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As much as I love gingerbread men and gingersnap cookies, this gingerbread trifle recipe with caramel and bourbon cream is, hands down, my favorite gingerbread recipe.
This delicious dessert has warmly spiced layers of moist gingerbread cake, homemade whipped cream, pomegranates and pecans, all drizzled with gooey caramel sauce.
So heavenly. And so very pretty for Christmas dessert.
What is a trifle?
A trifle is a layered dessert that originated in Great Britain. The options with trifles are endless, but they all contain the same basic components: spongey cake, fruit and some sort of pudding layer.
A trifle is guaranteed to garner some oohs and ahhs when you bring it to the table. It’s just so pretty!
I love when I get a chance to use my trifle dish. And don’t just use a trifle dish for trifle recipes. I use mine to layer salads, dips, desserts… you could even layer a main meal. Visually, it’s just so pleasing.
And using a trifle dish means you can usually make whatever you’re making in advance, which is good for nights like Christmas.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy gingerbread trifle:
The Gingerbread
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Fresh ginger
- Eggs
- Molasses
- Vegetable oil
- Sour cream
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract
- Gingerbread spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves
The Bourbon Cream
- Heavy cream
- Bourbon
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Sour cream
How to Make this Gingerbread Trifle
Make the homemade gingerbread
First things first, let’s make a big batch of gingerbread!
Combine the flour, both sugars, salt and gingerbread spices in one bowl.
In the other bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sour cream, molasses, ginger and vanilla.
Mix the two bowls together to make the gingerbread batter. Pour the cake batter into two loaf pans and bake.
Once the gingerbread has cooled, cut it into cubes.
Make the bourbon cream
Use a handheld electric mixer to blend heavy cream, sour cream, sugar and bourbon.
My advice for making homemade whipped cream is always the same: find a bowl bigger than you think you need, and put the bowl into the sink before you start whipping the cream.
This will help reduce some of the inevitable splatter that happens when you start whipping cream with a handheld mixer on high speed.
Assemble the trifle
Divide the cubes of gingerbread into 3 equal piles to make the layers of cake. Now, put the first layer of cubes at the bottom of a large trifle bowl.
Then, place dollops of the homemade cool whip on top of the first layer of gingerbread cubes.
Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and pecans over the first layer of gingerbread and whipped cream.
Then, just repeat that process two more times.
The final touch is pouring the caramel sauce over your trifle.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious gingerbread trifle is the perfect dessert for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! It also makes a beautiful addition to a dessert table at a Christmas party.
Use a large spoon for serving. Don’t worry about keeping it pretty once you start eating, just dig in and enjoy!
What if you don’t have a trifle dish?
If you don’t have a trifle dish, use a large glass bowl where you’ll be able to see the layers of tender gingerbread cake.
Another idea is to use individual glasses to show case your trifle. Try sundae dishes or mason jars, depending on your vibe. This has an added bonus of providing individual servings for each of your guests!
Can you make a trifle in advance?
You can assemble the cubes of gingerbread and layer them with the whipped cream in advance. Store your trifle, uncovered, in the fridge.
Wait until you’re ready to serve it, then put the caramel and garnishes on top.
In the event that you have leftovers, you can cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. It will keep until the next day and up to a few days after.
Shortcuts for making this Gingerbread Trifle
If you’re in a pinch for time, here are some ways to pull of this holiday recipe in half the time:
1. Buy a boxed gingerbread mix. Gingerbread cake mixes are easy to find at most grocery stores during the holiday season and will definitely save you the time of baking from scratch. Simply follow the package directions on the cake mix, cut it into cubes, and use as instructed in the recipe card below.
2. Use premade whipped topping. Add your favorite bourbon to store bought whipped cream or cool whip.
3. Opt for purchased caramel sauce. This is actually less of a shortcut and more of a rule for me. Homemade caramel sauce is finicky. It is always easier to buy it from the store!
When you make this gorgeous gingerbread trifle, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more holiday dessert recipes, try these:
For more gingerbread recipes, try these:
- Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
- Gingerbread Monkey Bread Using Grands Biscuits
- Mini Gingerbread Cakes with Lemon Glaze
Gingerbread Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
The Gingerbread
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
The Bourbon Cream
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbsp. bourbon
- 1 1/2 cups crushed pecans
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, both sugars, spices and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, oil, sour cream, molasses, ginger and vanilla together.
- Dissolve the baking soda in 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk the hot water mixture into the wet ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined.
- Coat two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray or line them with parchment paper. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before turning out onto a plate. Cut into cubes.
- To make the bourbon cream, combine the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar and bourbon in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble: Place a layer of gingerbread cubes on the bottom of a large trifle dish. Top with 1/3 of the bourbon cream. Sprinkle some pecans and pomegranate arils. Repeat two more times, finishing with cream on top. Before serving, drizzle with caramel topping and garnish with the remaining pecans and pomegranate.
What is Promegranate arils? Can I use vanilla instead of bourbon in the whipped cream?
Hi Ginny! Pomegranate arils = pomegranate seeds. You can use vanilla instead of bourbon, or simply omit the bourbon. Hope this helps!
This sounds so yummy, I am going to try it for Christmas. Good trick for whipping the cream over the sink. So simple and yet I never thought of doing that lol Thankyou!
Hi Deb,
The sink trick definitely helps with the splatter! Let me know what you think of the trifle 🙂
Can this be made the day before?
Hi Linda,
You can definitely bake the gingerbread and cut it into cubes the day before. Store the cubes in a Ziploc bag on the counter. Also, make the whipped cream and store it in the fridge the day before. For best results, assemble the layers the same day you want to serve it. Hope this helps! 🙂