Gingerbread Trifle

Wow your Christmas guests with an unforgettable dessert and make our delicious gingerbread trifle recipe featuring a homemade custard.

The holiday season is in full swing, and that means it’s time to start thinking about baking gingerbread treats. While gingerbread cookies and houses are a classic, I think one of the most fun ways to enjoy gingerbread flavors is by making a gingerbread trifle.

A trifle lets you get creative by layering different ingredients, textures, and flavours. Plus, it’s a showstopper dessert that looks gorgeous in a serving bowl.

Now, I know what you may be thinking – a trifle sounds fancy and difficult. But I’m here to tell you that my gingerbread trifle recipe is actually very straightforward and easy to throw together.

All you need are a few ingredients you likely already have on hand to make this festive no-bake dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds.

Tips for Making the BEST Gingerbread Trifle

• Avoid stirring the sugar into the egg yolks too far ahead of time, as this can inadvertently “cook” the yolks and result in a grainy texture.
• The heat needs to be precise when cooking the custard. If the heat is too low. the custard won’t thicken, but if it is too high, you’ll have scrambled eggs.
• Continuously stir the mixture, ensuring that the wooden spatula reaches the bottom of the entire pan to keep the custard from sticking to the bottom and forming lumps.
• Never stop stirring until the custard has thickened.
• To check if your custard is ready, dip a spoon into the mixture and run your finger down its back. The line that forms should remain intact without any custard running down it.
• If you do end up with lumps in your custard, don’t panic! Simply strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
• To prevent a skin from forming on top of your custard, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface as it cools, or whisk the custard occasionally until it reaches room temperature.
• Be sure to allow enough time for the custard to chill in the fridge before assembling your trifle. The longer it chills, the thicker and more stable it will become.
• For an easy short cut, you can use Bird’s custard mix instead of making homemade custard.
• Use high-quality gingerbread cake for the best flavour. If you have time, consider making your own from scratch, but you may doctor up a spice cake mix instead.
• Don’t be afraid to get creative with the layers in your trifle! Consider adding a layer of fresh fruit for added texture and flavour.

About the Equipment for Gingerbread Trifle

• Large saucepan
• Large heat safe bowl
• Whisk
• Wooden spatula
• Trifle bowl

About the Ingredients for Gingerbread Trifle

Heavy cream – You can make custard with all milk, but using some heavy cream (or double cream) will make your custard richer in texture and flavour.

Milk – Use whole milk for best results, especially if you opt for all milk. You may use any milk you like however – including dairy free milks.

Egg – You will need the yolks only for making the custard.

Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the custard. You can also use double the amount of tapioca flour.

Sugar – Plain old granulated sugar. You may substitute with caster sugar.

Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean for the best results. You may use artificial vanilla instead.

Cake – I doubled my gingerbread cupcake recipe to make a 9×13 cake. You won’t need a full 9×13 sheet cake but a square cake is not enough. I served my extra sheet cake to those in my family who were not interested in trifle so that worked out well.

Gingerbread cookies – I used homemade gingerbread men cookies to decorate the top of the trifle, as well as decorate the trifle bowl. I also used a house from the Great Value Mini Village Gingerbread Decorating Kit found at Walmart. For the gingerbread cookies, you will need a smaller cookie size to line the inside of the trifle bowl. If the cookies are too large the custard will cover the cookies completely.

Cranberries – I used only a few sugared cranberries, but you could go heavy on them instead of decorating with more gingerbread cookies.

Looking for More Gingerbread Dessert Recipes?

Check out more of my favourite gingerbread desserts!

Looking to make a festive holiday treat? Check out our recipe for gingerbread cake balls – they’re so easy and sure to be a hit!

Make your own little gingerbread house mug toppers with this recipe. These mini gingerbread houses are adorable and festive holiday treats.

How to Make Gingerbread Trifle

Yields: 12-16 Servings | Prep time: 25 Minutes | Cook time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cup (800 ml) heavy cream, divided
• 3 cups (700 ml) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons (30 g) cornstarch
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 9×13 gingerbread sheet cake
• Gingerbread cookies
• Sugared cranberries

Directions:

Start by preparing the custard. In a large saucepan, heat the cream and milk over medium-low heat until steaming, do not allow to come to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large heat safe bowl, whisk together the eggs, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract. (Image 1)

Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. (Image 2)

Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan, and heat slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the custard thickens – about 5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. (Image 3)

Cut the gingerbread sheet cake into 1 inch pieces. Layer at the bottom of a trifle bowl in a single layer. (Image 4)

If decorating with gingerbread men, place on the outside edge on top of the cake layer.

Carefully spoon in half of the cooled custard and spread into an even layer. Layer 1/2 of the whipping cream over the custard. (Image 5)

Layer more cake in a single layer, and top with remaining custard, then another layer of the cake. (Image 6)

Top off with the remaining whipping cream, then garnish as desired with gingerbread and sugared cranberries.