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    Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Gingerbread Trifle

    Published: Oct 23, 2022 Modified: October 23, 2022 by Nina

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    A trifle in a clear trifle dish. Gingerbread men decorate the tip of the trifle.

    This gingerbread trifle is layered with moist gingerbread cake, homemade caramel sauce, and whipped gingerbread cream cheese filling. Perfect for a crowd during the holiday season!

    A trifle in a clear trifle dish.  Gingerbread men decorate the tip of the trifle.
    Jump straight to the recipe!
    • 🎄A trifle for the holiday season
    • 🥘Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • ✔️Expert tips
    • 💭FAQs
    • 🔖Related recipes
    • 📋 Recipe

    🎄A trifle for the holiday season

    This gingerbread trifle is completely homemade, down to the cute gingerbread men I topped the trifle with. The gingerbread cake is moist and full of warm spices, and the caramel sauce is a perfect sweet addition. The whipped cream cheese filling has a those gingerbread spices in it too, to really bring it all together.

    You can top this trifle with gingerbread men like I did, or crumble gingerbread cookies around the top. Finish with drizzles of caramel sauce.

    This trifle can be made ahead too! I find that it tasted better the next day, after it's had a chance to settle and the flavours marry.

    Do you like gingerbread? Try my gingerbread latte loaf, or chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies!

    🥘Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make gingerbread trifle.

    Ingredient notes

    • Unsalted butter - If you use salted butter, omit the extra butter in the recipe.
    • Brown sugar - I used light brown sugar in this recipe. Dark brown sugar can be substituted without any change except the cake will be a touch darker in colour.
    • Cream cheese - Make sure you use the block cream cheese, which is meant for baking.

    🔪Instructions

    Gingerbread Cake

    Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium sized bowl.

    In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy and lightened in colour, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Mix until well combined.

    Add in milk and dry ingredients alternatively starting and ending with flour (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 of milk).

    Pour batter evenly into two 9 inch round baking pans that have been greased and the bottoms lined with parchment paper. Bake for 23-28 minutes at 350°F (177°C), or until toothpicks inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then turn cakes out of pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

    Whipped Gingerbread Cream Cheese Filling

    In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and milk. Mix until well combined.

    Whip heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl, until stiff peaks form. Fold half the whipping cream into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipping cream. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Instructions for making gingerbread trifle.

    Caramel Sauce

    You can use store bought caramel sauce, or make your own! To make it, heat sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat until melted, stirring constantly. This will take about 15 minutes, but the sugar will melt.

    Once melted, immediately remove from heat and stir in butter and heavy whipping cream. The mixture will violently bubble. This is because the sugar is hot and the butter and heavy whipping cream are cold. Don't worry. The ingredients will happily come together.

    The caramel will stop bubbling when the ingredients are well combined. Stir in salt and pour caramel into a small bowl to cool completely before using.

    Assembly

    Cut gingerbread cake into 1 inch square cubes. Place a layer of cubes in the bottom of trifle dish. Drizzle ¼ of the caramel over cake, and then place a layer of whipped cream cheese over the cake and caramel.

    Repeat 2 more times and finish with a layer of whipped cream cheese and a drizzle of caramel over the top.

    Cover trifle and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. The trifle needs time to settle and for the flavours to marry. Decorate with gingerbread men before serving, if desired.

    For more step-by-step pictures and instructions, see the web story for gingerbread trifle recipe!

    A close of of the trifle in a clear trifle dish.  You can see layers of gingerbread cake, caramel, and whipped cream cheese filling.  The top of the trifle is decorated with gingerbread men.

    ✔️Expert tips

    • Feel free to use store bought caramel if low on time. No one will know!
    • Make sure your baking powder isn't outdated. You will not get the rise on these cakes if it's outdated.
    • Instead of serving in one big trifle bowl, serve in individual servings (mason jars would be cute).
    • Feel free to decorate the top however you want -sprinkle gingerbread cookie crumbs over top, reserve some gingerbread cake to crumble on top, or place cubes of reserved gingerbread cake in the middle with a drizzle of caramel sauce!

    💭FAQs

    What is the difference between gingerbread cake and ginger cake?

    Gingerbread cake is a cake made with molasses and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. A ginger cake is made mainly with ginger. It may contain some other spices, and may or may not have molasses in it.

    Can trifle be made ahead?

    Yes, any trifle should sit between 4-24 hours before serving so the flavours have a chance to marry.
    The gingerbread cake can be made several days ahead. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place cakes in freezer bags. Store in the freezer until the day you want to assemble.
    The caramel can also be made ahead. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

    Can the trifle be frozen?

    No, the whipped cream cheese filling part of the trifle can not be frozen. The individual gingerbread cakes can be frozen until you need them.

    A top view of a trifle.   The top has gingerbread men all around the outside, and the top is decorated with caramel drizzle.

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    Let's Bake Together!

    Step-by-step instructions are all written in my recipe below. If you liked it, please rate me 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

    If you tried this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram. You can also find me on Facebook and Pinterest.

    📋 Recipe

    A trifle in a clear trifle dish. Gingerbread men decorate the tip of the trifle.

    Gingerbread Trifle

    Nina
    This gingerbread trifle is layered with moist gingerbread cake, homemade caramel sauce, and whipped gingerbread cream cheese filling. Perfect for a crowd during the holiday season!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Resting time 4 hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine North American
    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 643 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Gingerbread Cake

    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
    • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1½ cups light brown sugar packed
    • 3 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup molasses
    • 1 cup whole milk room temperature

    Whipped Gingerbread cream Cheese Filling

    • 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 2 tablespoons molasses
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

    Caramel Sauce

    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream cold
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    Gingerbread Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
    • Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium sized bowl.
    • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy and lightened in colour, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Mix until well combined.
    • Add in milk and dry ingredients alternatively starting and ending with flour (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 of milk).
    • Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until toothpicks inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then turn cakes out of pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

    Whipped Gingerbread Cream Cheese Filling

    • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and milk. Mix until well combined.
    • Whip heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl, until stiff peaks form. Fold half the whipping cream into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipping cream. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Caramel Sauce

    • In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat until melted, stirring constantly.
    • Once melted, immediately remove from heat and stir in butter and heavy whipping cream. The mixture will violently bubble.
    • The caramel will stop bubbling when the ingredients are well combined. Stir in salt and pour caramel into a small bowl to cool completely before using.

    Assemble

    • Cut gingerbread cake into 1 inch square cubes. Place a layer of cubes in the bottom of trifle dish. Drizzle ¼ of the caramel over cake, and then place a layer of whipped cream cheese over the cake and caramel.
    • Repeat 2 more times and finish with a layer of whipped cream cheese and a drizzle of caramel over the top.
    • Cover trifle and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. The trifle needs time to settle and for the flavours to marry. Decorate with gingerbread men before serving, if desired.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 643kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 7gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 436mgFiber: 1gSugar: 59gVitamin A: 1256IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Follow me on Instagram!Mention @ninakneadstobake or tag #ninakneadstobake!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. julie

      December 19, 2022 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      this was so delicious!

      Reply
      • Nina

        December 23, 2022 at 9:38 am

        Hi Julie! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Nina! I am a self-taught baker and have a love for baking and trying new techniques. Here you will find easy step-by-step sweet and savoury recipes, with lots of tips.

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