Chocolate Cherry Black Forest Trifle

12 Servings
15 min

A black forest trifle is next to add to the trifle recipe section on this blog. The next time you’re in the mood for a layered dessert, give this chocolate cherry delight a try.

Can’t decide on cake, pudding, or cherry pie for dessert? Don’t. Layer them all up into a yummy chocolate cherry trifle.

Black forest trifle in a bowl with a checkered napkin.
Easy Black Forest Trifle Recipe


Admittedly, I am the one to poke my way through an assorted candy box to avoid the chocolate-covered cherry while my husband seeks it out. I prefer a chocolate trifle minus the fruit.

Having said that, I’ll still grab my longest spoon to dip into all the layers of this trifle. Consider giving it a try no matter where you stand on the chocolate cherry debate.


Chocolate Cherry Trifle Ingredients


(Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.)


  • Chocolate cake, baked and cooled
  • Instant chocolate pudding
  • Milk
  • Whipped topping
  • Cherry pie filling
  • Maraschino cherries, drained


Black Forest Trifle Directions


Add the milk and pudding to a bowl and whisk well.

Pudding into milk in a bowl.

Refrigerate the pudding for at least five minutes.

Sliced chocolate cake in a pan.

Cut the chocolate cake into cubes.

Cubes of chocolate cake in a trifle bowl.

Place a layer of the cake cubes into the bottom of a trifle bowl.

Spooning chocolate pudding onto cake cubes in a trifle dish.

Top with half of the pudding for the next layer.

Placing cherry pie filling onto pudding and cake in a trifle.

Add half of the cherry mixture on top next.

Adding a layer of whipped topping to a cherry trifle.

Follow up with half of the whipped topping.

Top of a black forest trifle with cherry filling on top.

Repeat the layers, adding dollops of whipped topping to the very top.

Placing cherries on whipped cream on top of a black forest trifle.

Place maraschino cherries into the dollops of whipped topping.

Black forest trifle in a bowl on a table with a checkered napkin.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately.

Chocolate cherry trifle in a bowl on a table with blue and white napkin.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

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02/14/2023 02:15 am GMT
Cherry trifle with layers of chocolate cake, pudding, and whipped cream.
Black Forest Trifle Recipe Notes and FAQ


All of the cake won’t fit into my trifle bowl.


Depending on the size of your trifle dish, you probably won’t use all of the chocolate cake.


Can I make a chocolate cherry trifle the day before?


You should not make a black forest trifle too far ahead because it will get soggy. Bake the cake, make the pudding, and get all the ingredients ready the day before so you can quickly layer it the day you plan to serve.


Want your black forest trifle extra chocolaty?


Use devil’s food cake if you’d like your chocolate cherry trifle to have a richer chocolate flavor.


Does this black forest trifle contain alcohol?


No, this cherry trifle does not contain booze. Traditional black forest dessert recipes use spiked cherries, so feel free to do so if you’re serving an over 21 crowd.

Top of a chocolate cherry trifle with cherries on top of whipped cream.

Layered Trifle Recipes to Try


If you love the luscious layers of trifles, you are in luck. There are a ton of trifle recipes on this blog to try. For the holiday season, try the red and green Christmas trifle and the Gingerbread trifle. For spring, the strawberry cheesecake trifle and the lemon cookie trifle are extremely popular. Add a little magic with the funfetti birthday cake trifle, the woodland fairy garden trifle, and the snowy winter trifle.

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Top of a black forest trifle topped with cherries.

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Chocolate Cherry Black Forest Trifle
Recipe details
  • 12  Servings
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 0 Minutes Total time: 15 min
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Ingredients

  • 1, 9x13, chocolate cake, baked and cooled
  • 1 small box, 3.4 oz, instant chocolate pudding
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 small tub, 8 oz, whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 can, 21 oz, cherry pie filling
  • maraschino cherries, drained
Instructions

Add milk and pudding together and whisk well. Refrigerate for five minutes.
Cut cake into cubes and place one layer of cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl.
Top with half of the pudding. Add half of the cherry mixture and half of the whipped topping.
Repeat layers, adding dollops of whipped topping to the top. Top with maraschino cherries.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately. Store leftovers, covered in the refrigerator.
Serves 12-16
Jennifer Soltys
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