Best Holiday Trifle

This holiday trifle is a unique showstopper of a dessert and is ridiculously easy. Every time I make it, I get raves because the presentation is beautifully dramatic and the flavors are unbeatable. Ideal for Christmas or Thanksgiving. When you bring this out, you will get "wow" from your guests. Make sure you include the topping, because that is what makes the presentation so elegant, belying the very easy nature of this recipe.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 399 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon rum (Optional)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package gingerbread cake mix
• 1 (30 ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
• 1 cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (12 ounce) tub thawed whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®)
• 10 gingersnap cookies

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine cake mix, water, and egg in a large bowl using a fork. Pour batter into an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 28 to 33 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Step 4

Combine pudding with milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit and cool completely with a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the surface, to prevent a skin from forming.

Step 5

Meanwhile, mix pumpkin filling, brown sugar, rum, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 6

Tear cooled cake into cubes or bite-size pieces. Arrange in a layer at the bottom of a large glass or trifle bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture over cake; layer 1/2 of the whipped topping over pumpkin. Repeat layers.

Step 7

Pulverize 2 gingersnap cookies in a food processor or place in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin or mallet. Dust over trifle. Stand 8 whole gingersnap cookies up around the circumference of the trifle.

Step 8

Cover trifle with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 24 to 48 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.