Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream

Although we spend most of December baking Christmas cookies, I don’t know many people who actually have cookies for dessert on Christmas. When you’re all cookie’d out and need a beautiful and festive dessert for your Christmas table, I’ve got you covered with this Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream.

It’s got layers of warmly spiced gingerbread cake, homemade whipped cream, pomegranates and pecans drizzled with gooey caramel sauce. So heavenly. And so very pretty.

What is a trifle?

The trifle 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 jelly or cream. 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 trifles. 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.

What’s in this Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream

The primary ingredient of this trifle is gingerbread cake. It’s a simple quickbread recipe that makes two loaves. You can even make bake it several days in advance if you want to.

I like a really generous appearance when I make this trifle, so I use both loaves. If you’re only feeding a few, you can certainly use just one loaf and save the other for another time.

Next, my favorite part. The whipped cream. It’s made with a little bit of sour cream which gives it a really cool tang and helps cut the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon. I’ve definitely been found eating the cream off a spoon while standing at the kitchen counter. Don’t judge.

We’re garnishing these lovely layers with pomegranate seeds, chopped pecans and caramel sauce. There’s no shame in using jarred caramel sauce. It’s much easier and less temperamental than trying to make your own caramel.

How to make this Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream

This elegant dessert is easy to assemble and you can prep most of it in advance. Here are the steps:

• Start by baking the actual gingerbread. Once it’s completely cooled, cut it into cubes. Divide the cubes into 3 equal piles to make the layers, and put the first layer of cubes at the bottom of the trifle dish.

• Make the homemade whipped cream. 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. This will help reduce some of the inevitable splatter that happens when you start whipping cream with a handheld mixer on high speed. Place dollops of whipped cream 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.

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 rare event that you have leftovers, you can cover it and store it in the fridge for a few more days. Surprisingly, it keeps!

I hope your family will love this Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream as much as we do. I can’t think of a sweeter ending to a holiday.

And when you make it, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!

For more holiday dessert recipes, try these:

• Holiday Spice Cake
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chai Spice Creme Brulee

For more gingerbread recipes, try these:

• Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
• Gingerbread Monkey Bread Using Grands Biscuits
• Mini Gingerbread Cakes with Lemon Glaze

Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream

Easy recipe for elegant layered Christmas dessert with pomegranate and pecans

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

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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
• 2 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

The Bourbon Cream

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 Tbsp. bourbon
• 1 1/2 cups crushed pecans
• 1 cup pomegranate arils
• caramel topping

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. Then whisk the water-baking soda mixture into the egg mixture.
• Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 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 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.

Keyword dessert, holiday

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