Paula Deen Red Velvet Trifle

Paula Deen Red Velvet Trifle layers homemade red velvet cake, cheesecake pudding, and fresh whipped cream in one big glass bowl. It feeds 8 and comes together in 45 minutes of active work. Bring this to a holiday dinner or a church supper and watch it disappear before the main course is cleared.

The red velvet cake has to cool completely before you cut it into cubes. Warm cake crumbles apart in the pudding and turns the whole bowl into a soggy mess. Paula uses cheesecake instant pudding instead of regular vanilla. That tangy filling is what separates this trifle from every other one on the dessert table.

You can bake the cake a day ahead and keep it wrapped at room temperature. Cube it right before you build the trifle so the edges stay firm. The whole thing needs at least two hours in the fridge before serving, so plan around that.

Paula Deen Red Velvet Trifle

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

770

kcal

A from-scratch red velvet cake gets cubed and layered with cheesecake-flavored pudding and freshly whipped cream. The cocoa and buttermilk in the batter keep each cube moist, and the whole trifle firms up in the fridge into a rich, scoopable dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

• 1 cup buttermilk
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• 2 1/2 cup cake flour
  

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) Butter
  

• 2 oz red food coloring
  

• 2 tablespoons cocoa
  

• 2 cups sugar
  

• 2 eggs
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 tablespoon vinegar
  

• 1 3-oz. envelope cheesecake instant pudding mix
  

• 2 cups milk
  

• 2 cups fresh Whipped cream
  

• 1/4 cup pecan pieces
  

• fresh mint

Directions

• Preheat: Preheat oven to 350º.
• Prepare pans: Prepare three 8″ round cake pans with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
• Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat eggs, butter and sugar until creamy. Add cocoa and food coloring. Mix until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.
• Leaven and bake: In a small bowl, combine soda and vinegar and add to batter. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tests done. Allow cakes to cool completely.
• Make the pudding: Meanwhile, prepare instant pudding according to the package directions using 2 cups milk. Allow pudding to set up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, gently fold in whipped cream.
• Assemble the trifle: To assemble the trifle, cut the red velvet cake into 1 inch cubes. Place an even layer of cubed cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat the layer process so that the final layer is pudding. Top with pecan pieces and fresh mint leaves. Chill until ready to serve.

Tools for this recipe

• Fat Daddio's 9-inch round cake pans, set of 2, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Anchor Hocking 104 oz glass trifle bowl with lid, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a boxed red velvet cake mix instead of baking from scratch?

You can, and it saves about 30 minutes. Use one standard box mix baked in two 8-inch pans. The texture will be a little drier and less tender than Paula’s buttermilk scratch cake, but the cheesecake pudding fills in the moisture.

How long does the trifle keep in the fridge?

It holds for about 3 days covered in the refrigerator. The cake soaks up pudding over time, so day two is actually when a lot of people think it tastes best. By day four the bottom layer gets too soft.

Can I assemble this the night before?

Yes, and it’s better for it. Overnight chilling lets the pudding soak into the cake just enough. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap so it does not pick up fridge odors. Add the pecans and mint right before you serve so they stay fresh.

Why did my trifle turn out soupy?

Two things cause that. The pudding was not set long enough before you folded in the whipped cream, or the cake went in while it was still warm. Let the pudding firm up for a full 10 minutes and make sure the cake is completely cool before cubing.

Do I have to use three cake pans, or can I bake it in one?

One 9x13 pan works fine since you are cutting the cake into cubes anyway. Increase the bake time to 30 to 35 minutes and test the center with a toothpick. Three pans just bake faster and cool faster.