Heavenly layers of moist chocolate cake, mousse-like eggnog filling, creamy Nutella cheesecake filling, and rich Nutella!
The holidays are here, which means it’s time to whip out the gorgeous and ALWAYS impressive trifles!
Not only are trifles stunning in appearance, but they’re stunning in flavor as well. That’s why I like to make them for special occasions, like a big holiday event or a special family gathering. So if you’re on the hunt for a dessert that’s guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on your friends and family, I’ve got just the pièce de résistance for you…
Why You (and EVERYONE else) Will Love This Trifle
Eggnog + Nutella = Pure Bliss: I’m not sure why eggnog and Nutella aren’t a more popular flavor duo. With the hazelnut-kissed flavor of chocolatey Nutella and the creamy richness of eggnog, they truly are a match made in holiday heaven.
Serves a Crowd: One of the reasons why trifles are so perfect for the holidays is the fact that they can serve a lot of people. In fact, my trifle dish wasn’t even large enough to fit all of the cake and filling, so I had to make mini trifles out of the rest. (More on these later!)
Easy to Make and Assemble: This trifle is a lot easier to make than it looks. With a few simple shortcuts and some handy tips, this trifle comes together rather quickly. The best part? It can easily be made a day or two in advance, which is something all of us hosts can appreciate.
How To Make This Eggnog Nutella Trifle
Start with the Cake: One of my favorite shortcuts is using boxed cake mix. Not only do they bake up moist and delicious, but they take less than 5 minutes to throw together. For this recipe, I used a box of Devil’s Food cake mix, but any chocolate cake will do. I also added a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
Once you’ve made up the batter, pour it into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake it in a 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely while you work on the fillings for the trifle.
Make the Eggnog and Nutella Filling: To make the process quicker, I combined a couple of steps. The first is to whip the heavy cream for BOTH the eggnog and Nutella filling. You’ll whip 3 cups of heavy cream with 2 teaspoons of vanilla until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator until it’s time to use it.
Starting with the eggnog filling, you’ll return the mixing bowl to the stand mixer (no need to clean it), switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment, and beat 8 ounces of the cream cheese until smooth. Make sure that the cream cheese is room temperature to prevent a lumpy filling. Add the eggnog, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. I recommend adding 1/4 cup increments since the cream cheese has a tendency to break up into lumps when too much eggnog is added.
Once all of the eggnog has been incorporated, add a small box of instant vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Beat everything together until smooth and completely combined. Take the whipped cream you made earlier, and fold HALF of it into the eggnog filling. You might want to start by incorporating about a cup of whipped cream to loosen it up a little. Transfer the eggnog filling to another bowl, and place in the refrigerator. Note that the filling will thicken as it sits.
Now, it’s time to make the Nutella filling. After you’ve cleaned out the mixing bowl (and paddle attachment), place it back into the stand mixer. Add the last 8 ounces of cream cheese and 3/4 cup Nutella, beating until smooth and creamy. Fold in the remaining half of the whipped cream.
Assemble the Trifle: This is my favorite part! Take your cooled chocolate cake, and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place half of the cubes evenly into the bottom of a large trifle dish. Spoon half of the eggnog filling over the cake cubes, and spread into an even layer. Next, spread all of the Nutella filling evenly on top of the eggnog filling. Take 1/4 cup of Nutella and drizzle it evenly over the Nutella filling. I recommend heating the Nutella in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to thin it out a little, so it’s easier to drizzle. Repeat these steps with the cake, the rest of the eggnog filling, and a final drizzle of Nutella. Here’s a little recap of the order:
- Chocolate cake cubes
- Half of the eggnog filling
- All of the Nutella filling
- Drizzle of Nutella
- Chocolate cake cubes
- Half of the eggnog filling
- Drizzle of Nutella
At this point, the trifle can sit in the refrigerator for a day or two. On the day you serve it, decorate it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I whipped up 1 cup of heavy cream with a teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Then I piped the whipped cream along the border of the trifle. To make some chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler and run it along the edge of your favorite chocolate bar.
How big of a trifle dish do I need?
My trifle dish holds a little over three quarts, so I wasn’t quite able to fit all of the cake and filling in it. HOWEVER, if you have the same “dilemma” that I did, you can always make mini trifles with the leftover ingredients. I like to use pint-size mason jars since you can screw on a lid and freeze them for later. They also just look super cute, and they make great holiday gifts as well!
To say that this trifle was a massive hit with my friends and family would be a MAJOR understatement. Both kids and adults swooned over this dessert, and unsurprisingly, there wasn’t much left. All I have to say is thank goodness I had a few mini trifles stored away for myself…
Eggnog Nutella Trifle
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 box Devil's Food cake mix, plus ingredients to make it
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
Eggnog And Nutella Fillings:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 16 ounces cream cheese, divided (softened to room temp.)
- 1 ½ cups eggnog
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Nutella
To Assemble:
- ¼ cup Nutella, plus more for drizzling on top*
- Freshly-Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Shavings**
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Add espresso powder, if using. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and cool completely.
Make the Fillings:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla 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 8 ounces of the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually stir in the eggnog, about 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the eggnog has been added, add the pudding mix, spices, and salt. Beat on high for 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Add about half of the whipped cream to the bowl and mix until just combined. Transfer eggnog filling to a separate bowl, and clean the mixing bowl and paddle attachment.
- Place bowl back into stand mixer and attach paddle attachment. Place the last 8 ounces of cream cheese into the bowl along with the Nutella. Beat on high until completely combined. Add half of the remaining whipped cream to the bowl, beating until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
To Assemble:
- Cut the cake into bite-sized cubes. Place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle dish or bowl. Spoon half of the eggnog filling on top, spreading evenly. Spoon all of the Nutella filling evenly on top of the eggnog filling. Drizzle 1/4 cup Nutella evenly over the filling. Arrange the rest (or as much as you can fit) of the cake cubes on top, followed by the rest of the eggnog filling.***
- Drizzle extra Nutella all over the top of the trifle. Pipe whipped cream along the border and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.