Death by Chocolate Trifle is an indulgent and decadent dessert that boasts layers of chocolate cake soaked in Kahlua, homemade chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and Skor bars! It's an easy-to-make dessert that's a chocolate lover’s dream come true!
This Death by Chocolate Trifle recipe is popular all year 'round but especially in the summer. It's a no bake dessert that's ideal for treating Mom on Mother's Day, bringing along to a summer bbq or potluck, or for the chocolate lover in your life. I recently brought this to a potluck and it was very well-loved! This was inspired by my Skor Bar Dessert (which has no alcohol) on this site, and pairs well with Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun.
Years ago, the Fairmont Palliser Hotel offered a "Death by Chocolate" buffet that was AMAZING! It was an entire buffet of chocolate that was to die for (no pun intended). And it was one of the best and "funnest" (yes, I know that's not actually a word) things I ever did with friends!
Sadly, the hotel doesn't do that buffet anymore, but fortunately, this dessert is like eating that chocolate buffet, but in the form of a trifle!
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🥘Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for this Death by Chocolate recipe:
- 9x13 chocolate cake (cut into 1-inch squares)
- ½ cup + 4 tbsps Kahlua
- 2 cups chocolate chips * I use semi-sweet
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 8 egg whites (which equals 1 cup of pasteurized egg whites from a carton) *It's critical that you use pasteurized egg whites in this recipe. You can buy them in a carton at the grocery store. Or you can pasteurize your own in the microwave (see food safety)
- 8 large Skor chocolate bars (also known as Heath bars or toffee bars)
- 4 cups (1 litre) of whipped cream * I use 33%-36% heavy cream whipped with 2-3 tablespoon of sugar. *Do NOT use spray whipped cream - it will melt
🔪Instructions
Mix cake pieces in ½ a cup Kahlua and stir to combine
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff (with an electric mixer)
In another bowl, add boiling water, chocolate chips, and the remaining 4 tablespoon of Kahlua
With an electric mixer, beat until smooth
Fold egg whites into chocolate chip mixture
Crush Skor bars by placing them in a ziploc bag and hitting them with a hammer or running a rolling pin over them to crush them.
Add a layer of ½ of the Kahlua-soaked chocolate cake pieces to the bottom of the trifle bowl.
Then add ½ chocolate mousse, half of the whipped cream, and half the crushed Skor bars.
Repeat with the remaining half of the ingredients.
Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Chocolate cake - you can use a store-bought chocolate cake (just make sure if it's a smaller cake like a loaf cake, you use two so it's the equivalent of a 9x13), or a homemade chocolate cake (either my Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake or my Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake or Chocolate Sponge cake or your own cake recipe), or a Devil's food chocolate cake mix.
- Whipped cream - you can use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream, but Do NOT use spray whipped cream (it will melt)
- Chocolate Mousse- you could use instant chocolate pudding mix instead of the boiling water chocolate chips mixture or simply use instant mousse (affiliate link)
🥗 Main Dishes
This heavenly dessert pairs well with:
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun
- Pork & Beef Stovetop Chili
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
- Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun (shown)
🍽Equipment
You will need a trifle bowl for this Death by Chocolate with mousse recipe. Alternatively, you can use a large glass bowl or a punch bowl. You will also need an electric mixer (affiliate links).
🌡️Storage
Store leftover trifle in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also make this easy recipe a day or two in advance.
👪 Serving Size
This Death by Chocolate with Skor bars makes 20 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
💭Top tip
If you can't find a baked chocolate cake in the bakery section of your grocery store, then simply buy a McCain's deep and delicious chocolate cake in the freezer section and scrape off the icing! Depending on their size, you may need two of them.
🦺Food safety
*It's critical that you use pasteurized egg whites in this recipe. You can buy them in a carton at your local grocery store
**NOTE: Read how you can pasteurize egg whites at home HERE!
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw egg
- Wash hands after touching raw egg
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- Never leave cooking food unattended
I'm not sure if this is the original Death by Chocolate, but it came from a very old cookbook my Grandma gave me years ago (where there was no mention of pasteurizing egg whites).
Either way, it's an amazing dessert and a chocolate lovers dream come true! So if you are looking for a dessert for special occasions, give this Death by Chocolate Trifle a try!
If you love trifle, be sure to try my NO BAKE Black Forest Trifle too!
📋 Death by Chocolate Trifle recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9x13 chocolate cake, cut in 1 inch squares
- ½ cup + 4 tbsps Kahlua
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 1 cup liquid egg whites (must be pasteurized!) (from carton)
- 8 large Skor bars (Health bars/Toffee bars)
- 4 cups whipping cream/heavy cream. whipped *Do NOT use spray whipped cream - it will melt
Instructions
*Heads up - this recipe requires 8 hours in the fridge (overnight) before serving
- Put cake in ½ a cup kahlua and mix together.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff
- In another bowl, add boiling water, chocolate chips and the remaining 4 tablespoon of Kahlua
- With an electric mixer, beat chocolate chips, boiling water and the remaining 4 tablespoon of kahlua together
- Fold egg whites into chocolate chip mixture
- crush Skor bars by placing them in a ziploc bag and hitting them with a hammer or running a rolling pin over them to crush.
- In a large trifle bowl, layer ½ of the kahlua soaked chocolate cake.
- Then add ½ the chocolate mousse, a layer of whipped cream and half the crushed Skor bars.
- Repeat.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight
Ali
This is absolutely amazing!
Terri Gilson
I’m so glad you loved it, Ali! 😊