This Cheat’s Chocolate Trifle comes together in one easy session without needing to wait for any layers to chill. There’s swiss roll, chocolate custard, angel delight, chocolate spread and fresh cream. All topped off with chocolate chips. When I say it’s extra easy, I really do mean it but more importantly, it’s absolutely delicious too!
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After the roaring success of my Cheat’s Jubilee Trifle and Cheat’s Coronation Trifle, I have a taste for making delicious trifles that are as easy to possible to make. This might be my most cheaty recipe yet, you don’t even need to let any of the layers chill before adding the next. The addition of chocolate spread for an extra hit of rich chocolate flavour is the crowning glory to this recipe.
When researching existing chocolate trifle recipes, I found that there was a lack of different layers in most options out there. Unless you’re trying to make a chocolate and fruit trifle, there is no fruit layer to add. And a chocolate jelly layer would quite frankly be weird. So I hit on the idea of using both chocolate custard and a layer of angel delight. The flavours are a little different, as are the textures so it worked perfectly.
How to Serve Chocolate Trifle
I will say upfront that this chocolate trifle doesn’t set as firm as some like my retro sherry trifle recipe. So serving really is a case of getting the biggest spoon you can and digging right down to the bottom then dolloping into a bowl!
Trifle’s aren’t the most aesthetic of desserts once they’ve started to be served and this is no exception. If this doesn’t appeal, you can split the recipe ingredients between individual serving bowls instead and then everyone can have their own nice and neat serving.
Trifle is really an all in one dessert, you don’t need to serve anything else with it unless of course you want more cream in which case I certainly won’t be judging!
Easy Chocolate Trifle Ingredients
Chocolate Swiss Roll
I chose to use a chocolate swiss roll which not only has a chocolate sponge but a chocolate filling too. I used two 228g swiss rolls from Aldi. You could absolutely use a swiss roll with a vanilla filling. You can buy swiss rolls with a hard chocolate outer layer too or even a frosted yule log. Any of these would make a great base for the trifle.
If you wanted to use a cake that isn’t swiss roll, you absolutely can. Use chocolate brownies cut into small pieces, or any chocolate cake you fancy really – either homemade or shop bought.
Chocolate Spread
This is my stroke of genius addition to the trifle. I have just used a straight up chocolate spread and not a chocolate hazelnut spread like Nutella or any the available knock off versions.
If you want the addition of that nutella flavour then you absolutely can use that instead. In fact you can use any flavoured chocolate spread you wish. But I did enjoy the simplicity of basic chocolate spread.
Chocolate Custard
I’ve used ready made canned custard in this recipe. I did go branded and buy the Ambrosia version – there aren’t too many other options from what I can find in the UK. Except for maybe a rather expensive carton from Jude’s.
If you want to make up some custard, you can add a couple of good spoonfuls of cocoa powder to some custard powder custard. Or you can switch the ginger for cocoa powder and make it from scratch using my ginger custard recipe. If you choose to make up the custard, you’ll need to do this in advance and make sure it is fully cooled before adding to the trifle.
Chocolate Angel Delight
Chocolate flavour angel delight or any number of similar supermarket versions are readily available.
I suggest using less milk than the packet instructions suggest and using whole milk rather than semi-skimmed. I’ve included these quantities in the recipe card. This sets the angel delight just that little bit firmer which is ideal for the trifle.
Cream
You can use double or whipping cream (heavy cream in the US). Its just needs whipping fairly lightly then piling on top of the trifle.
A little bit of icing sugar helps stabilise the cream and prevent it from splitting as it sits. If you want to go heavier on the cream layer, you can double the amount in the recipe as I’ve kept it on the lighter side.
Chocolate Chips
You really can decorate the trifle with anything you like – I opted to keep things simple with chocolate chips. But you could shave or grate a chocolate bar, use any of your favourite chocolates, sprinkles or break up a regular chocolate bar like a flake or Galaxy ripple.
Be Flexible
You can consider this recipe a basic guide. Add in any other layer or flavours you fancy. Change the type of cake, use a chocolate orange spread, add a layer of toasted nuts or omit a layer entirely. Adding a fruit layer is good too – I love black cherries.
I’ve not used any alcohol to soak the sponge layer of this trifle to make it a little more child friendly. But you could add coffee and marsala for more of a tiramisu vibe. Or Bailey’s Irish Cream would be a classic choice.
Or try one of my other trifle based recipes…
Vegetarian or Vegan Chocolate Trifle
This recipe is vegetarian as written.
To make it vegan would take quite a lot of work. You basically need to look for and buy vegan versions of the swiss roll, custard and chocolate spread. Angel delight mix contains milk and isn’t vegan so you would probably need to omit the layer or look for an alternative. And there are plant based whipping creams available for the final layer.
Make Allergy Friendly Cheat’s Chocolate Trifle
This recipe is free from nuts.
Gluten Free: The only layer in the trifle that contains gluten is the swiss roll cake layer. Swap in any gluten free chocolate cake or swiss roll if available.
Egg Free: Again the swiss roll will more than likely contain egg. Look for a free-from version and swap that in. You will also need to make sure that the custard you choose to use doesn’t contain any egg. The Ambrosia branded chocolate custard that I used was egg free.
Dairy Free: As I’ve mentioned above when talking how to make the trifle suitable for vegans, you would need to look for vegan substitutions for every layer of the recipe.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
Equipment Notes for Extra Easy Chocolate Trifle
You don’t need much in the way of special equipment to make this trifle at all. A microwave is helpful but you can warm the chocolate spread in a small saucepan on the stove if you need to.
An electric hand mixer will make whipping the angel delight and then cream a breeze. You can use a regular whisk and do it by hand, it’ll just take a little longer.
The Trifle Bowl
The main consideration is the dish that you’re going to serve it in. This is a slightly larger trifle than the other’s I’ve made. It easily serves 8 if not more as it is quite rich. Some of the trifle dishes you can buy will easily serve 16 to 20 and I don’t have that many friends. You can double this recipe to fill one if you wish.
Any 3.5 pint / 2 litre trifle dish will be perfect for this recipe. If you need to use a bigger dish, aim for something that is taller rather than wider. It doesn’t matter if the trifle doesn’t rise over the rim of the bowl. The one I have used in this post is simply a glass fruit bowl from Tesco. The slightly smaller dish I used for my Sherry Trifle recipe was picked up at a car boot sale for £1. It is always worth keeping your eye out.
I often make trifles in a glass soufflé dish which holds 3 pints or 1.7 litres, has a diameter of 18cm/7inch and height of 8cm/3inch. The fact that it has straight sides made the layers really stand out. I can’t find exactly the same dish to link to online. This Pyrex Soufflé Dish is the same type but a little larger.
You could alternatively just use a regular glass mixing bowl – you don’t need to have something fancy for a trifle. And you may well have something like this in your kitchen anyway.
A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.
Get Ahead
This is a really good trifle to get ahead of the game with. It will sit very well in the fridge for a couple of days. You can stop at any point of the layering process and pick up again whenever you need.
The only layer than should be added the same day it is going to be served is the whipped cream. You can do it the day before if you really need to be the same day would be best.
Leftover Chocolate Trifle
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Keep digging in an eating as you please. The trifle will not freeze so leftovers do need to be used up.
Easy Chocolate Trifle Tips
This trifle largely uses shop bought products. Things might be slightly different sizes and slightly different textures etc. Don’t let this throw you, this recipe is super forgiving in regards to quantities, a little more or less of something won’t harm it.
Be gentle when adding each layer. To keep things quite neat you will need to be careful that you’re not disturbing the last layer as you add the next. It will taste the same either way but if you want a show stopping trifle with lots of layer in a nice glass bowl, just spend a few minutes.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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More Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
The Recipe
Cheat’s Chocolate Trifle (Extra Easy Recipe)
Equipment
- Glass Trifle Dish 2l/3.5pt
- Electric Hand Mixer or hand whisk
Ingredients
- 450 g Chocolate Swiss Roll
- 200 g Chocolate Spread
- 118 g Chocolate Angel Delight/Pudding Mix Powder
- 500 ml Whole/Full Fat Milk
- 800 g Chocolate Custard
- 300 ml Double Cream (Heavy Cream)
- 1 tbsp Icing Sugar (Confectioner's Sugar)
- 40 g Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Slice half of the 450g Chocolate Swiss Roll into 8 thick slices.
- Arrange the slices in the base of the trifle dish so there are no gaps – it is fine if the slices start going up the side of the dish.
- Measure roughly 200g Chocolate Spread into a small bowl.
- Warm the spread a little in the microwave. It only needs to be slightly loose and easier to spread, it doesn't want to be hot or super runny. It will only need 10 or 20 seconds to get to this stage.
- Evenly pour around half of the spread over the swiss roll. Use a spatula to gently ease the spread so it's in a vaguely even layer.
- Make up the angel delight layer by mixing 118g Chocolate Angel Delight Power with 500ml Whole Milk in a mixing bowl. It is easiest to use an electric whisk if you have one, otherwise a regular whisk will work.
- Set the angel delight in the fridge while you complete the next few stages.
- Pour 800g Chocolate Custard onto the trifle.
- Smooth the custard out using a spatula. It will mostly self level.
- Slice the remainder of the chocolate swiss roll into slightly thinner slices that before – around 12 slices.
- Gently arrange the cake slices over the top of the custard layer.
- Carefully pour over the rest of the chocolate spread. If it has firmed up, give it another quick blast in the microwave to loosen it back up.
- By this time the angel delight should be thicker and firmer. Give it a good stir until it is nice and smooth.
- Spoon the angel delight over the trifle. Start with small dollops around the edge of the bowl then fill in the centre.
- Smooth out the angel delight layer.
- It's not a problem if the layer rises a little above the edge of the bowl.
- Pour 300ml Double Cream into a mixing bowl along with 1 tbsp Icing Sugar.
- Whisk the cream until it is very softly whipped. It just needs to gently hold it's shape – nothing more. It will continue to firm up as it sits.
- Carefully dollop the cream in a circle on top of the trifle. I like to leave a border so you can see the chocolate still. You can use a piping bag to do this if you prefer.
- Continue to add the cream into the centre.
- It is almost impossible to spread the cream without disturbing the other layers so I don't do this – just leave the cream piled up and rustic.
- Sprinkle roughly 40g Milk Chocolate Chips over the cream.
- Serve straight away or refrigerate until it is due to be served.
Lesley says
You had me at Angel Delight! This trifle was spot on for flavour, a real taste of my childhood.