Black Forest Trifle

Name: Black Forest Trifle
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 600 g frozen cherries, thawed (4 cups); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp kirsch; 1 cup 35% cream; 2 tbsp icing sugar; 1/3 cup sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla; 114 g dark chocolate, (scant 1 cup), chopped and melted; 800 g Devon custard; 300 g chocolate cookies; 30 g shaved milk or white chocolate, (1/4 cup)

183

Prep Time20 min
Total Time4 h 20 min
Makes16 servings

By Chatelaine

no-bake desserts: Black Forest Trifle with cherries

Black Forest trifle. (Photo: Erik Putz)

This decadent Black Forest trifle with cherries is a holiday party waiting to happen. It's easy to make ahead (and tastes even better the next day).

Ingredients

600 g frozen cherries, thawed (4 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp kirsch
1 cup 35% cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
114 g dark chocolate, (scant 1 cup), chopped and melted
800 g Devon custard
300 g chocolate cookies
30 g shaved milk or white chocolate, (1/4 cup)

Instructions

STIR cherries and juices with granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium.
WHISK cornstarch with 2 tbsp water and add to cherry mixture. Cook, stirring until thickened, 8 to 10 min. Stir in kirsch. Transfer to a bowl.
REFRIGERATE until cool, about 1 hour. Strain cherry mixture; reserve cherries and half of the liquid.
BEAT cream and icing sugar in a bowl, using an electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
STIR melted dark chocolate into Devon custard. Spoon cherries onto bottom of a 3-L trifle bowl. Reserve half of the cookies, then arrange remaining cookies overtop.
COVER with custard mixture, then cream mixture. Layer reserved cookies overtop. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with milk chocolate and white chocolate shavings, and serve with reserved cherry liquid.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 298, Protein 4g, Carbohydrates 34g, Fat 16g, Fibre 2g, Sodium 131mg.

Get more of our festive trifle and pudding recipes.

Get our classic holiday menus.

A photo of a tree adorned with polaroids of smiling faces and the words "find more holiday ideas" on a pink banner

Assorted cookies on a pink background with the words in white "Find more Christmas cookie recipes"

Chatelaine

Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.

FILED UNDER:

Recipes baking Christmas entertaining Desserts Holiday

Copy link

The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.