Description
This Witches Brew Halloween Trifle is a spooky, layered dessert featuring chocolate or red velvet cake, pistachio pudding, cherry cream cheese mixture, whipped cream, and festive toppings like green mints and candy eyes. Perfect for Halloween parties, it combines creamy, fruity, and nutty flavors with a creepy-cool presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Spumoni Trifle
- 1 8-inch chocolate cake or red velvet cake (store-bought, mix, or homemade)
- 2 99 g packages pistachio instant pudding
- 1 540 ml can cherry pie filling
- 1 8 oz package light cream cheese
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
Toppings
- 20-25 large green mints (Scotch green mints)
- 5 white mints for eyeballs (Scotch white mints) or Jumbo candy eyes
- Black edible marker
- Red edible marker
- 5-10 small candy eyes
- Oreo cookie crumbs for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make the worms: Prepare the gummy worms a day in advance to allow them to set overnight for best texture and flavor integration.
- Prepare pistachio pudding: In a large bowl, make the pistachio pudding according to the package instructions and set aside.
- Whip cream: In a large mixing bowl, beat whipping cream to soft peaks, then add white granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Prepare cherry cream cheese mixture: Beat the cream cheese for 30 seconds until smooth. Add the cherry pie filling and beat until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Stir in the sliced almonds.
- Assemble the trifle: Break the cake into pieces and place at the bottom of a cauldron or trifle dish. Pour half of the pistachio pudding over the cake layer. Top with the cherry cream cheese mixture, then add all of the whipped cream. Finish with the remaining pistachio pudding on top.
- Decorate the eyeballs: Use a black edible marker to draw a circle on the white mints, and add red lines with a red edible marker for bloodshot eyes. Alternatively, use jumbo candy eyes.
- Add toppings: Place the green mints and small candy eyes on top of the trifle. Sprinkle Oreo cookie crumbs under the gummy worms and lightly on top if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- The gummy worms require preparation a day ahead as they need overnight setting to achieve the proper texture.
- If mints are left on the trifle for an extended time, the mint flavor will seep into the dessert; add mints just before serving if you prefer less mint flavor.
- Using a cauldron-style bowl enhances the Halloween effect, but a trifle bowl works well as an alternative.
- You can substitute store-bought jumbo candy eyes for white mints if preferred.
- For a lighter dessert, use light or reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced sugar in the whipped cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
