help me with everything from recipe testing to photography. I'm grateful for my Mom, who not only reads all my posts to the end, but edits as well. I'm grateful for the chance to share my recipes, create this recipe legacy for my kids and future generations and for having a forum to express myself creatively. But I'm especially grateful to those of you that read my blog, make my recipes and share my stuff.

Thank you!

I'm grateful  you're here and part of my blogging journey... Now back to the Black Forest Trifle!

🔪 Instructions

1. Break cake into pieces and add half to the bottom of the trifle bowl
2. Then add half of the pudding (6 containers)
3. Mix the kirsch with the cherries, if using. Add half the cherry mixture on top of the pudding.
4. Repeat.
5. Cover with saran wrap or Glad Press n' Seal and refrigerate.
6. Before serving (or in advance), beat whipping cream to soft peaks, add the white granulated sugar and then beat to stiff peaks. Top with whipped cream. *Garnish with chocolate shavings and maraschino cherries, if desired.

🍽Equipment

You'll need an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer) and a trifle bowl (about 3 qt) (affiliate links)

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Cake - you can use any type of cake you want, including sponge cake, loaf cake, pound cake or devil's food chocolate cake. You could also use a boxed chocolate cake, but that would involve baking. *When I decorated a lot of cakes I used to save 'cake bits' in the freezer and use those for this recipe (see top tip below)
• Whipped cream- you can add icing sugar instead of regular white granulated sugar, to the whipped cream or you can substitute Cool whip. *do NOT use whipping cream in the spray can, as it will melt and run (unless you are spraying directly onto individual portions as you serve)
• Garnish - you can garnish with maraschino cherries, fresh cherries, shaved chocolate or cocoa powder. You could even use sprinkles (I've used green and/or red sprinkles at Christmas)
• Pudding- you can use any type of chocolate pudding (instant from a box or prepared snack packs)
• Individual Black Forest Trifles- follow the same steps in mini trifle bowls or use individual glasses (I like to use stemless wine glasses -affiliate link)

💭 Top tip

If you can't find a loaf cake or premade chocolate cake in the bakery section of your local grocery store,  you can use a defrosted frozen McCain's Deep and Delicious cake with the frosting scraped off!

👪 Serving Size

This quick and easy dessert recipe makes 12 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You will just need additional trifle bowls or a smaller trifle bowl.

🌡️Storing

• Make-ahead: You can make this recipe a day in advance, but do NOT put the whipping cream on it until just prior to serving (or no more than a couple of hours before). The trifle can be stored in the trifle dish covered in plastic wrap, but the whipped cream should be stored in a separate container. 
• Leftovers: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

So if you're looking for quick trifle recipes, give this No Bake Black Forest Trifle Recipe a try! And be sure to check out my Death by Chocolate Trifle and my 15 No Bake Potluck Desserts!

📋 No Bake Black Forest Trifle Recipe

This easy, NO BAKE, 5 ingredient Black Forest Trifle recipe makes a great last minute dessert and is perfect for summer or anytime of the year! It's also great for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck! 

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, British, Canadian

Keyword: black forest, chocolate, trifle

Special Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Terri Gilson

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 -99g containers of prepared chocolate pudding * they come in 4 packs called 'Snack packs' (this is equivalent to 5 cups )
• ▢ 2 -300g chocolate loaf cake or pound cake * if you can't find this, you can use a defrosted frozen McCain's deep and delicious cake with the frosting scraped off
• ▢ 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon kirsch * optional
• ▢ 2 -540 ml - can of cherry pie filling
• ▢ 1 -473 ml container whipping cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar

Garnish

• ▢ ½ ounce shaved chocolate
• ▢ cocktail cherries (with stems) -optional

Instructions

• Break cake into pieces and add half to the base of trifle bowl.
  
• Then add half of the pudding (6 containers)
  
• Mix the kirsch with the cherries, if using. 
  
• Add half the cherries on top of the pudding
  
• Repeat
  
• Cover with saran wrap or Glad Press n' Seal and refrigerate.
  
• Before serving (or in advance), beat whipping cream to soft peaks, add the white granulated sugar and then beat to stiff peaks.
  
• Add whipped cream to the top of the trifle.
  

Garnish

• Shave chocolate, as shown.
  
• Garnish with shaved chocolate
  
• Add maraschino cocktail cherries, if desired.
  
• Refrigerate after adding whipped cream if not serving immediately.

Notes

*See post content for important recipe information and tips!

Nutrition Facts

📋 No Bake Black Forest Trifle Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 24 Calories from Fat 5

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.5g1%

Saturated Fat 0.3g2%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.03g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g

Cholesterol 0.1mg0%

Sodium 16mg1%

Potassium 7mg0%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 0.1g0%

Vitamin A 2IU0%

Vitamin C 0.01mg0%

Calcium 1mg0%

Iron 0.1mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal (1%) | Carbohydrates: 4g (1%) | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.5g (1%) | Saturated Fat: 0.3g (2%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 16mg (1%) | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3g (3%) | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg (1%)

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