Texas Sheet Cake Trifle
Texas Sheet Cake Trifle is nothing short of “sinful,” according to my friends. It’s so rich, so decadent, so chocolaty, so mouthwatering you won’t want to stop eating bite after delectable bite. This sensational dessert uses Texas Sheet Cake, Texas Sheet Cake Icing, chocolate pudding and Cool Whip layered in a trifle dish for the ultimate chocolate dessert to die for!
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This dessert started out as a flop. No kidding. I mean an unqualified disaster. I was trying to make Texas Sheet Cake Brownies for a backyard cookout we were having at our house a couple of weeks ago. I found a great looking recipe on Pinterest. But when I tried it, I couldn’t get the cake mixture out of the miniature muffin tins without it crumbling or falling apart.
I had several pans of cakey muffins on my counter and just couldn’t bring myself to throw it all out. So I sent my husband to the store for some chocolate pudding and Cool Whip and decided to use the crumbles of Texas Sheet Cake in trifle form instead. I was grateful for the inspiration.
One of our guests tried it and said it was just plain sinful, it was so good. After that, everyone wanted a piece–even the kids were digging out the crumbs. I was lucky enough to scrape up one bite–just one bite–for myself before the dessert was cleaned out. Oh my. It was divine. Texas Sheet Cake Trifle turned an unmitigated disaster into a spectacular dessert that everyone fought over! That sure made me feel good. 🙂
I won’t kid you. This dessert is a good bit of work to put together. First you make the Texas Sheet Cake Brownies in muffin tins. Quite frankly, since it just has to be crumbled it would be easier to just go ahead and bake the cake on a sheet pan and then cut into one-inch pieces.
Then you have to make up the icing and finally you have to make up the pudding. So after making these three things, then you can assemble the dessert in a trifle dish. Even still, if you aren’t afraid of a little work, this dessert is a chocolate lover’s dream. It’s creamy and so heavenly you and your family members will fight over the last bite. 🙂
This delicious recipe is featured at Favorite Southern Recipes here.
Texas Sheet Cake Trifle is a heavenly chocolate dessert that has triple chocolate flavor. Chocolate cake, chocolate icing and chocolate pudding. Amazing.
Our company thought this dessert was so rich and decadent that it was sinful! It was hard trying not to be gluttonous.
Every bite of Texas Sheet Cake Trifle is so heavenly that it’s hard to stop eating.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the cake crumbles.
Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa and water. Heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and cool.
Pour chocolate mixture into large mixing bowl. Add sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla and sour cream.
Whisk ingredients to combine.
I poured these into greased miniature muffin tins. But it would be easier to bake this in a greased and floured 11×17″ cookie sheet with edges. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until done. (A sheet cake may take longer to bake). Cool and remove from pans with a knife. Crumble cake or cut into 1-inch bite sized pieces. Set aside.
I used these ingredients to make the Texas Sheet Cake Icing.
Place butter in a small saucepan. Add cocoa and milk.
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add vanilla, powdered sugar and pecans.
Stir to combine. This needs to be kept over a very low heat so the icing stays of drizzling capacity. Otherwise, the icing will harden to fudge and you will have to re-heat it to soften it enough to drizzle over dessert.
I used these ingredients to make the pudding layer.
Mix chocolate pudding, condensed milk and water with an electric mixer until thickened. Add Cool Whip.
Stir to combine and set aside.
Now we’re ready to assemble the dessert. The icing is in the red saucepan. The chocolate pudding/filling is in the white bowl on the top left. The Texas Sheet Cake crumbles are in the bowl on the top right.
Place one-third of the cake crumbles into trifle dish.
Top with one-third of the pudding and drizzle one-fourth of the icing over top. Repeat layers twice.
Top with remaining Cool Whip and drizzle remaining icing over top.
Top with maraschino cherries to serve.
This is great made in parfait glasses as well.
Here’s an interior view of Texas Sheet Cake Trifle.
The Texas Sheet Cake icing drizzled over the top adds a rich, fudgy topping that’s quite delectable.
Here’s the recipe.
TEXAS SHEET CAKE TRIFLE
(My own concoction)
Texas Sheet Cake Trifle
Equipment
- 1 large trifle dish
- 1 11x17" cookie sheet or jelly roll pan or miniature muffin tins (either will work)
- 2 small sauce pans
- 1 whisk
- 2 wooden spoons
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut cake in cubes
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 heaping tbsp. cocoa
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
- 1/4 cup water
- 16 oz. container cool whip or other non-dairy whipped topping
- 3.4 oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
CHOCOLATE ICING:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 6 tbsp. 2% milk
- 5 tbsp. cocoa
- 1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans finely diced
- 10 Maraschino cherries with stems for garnish
Instructions
CAKE:
- Grease miniature muffin tins (or you can bake this on a greased 11x17” cookie sheet).
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
- Add cocoa and water.
- Whisk to combine.
- Once butter melts, turn off heat and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
- Add granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Whisk or mix with an electric mixer to combine.
- Pour mixture into greased muffin tins about two-thirds full.
- Bake at 350° about 15-20 minutes or until brownies bounce back when touched.
- If baking in cookie sheet allow extra time.
- Cool 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from muffin tins and place in bowl.
- Otherwise, invert cake and cut into one-inch pieces.
- Set aside.
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
- Mix chocolate pudding, condensed milk and water with an electric mixer until mixture is thick.
- Stir in half of the container of Cool Whip.
- Set aside.
CHOCOLATE ICING:
- Melt butter with milk and cocoa in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.
- Stir or whisk to combine.
- Keep mixture over low heat until ready to assemble, so the mixture is pourable.
TO ASSEMBLE TRIFLE:
- Crumble cake into one-inch pieces (they do not have to be perfect—bite-sized pieces are what you want).
- Place a layer of about one-third of the cake pieces in trifle dish.
- Place one-third of the chocolate filling over top.
- Drizzle one-fourth of the chocolate icing over top of pudding layer.
- Repeat layers twice.
- Smooth remaining whipped topping over top.
- Drizzle remaining one-fourth of chocolate icing over top.
- Garnish with maraschino cherries, as desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- [b]CAKE:[/b][br]
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups Gold Medal UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla[br]
- [b]CHOCOLATE FILLING:[/b][br]
- 14-oz. can condensed milk
- ¼ cup water
- 16-oz. container Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping, divided use
- 3.5-oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
- maraschino cherries with stems for garnish[br]
- [b]CHOCOLATE ICING:[/b][br]
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp. milk
- 5 tbsp. cocoa
- 1 lb. confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup finely diced pecans (or walnuts can be used)
- Grease miniature muffin tins (or you can bake this on a greased 11×17” cookie sheet).
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
- Add cocoa and water.
- Whisk to combine.
- Once butter melts, turn off heat and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
- Add sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Whisk or mix with an electric mixer to combine.
- Pour mixture into greased muffin tins about two-thirds full.
- Bake at 350° about 15-20 minutes or until brownies bounce back when touched.
- If baking in cookie sheet allow extra time.
- Cool 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from muffin tins and place in bowl.
- Otherwise, invert cake and cut into one-inch pieces.
- Set aside.[br]
- Mix chocolate pudding, condensed milk and water with an electric mixer until mixture is thick.
- Stir in half of the container of Cool Whip.
- Set aside.[br]
- Melt butter with milk and cocoa.
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.
- Stir to combine.
- Keep mixture over low heat until ready to assemble, so the mixture is pourable.[br]
- Crumble cake into one-inch pieces (they do not have to be perfect—bite-sized pieces are what you want).
- Place a layer of about one-third of the cake pieces in trifle dish.
- Place one-third of the chocolate filling over top.
- Drizzle one-fourth of the chocolate icing over top of pudding layer.
- Repeat layers twice.
- Smooth remaining whipped topping over top.
- Drizzle remaining one-fourth of chocolate icing over top.
- Garnish with maraschino cherries, as desired.
If you love chocolate, you’ll surely get your chocolate fix after eating this scrumptious dessert. Layers of Cool Whip and chocolate pudding make this dessert soft and creamy.
Texas Sheet Cake Trifle was my way of turning a bomb into one of the best desserts we’ve ever eaten.
Doesn’t Texas Sheet Cake Trifle look sensational?
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Texas Sheet Cake Trifle
Equipment
- 1 large trifle dish
- 1 11×17" cookie sheet or jelly roll pan or miniature muffin tins (either will work)
- 2 small sauce pans
- 1 whisk
- 2 wooden spoons
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut cake in cubes
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 heaping tbsp. cocoa
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
- 1/4 cup water
- 16 oz. container cool whip or other non-dairy whipped topping
- 3.4 oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
CHOCOLATE ICING:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 6 tbsp. 2% milk
- 5 tbsp. cocoa
- 1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans finely diced
- 10 Maraschino cherries with stems for garnish
Instructions
CAKE:
- Grease miniature muffin tins (or you can bake this on a greased 11×17” cookie sheet).
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
- Add cocoa and water.
- Whisk to combine.
- Once butter melts, turn off heat and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
- Add granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Whisk or mix with an electric mixer to combine.
- Pour mixture into greased muffin tins about two-thirds full.
- Bake at 350° about 15-20 minutes or until brownies bounce back when touched.
- If baking in cookie sheet allow extra time.
- Cool 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from muffin tins and place in bowl.
- Otherwise, invert cake and cut into one-inch pieces.
- Set aside.
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
- Mix chocolate pudding, condensed milk and water with an electric mixer until mixture is thick.
- Stir in half of the container of Cool Whip.
- Set aside.
CHOCOLATE ICING:
- Melt butter with milk and cocoa in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.
- Stir or whisk to combine.
- Keep mixture over low heat until ready to assemble, so the mixture is pourable.
TO ASSEMBLE TRIFLE:
- Crumble cake into one-inch pieces (they do not have to be perfect—bite-sized pieces are what you want).
- Place a layer of about one-third of the cake pieces in trifle dish.
- Place one-third of the chocolate filling over top.
- Drizzle one-fourth of the chocolate icing over top of pudding layer.
- Repeat layers twice.
- Smooth remaining whipped topping over top.
- Drizzle remaining one-fourth of chocolate icing over top.
- Garnish with maraschino cherries, as desired.
8 Comments
Rhonda Sittig
February 10, 2017 at 10:43 pm
Left a comment and I don’t see if it came through.
Don’t want to leave the same thing again…
Hmmm. Could you let me know?
Love the Trifle!!
Teresa
February 11, 2017 at 10:08 am
Hi, Rhonda, did you leave the one about using whipped cream? The is delicious I hope you give it a try. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.
Anonymous
February 10, 2017 at 8:20 pm
HI Teresa– this looks like something we would really like around our house! I make Texas sheet cake (since we lived in Texas 40 years ago when Larry was in school there) and would love to try this. If you would like to use real whipped cream (which is not as stable as cool whip for a recipe like this), I just whip a pint of cream with a tablespoon of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of instant vanilla pudding powder– it sets it enough to make it last well in a dessert!). Fun recipe– and so many yummy photos!! thanks! xox
Teresa
February 10, 2017 at 9:26 pm
So hope you enjoy the recipe. We really loved it. Love your idea about real whipped cream, too.
Shari Kelley
June 27, 2016 at 5:00 pm
This is really brilliant, Teresa! Even if you did get the idea from a disaster. I bet that’s how a lot of good recipes come about. I love Texas Sheet Cake and pudding so this would be just heaven to me!
Teresa
June 27, 2016 at 5:45 pm
It really was heaven, Shari. And, yes, it was a super big disaster before deciding to go with a trifle. But it ended up being so delightful that everyone kept having multiple helpings. It’s really a fun dessert and everyone loves all the fluffy, creamy layers.
John
June 27, 2016 at 4:37 pm
Cool Whip? Come on Teresa. That is fake food.
Teresa
June 27, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Sorry to disappoint you, John. It has better texture than real whipped cream. 🙁 But if you can come up with a natural alternative spread, feel free to send me the recipe and I’ll feature it here on my blog!