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Home » Recipes » Courses » Desserts » No Bake Desserts

Death by Chocolate Trifle

Published: May 12, 2023 by Terri Gilson · Modified: May 19, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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death by chocolate trifle on a blue surface with small glass bowls in the background and a tea towel with a wooden spoon on the side

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!

death by chocolate trifle on a blue surface with small glass bowls in the background and a tea towel with a wooden spoon on the side

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!

Jump to:
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Instructions
  • 📖Variations & Substitutions
  • 🥗 Main Dishes
  • 🍽Equipment
  • 🌡️Storage
  • 👪 Serving Size
  • 💭Top tip
  • 🦺Food safety
  • 📋 Death by Chocolate Trifle recipe
  • More Chocolate Recipes

🥘Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients for this Death by Chocolate recipe:

ingredients in death by chocolate trifle, in glass bowls, labelled
  • 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

chocolate cake pieces mixed with Kahlua in a plastic container

Mix cake pieces in ½ a cup Kahlua and stir to combine

egg whites beaten until stiff in a metal bowl

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff (with an electric mixer)

chocolate chips, Kahlua and boiling water in a glass bowl

In another bowl, add boiling water, chocolate chips, and the remaining 4 tablespoon of Kahlua

chocolate chips, boiling water and kahlua beaten until smooth

With an electric mixer, beat until smooth

egg whites mixed with chocolate mixture in glass bowl with blue spatula

Fold egg whites into chocolate chip mixture

hammer hitting Skor bars in ziploc bag

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.

half the Kahlua soaked chocolate cake pieces in a large glass trifle bowl

Add a layer of ½ of the Kahlua-soaked chocolate cake pieces to the bottom of the trifle bowl.

half the chocolate mousse, whipped cream and Skor bars added to the chocolate cake

Then add ½ chocolate mousse, half of the whipped cream, and half the crushed Skor bars.

Death by chocolate trifle in a large trifle bowl

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)
beef on a bun on a grey plate with coleslaw and beans

🍽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.

death by chocolate dessert being held up on a spoon over a glass bowl

💭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

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov 

death by chocolate trifle on a blue surface with small glass bowls in the background and a tea towel with a wooden spoon on the side

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!

Large Glass bowl of trifle
death by chocolate trifle on a blue surface with small glass bowls in the background and a tea towel with a wooden spoon on the side
Food Meandering Logo

📋 Death by Chocolate Trifle recipe

Death by Chocolate Trifle is a decadent layered dessert that boasts layers of Kahlua soaked chocolate cake, homemade chocolate mousse, whipped cream and Skor bars! It's an easy to make dessert that's a chocolate lover’s dream come true!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Canadian, North American
Keyword: death by chocolate, Skor bar, trifle
Special Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

trifle bowl
electric mixer

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

*Heads up - this recipe requires 8 hours in the fridge (overnight) before serving

  • Put cake in ½ a cup kahlua and mix together.
    chocolate cake pieces mixed with Kahlua in a plastic container
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff
    egg whites beaten until stiff in a metal bowl
  • In another bowl, add boiling water, chocolate chips and the remaining 4 tablespoon of Kahlua
    chocolate chips, Kahlua and boiling water in a glass bowl
  • With an electric mixer, beat chocolate chips, boiling water and the remaining 4 tablespoon of kahlua together
    chocolate chips, boiling water and kahlua beaten until smooth
  • Fold egg whites into chocolate chip mixture
    egg whites mixed with chocolate mixture in glass bowl with blue spatula
  • 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.
    hammer hitting Skor bars in ziploc bag
  • In a large trifle bowl, layer ½ of the kahlua soaked chocolate cake.
    half the Kahlua soaked chocolate cake pieces in a large glass trifle bowl
  • Then add ½ the chocolate mousse, a layer of whipped cream and half the crushed Skor bars.
    half the chocolate mousse, whipped cream and Skor bars added to the chocolate cake
  • Repeat.
    Death by chocolate trifle in a large trifle bowl
  • Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight

Notes

*See post for important recipe information, tips and substitutions!
*Note: Adapted from Death by Chocolate Pg 117, Cooking with Tradition
Nutrition Facts
📋 Death by Chocolate Trifle recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 327 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 212mg9%
Potassium 139mg4%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 27g30%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 467IU9%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal (16%) | Carbohydrates: 35g (12%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 20g (31%) | Saturated Fat: 11g (69%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg (12%) | Sodium: 212mg (9%) | Potassium: 139mg (4%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 27g (30%) | Vitamin A: 467IU (9%) | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 67mg (7%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ali

    May 12, 2023 at 2:54 pm

    This is absolutely amazing!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      May 13, 2023 at 7:56 am

      I’m so glad you loved it, Ali! 😊

      Reply

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I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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