Eggnog Carrot Cake Trifle

Cubes of fluffy carrot cake layered with rich caramel sauce and a creamy eggnog filling!

Happy Post-Thanksgiving, everyone!

Is it just me, or is Christmastime starting earlier and earlier each year? Seriously…they already had Santa Claus at our local shopping mall two whole weeks ago, which was about a week and a half BEFORE Thanksgiving. C’mon Santa, can’t you wait your turn??

Speaking of mall Santas…that’s got to be the worst job ever. I thought being president would take the cake when it came to sucky jobs, but mall Santa is probably just as bad. Think about it…holding stinky babies who’ve sharted their diapers out of pure terror, juggling toddlers who don’t understand why the big hairy man in the creepy red suit is an OK stranger to talk to, and listening to entitled little brats who want the latest iPhone for Christmas…no thank you.

I guess one good thing about Christmas starting earlier and earlier is that it allows us to enjoy all of the wonderful holiday flavors longer. One of those flavors being EGGNOG. 

Like pumpkin, I can never get enough of ANYthing eggnog-flavored. Whether it’s Eggnog cookies (like these Eggnog Snickerdoodles), Eggnog ice cream, Eggnog fudge, or Eggnog cupcakes, I’ll inhale anything flavored with that wonderfully rich beverage. And that’s pretty much what I did with this bad boy…

Fact: Carrot Cake and Eggnog BELONG together. This Eggnog Carrot Cake is proof of that!

Seriously, it’s an absolute travesty that these two phenomenal treats aren’t paired up more often. It makes total sense that they would be the best of friends since they’re both flavored with spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe it’s because carrot cake is viewed more as an Easter dessert, while Eggnog is usually only around during Christmastime.

Carrot cake might not be the first cake on people’s minds this time of year, but to me, it’s good ANY time of year. And the really nice thing is that you can feel kinda sorta healthy while eating it since it’s made with carrots. Forget the fact that it’s loaded with oil and sugar…that’s beside the point. 

To make things easy on you (mostly me) during this stressful holiday season, this carrot cake actually starts out with a cake mix. To create that from-scratch flavor, all it takes is just a few flavor enhancers–grated carrots, crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, walnuts, and a dash of vanilla. While I do love me some raisins in my carrot cake, I decided to leave them out this time. However, feel free to add some if you so wish.

As for the lusciously creamy eggnog filling, just beat together some cream cheese and of course, a generous dose of eggnog. Add a package of white chocolate (or vanilla) instant pudding along with a dash of cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Then finally, add some of that light and airy volume with some freshly-whipped whipped cream. 

Adding to the decadence of this trifle is a layer of smooth caramel. Not only is there a layer of caramel in the center, but there’s also a final drizzle on top. One could say that I added it for looks, but it’s mostly an excuse to fill this dessert with even MORE butter and sugar. But hey, it’s the holidays, which means calories don’t matter.

Then again, do calories EVER matter on this blog?

I can’t think of a more perfect way to combine two of my favorite indulgences than this trifle. It hands-down exceeded my expectations with its euphoric explosion of textures and heavenly flavors. Soft and sweetly-spiced carrot cake, creamy eggnog-infused filling, velvety caramel, and toasty walnuts ALL in one bite…dessert coma accomplished.

Eggnog Carrot Cake Trifle

Cubes of fluffy carrot cake layered with rich caramel sauce and a creamy eggnog filling!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 33 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 53 minutes mins

Servings 12 Servings

Ingredients

  

Carrot Cake:

• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
• 1 box carrot cake mix* plus ingredients to make it
• 5 ounces freshly-grated carrots
• ⅔ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Eggnog Filling:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 ½ cup eggnog
• 1 (3.56 oz) box white chocolate pudding**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

To Assemble:

• 1 cup caramel sauce plus more for drizzling***
• Chopped toasted walnuts
• Whipped Cream
• Cinnamon

Instructions

 

Make the Carrot Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Drain crushed pineapple, but reserve 1/2 cup of the juice. Prepare cake mix according to package instructions (with oil, eggs, and water), substituting 1/2 cup of the water with the reserved pineapple juice. Add the grated carrots, walnuts, and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-33 minutes or until cake springs back when you gently press on it. Allow cake to cool completely.

Make the Eggnog Filling:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and return bowl to mixer. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually stir in the eggnog, about 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all eggnog has been added, add pudding mix, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat on high for 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Add about a third of the whipped cream to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

To Assemble:

• Slice carrot cake into cubes, then layer half of them into the bottom of a clear bowl/trifle dish. Spread half of the eggnog filling on top of the cake. Evenly drizzle caramel sauce over the filling. Layer the remaining half of the cake on top of the caramel, followed by the rest of the eggnog filling. Sprinkle walnuts over the trifle, then drizzle extra caramel over top. Pipe a border of whipped cream dollops and finish with a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

*I used Betty Crocker brand.

**Vanilla pudding can be used as well.

***I used Smucker's hot caramel topping.