Description
This festive Halloween trifle is a fun and spooky dessert perfect for Halloween parties. Layers of moist chocolate cake, vibrant orange vanilla pudding, and fluffy Cool Whip come together in a beautiful trifle dish decorated with Halloween-themed candies for a delightful and eye-catching treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Pudding
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding
- 2 cups milk
- Orange food coloring (optional)
Topping & Decoration
- 8 oz container Cool Whip
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate balls wrapped like eyes
- Gummy body parts like brains, teeth, fingers, etc.
- Any decorations you like
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F to ensure even baking.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Spray a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Mix Cake Batter: In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Spread Batter: Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking sheet to ensure uniform thickness for baking.
- Bake Cake: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully cooked.
- Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before assembling the trifle.
- Prepare Pudding: In a medium bowl, whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with milk until smooth.
- Color Pudding: Add several drops of orange food coloring to the pudding and whisk until fully blended for a festive orange hue.
- Set Pudding: Refrigerate the pudding for 10-15 minutes or until completely set and firm enough for layering.
- Prepare Whipped Topping and Pudding Bags: Remove both the pudding and Cool Whip from the refrigerator. Fit two pastry bags with large round tips, filling one with the pudding and the other with Cool Whip.
- Cut Cake Circles: Using the rim of your trifle dish as a guide, lightly press it into the cooled cake, then cut out circles with a sharp knife to fit easily into your trifle dish.
- Layer Cake: Place the cake circles into the bottom of the trifle dish as the first layer.
- Pipe Pudding Layer: Pipe the orange pudding evenly over the cake layer to create a vibrant second layer.
- Pipe Cool Whip: Add a layer of Cool Whip on top of the pudding using the pastry bag for an airy, creamy topping.
- Decorate: Decorate the top with Halloween sprinkles, chocolate balls wrapped like eyes, gummy body parts, and any other spooky decorations you desire.
- Serve or Store: Serve the trifle immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before cutting and layering to prevent the pudding from melting.
- Use room temperature eggs for better cake batter integration and fluffiness.
- For a more intense orange color, add more food coloring drop by drop.
- Customize the decorations with your favorite Halloween candies for a personalized touch.
- This trifle is best eaten within one day for optimal texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
