This may be the best fall dessert ever.

Layers of moist spice cake, maple cream pudding, and pillowy whipped cream studded with crunchy toffee bites, this trifle is hard to beat.

If you get tired of Caramel Apple Crisp Pie or Amazing  Apple Crisp, this fills the need for pumpkin.   It’s perfect for those fall get togethers when you need something to bring that serves plenty of people, looks impressive, and tastes amazing. It’s also pretty easy to make. I think it could easily serve 10-12 people depending, of course, on how much they like it.

You’ll start by making a pumpkin spice cake.

Beat 1/2 c. room temperature butter,

with 1 1/4 c. sugar for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the mixer bowl.

Add 1 c. pumpkin,

and 1 tsp. vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 c. unbleached flour,

1/4 tsp. baking powder,

1 tsp. baking soda,

1/2 tsp. salt,

1 tsp. cinnamon,

and 1/4 tsp. cloves.

Now, add 1/2 c. buttermilk to the egg mixture, alternate adding buttermilk with adding the dry ingredients as well.

Begin and end with the dry mixture.  Mix well.

Pour the batter into two 8 inch cake pans that have been buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick or knife.

Once it has completely cooled cut it into cubes.

Now for the maple pudding:

Heat 3 cups milk,

1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

and 2 tsp. maple extract over medium-low heat.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix the following:

3/4 c. sugar,

4 T. cornstarch,

and a pinch of salt.

Add in 6 egg yolks.

When the milk is just starting to simmer, add a cup to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly, to temper the eggs.

Add that whole mixture back to the pot whisking constantly and cook until it bubbles and thickens.  Do NOT stop whisking,  Pudding burns easily to the bottom so just stand there and whisk until it’s thick.

Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. butter.

Let cool completely in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Perfect Pumpkin Trifle

 

Print

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

1 hour 25 mins

 

Layers of spice cake from scratch, homemade maple pudding, and whipped cream with toffee make this a crowd favorite.

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Serves: 10 servings

Grocery List

• Pumpkin Spice Cake:
• ½ c. butter
• 1¼ c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. unbleached flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. cloves
• ½ c. buttermilk
• Maple Pudding:
• 3 c. milk
• 2 tsp. maple extract
• ½ tsp. vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• ¾ c. sugar
• 4 T. cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 T. butter
• 1 pt. (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• 2 toffee candy bars

Here's how...

1. To make the spice cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
4. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with ½ c. buttermilk. Mix well.
7. Pour the batter into two 8 inch cake pans that have been buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cakes tests done with a toothpick.
9. Cool completely and cut into cubes.
10. In a large bowl, whip 2 boxes of instant cheesecake pudding into 2 c. of cold milk for 2 minutes. Let it stand until thickened.
11. Whip 2 c. of heavy cream until it has soft peaks and sweeten it with 4 T. of powdered sugar during the last 30 seconds.
12. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding.
13. In a very large clear bowl (or trifle bowl) layer one third of the cake cubes, one third of the pudding, and sprinkle the whole thing with toffee pieces.
14. Repeat the layers two times.
15. Dust the top with cinnamon and additional toffee sprinkles.
16. Refrigerate until serving time -- overnight if possible.
17. May also be assembled into individual mason jars.

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