Pumpkin Trifle
One of the nice things about this trifle is the way it uses up leftover cakes that never seem to get eaten It's convenient, too—it tastes like a traditional pumpkin pie, even though you don't have to make a crust or bake it.
One of the nice things about this trifle is the way it uses up leftover cakes that never seem to get eaten It's convenient, too—it tastes like a traditional pumpkin pie, even though you don't have to make a crust or bake it.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 15 oz solid-pack pumpkin
- 2 to 3 cups leftover crumbled unfrosted spice cake muffins or gingerbread
- 2-1/2 cups cold milk
- 4 boxes instant butterscotch pudding mix 3.4 ounces each
- maraschino cherries optional
- Carbohydrate 45.9571876709234 g
- Cholesterol 31.8533333333333 mg
- Fat 10.9225507507218 g
- Fiber 1.62011400386477 g
- Protein 3.68756195224038 g
- Saturated Fat 5.91442831234981 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -15 (159g)
- Sodium 317.813708975801 mg
- Sugar 44.3370736670586 g
- Trans Fat 0.62674722271596 g
- Calories 292 calories
Step-by-step
- Set aside 1/4 cup of cake crumbs for topping. Divide remaining crumbs into four portions; sprinkle one portion into a trifle bowl or 3-qt. serving bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices; beat until smooth. Spoon half into the serving bowl. Sprinkle with a second portion of crumbs. In a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; spoon half into bowl.
- Sprinkle with a third portion of crumbs. Top with the remaining pumpkin mixture, then remaining portion of crumbs and whipped cream. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs around the edge of bowl. Garnish with cherries if desired. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Layered desserts depend entirely on contrast, and this trifle balances dense, spiced cake crumbs against an airy cloud of whipped cream and a dense, starch-thickened pumpkin custard. When constructing layered desserts in deep glass vessels, visibility dictates visual appeal. Using a straight-sided 3-quart glass bowl ensures that each distinct stratum of crumb, pudding, and cream remains visible from the exterior. Direct culinary transformation of stale baked goods requires moisture management. Because dry cake absorbs liquid rapidly without dissolving into mush, stale unfrosted spice cake or gingerbread cut into fragments provides structural integrity while softening slightly during the chilling phase. Instant pudding mixes rely on modified starches that hydrate rapidly in cold milk, meaning the custard thickens within minutes of initial agitation. Thorough beating ensures complete dispersion of the solid-pack pumpkin puree and ground spices before the mixture begins to set. Chilling the assembled dessert for a minimum of two hours allows the starches to fully stabilize and permits the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice to permeate the surrounding dairy components. Storing the covered bowl in a refrigerator operating at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit keeps the dairy safe while preventing the whipped cream from weeping into the pudding layer. Because heavy whipping cream contains high fat content, whipping it to stiff peaks rather than soft peaks guarantees that the cream retains its structural definition under the weight of subsequent layers. Reserve a small portion of the dry crumbs specifically for the final garnish to prevent them from absorbing moisture prematurely and losing their textural snap.
