Cherry Delight Trifle Dessert

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Cherry delight just got a modern, layered makeover for the holidays. We’re talking soft vanilla cake, creamy whipped cream cheese pudding, a bright cherry compote and crunchy piscoff cookie layers for that “crust” flavor everyone loves. 

It’s sweet, creamy, fruity and just the right amount of tangy. Build a trifle dish for a show stopper moment or assemble individual cups. It’s the perfect easy dessert for your next winter party – Christmas or New Years!

It checks all the boxes – easy, crowd-pleasing and fun to make! Its a dessert that is guaranteed to impress!!

What is Cherry Delight?

We grew up on this southern dessert. It is a combination of graham cracker crust, and layered with a whipped cream cheese filling and topped with cherry pie filling. It is delicious, rich and slightly tart. 

How is this trifle different from the original recipe?

Our trifle replicates these beloved flavors with a bit of a twist:

• Biscoff cookie crumbs and vanilla cake emulates the flavors and texture of a baked graham cracker crust. 
• Cheesecake flavored instant pudding resembles the cheese cake layer. 
• Tart cherry compote is the star of the show, much like the cherry pie filling topping on the classic recipe. 

How to Make Cherry Delight Trifle, Step By Step

Step 1: Make cherry compote. 

Maraschino cherries can feel a bit too striking for some dishes, so for this elegant trifle, we opted for a tart cherry compote. It balances so well with the richness of the pudding, cake and cookies layers of this trifle. 

This cherry compote is tart, sweet and a perfect modern twist on cherry delight. We went with a whole frozen tart cherries for this compote to add freshness and a bit more sophistication.

Making a compote is super easy, it just takes time. Start by adding cherries, sugar, water lemon and vanilla to a sauce pan. Let the sugar and frozen cherries melt together. As they simmer, they will thicken and create a jammy consistency. 

Stir as the compote starts to simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the compote cool while you make the other layers. 

Step 2: Make the cake, pudding and whipped cream.

They other layers are made with vanilla cake crumbles, cheese cake instant pudding and a homemade whipped cream. 

First make the pudding layer. The pudding will need some time to cook. It’s important that you use an instant pudding for this step. That way it doesn’t take a long time for your pudding to set. 

We’re making this recipe super simple by using a boxed cake mix. Since you’re already having to make 3 other layers of this trifle, we’re keeping it as simple as possible. Quickly whisk up the cake mix, pour in a greased pan and cook according to package instructions. 

Allow your cake time to cool before slicing into cubes. While the cake is cooling, make the whipped cream. 

Homemede whipped cream is SO EASY to make!! All you need is a carton of heavy cream and an electric mixer. Whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Folding the whipped cream in the pudding is the key to get deliciously fluffy and creamy pudding layers. 

Step 3: Layer Trifle and serve!

Once you’ve made all the layers, it’s time to assemble the trifle. Here’s the order we recommend.

1. Pudding.
2. Cake crumbles.
3. Cherry compote.
4. Pudding
5. Biscoff cookie crumbles.
6. Repeat 2-3x. 

If you have a large trifle dish, you may be able to repeat the layer set 3 times. If you can only get 2 layers in your trifle, that will work just as fine. 

Finish the trifle by topping with extra whipped cream, compote or cookie crumbles.

How long does a trifle normally keep?

The trifle will be good for 3-4 days in the fridge. The cake and cookie layers may change in texture and become soggy, but the flavor will still be delicious.

Tips for Making Cherry Delight Compote

• Do this to avoid a super soggy cake. Avoid over-soaking the cake with cherry compote. The compute will have whole cherries and a cherry syrup. Be sure to drizzle just enough of the berry syrup over the top of the cake to give it some flavor. Do not soak. 
• Make sure all warm layers are completely cooled. For best results,  your cake and cherry compote should be completely cooled. If you layer chilled pudding with warm layers, it could affect the texture and overall end result. 
• Use cornstarch to thicken compote. If your cherry compote is not coming together as it should, an easy way to thicken the mixture is to add a couple teaspoons of corn starch. Whisk the mixture until thickened.  

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