Brownie Trifle

If you are looking for an impressive holiday dessert that is easy to make, then you will love this brownie trifle recipe! Layers of fudgy cardamom scented brownies, eggless vanilla custard (pudding), fresh orange slices, tutti fruits bits & orange zest whipped cream- each bite is chocolatey, citrusy & creamy!

Originally, I hadn't thought of oranges in this trifle. However, I went to the market last week and saw that the winter citrus ia flooding the markets already, so I was tempted to combine the classic chocolate & orange flavors in this recipe. Turned out to be a good decision!

It is rich, chocolatey and the citrus adds such a wonderful brightness to it. You will taste the balmy scent to cardamom too. This brownie trifle seemed perfect for our holiday dessert!

Brownie Trifle with Vanilla Custard (Pudding)

Trifle is originally a British dessert made traditionally with layers of sponge cake, jelly/jello, custard, fruits and heavy cream. It is one of the most beautiful and festive desserts which looks absolutely fancy on the tables and with a little planning, can be really easy to put together too!

About My Recipe

Here are the few notes about my recipe

• I used boxed brownie mix and simply added ground cardamom to it. You could do the same or bake your favorite brownie recipe. I have an eggless brownie recipe in this post if eggs are a concern.
• Using custard powder, I made super quick vanilla custard that takes less than 10 minutes to make. Again you could use the pudding mix from store and whichever flavor you like.
• I simply went with navel oranges, however you could use mandarins or blood oranges.
• I happened to find tutti fruiti with candied orange peel and it worked beautifully in my recipe.

Why You will Love this Recipe?

1. Perfect Make ahead recipe - You can make brownies, custard and whipped cream a day ahead. Just layer when you want to serve.
2. Super Easy & Quick to Make- Thanks to shortcut ingredients! Boxed brownie mix and custard powder make it such a easy and quick recipe. Brownies took about 40-42 minutes to bake in the oven and meanwhile, I prepped the custard and whipped the cream. I had all the components ready in under an hour for next day!
3. Looks Fancy
4. Crowd Pleaser- From kids to grown ups- everyone will love it!
5. Pre Portioned Servings - I am a huge fan of individual desserts that the guests can help themselves to. I could make 6 small servings with this recipe.

Ingredients

• Brownies- I love using Ghirardelli brownie mixes. They taste divine! You may use any brand of brownie mix that you prefer.
• Custard - My favorite custard powder to use is by Brown & Polson. I prepare a warm custard and chill it slightly. Its the vanilla custard that I grew up eating and I love to use it in my recipes like these tutti fruitti cookies, However instant pudding mixes available in the baking aisle will work as good. Choose vanilla or chocolate.
• Whipped Cream
• Oranges - Any kind you like. I used navel oranges. We need both fresh juice & orange slices.
• Toppings - Tutti fruitti and chopped hazlenuts(or any nuts you prefer). You could use toffee bits too if you want.

How to Make Brownie Trifle

Prepare the 3 Main Components

• Brownies- Usually the boxed mixes call for egg, water and oil. I swap the oil and water for melted unsalted butter & milk respectively. Then I added a little bit of cardamom powder. Bake as package directions. Cool the brownie completely and using a sharp knife cut into small bite size squares. You will have leftover brownies, however thats a good thing, right?
• Custard - While the brownies bake, set milk to boil on a stove. Once simmering, add custard powder slurry(in cold milk).I add a bit of vanilla to push the flavor. Strain the custard to make sure its smooth. Let the custard cool down before you start layering.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks.
• Juice an orange or two. I dont recommend using store bough juice. Or you may use liquor of your choice.
• Slice or section the oranges.

Layer The Trifle

Honestly, there is no right or wrong way. This is the order I follow:-

• Layer Brownie pieces at the bottom.
• Add 1-2 tablespoon of orange juice.
• Next, you will add the custard.
• Place the orange slice.
• Top with whipped cream.
• Add another layer of brownies and repeat.
• Finish with a scatter of chopped hazelnuts, tutti fruitti and marachino cherry (stem on ones look pretty)

Some Tips

The best part about this trifle is that you can make the components 1-2 days in advance.

• Bake the brownies and let them cool completely. Cover the baking sheet with foil or cling film and store at room temperature for 2 days.
• Make the Custard up to 3 days in advance. Cool it completely. Cover and store refrigerated. The custard should be chilled and be thickish before you add it to the trifle. We want it to coat and sort of seal the brownies before we add next layer.

Pro Tip :- To prevent the skin from forming during chilling the custard, once you have poured the custard in bowl to cool down, press parchment paper onto its surface so that the evaporation is stopped.

• Section the oranges and make the juice up to 2 days in advance. Store refrigerated.
• I wont recommend making whipping cream in advance - it's best made the same day.
• Trifle tends to gets soggy sometimes. First watch out for the orange juice and custard that we are adding both of which contain moisture. You have to think of the amount of these in totality when you are layering a trifle. Secondly, the time of chilling. The longer you chill, the softer the brownies start getting, dont chili the trifle beyond 2-3 hours to prevent sogginess.