Butterscotch Pudding Trifle

Layers of creamy butterscotch pudding and pumpkin praline cake make this vintage-style Butterscotch Trifle a special treat for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword butterscotch, pudding, pumpkin, trifle

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Cooling Time for Cake 2

Total Time 3 45

Servings

Calories 447kcal

Author Sara Garska

Cost $15

Preheat oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a bundt pan.
In a small bowl, mix butter, dark brown sugar, and chopped nuts.
Combine in mixer bowl: cake mix, pumpkin, oil, light brown sugar, water, and spices. Beat at medium speed for one minute.
Add eggs to the bowl of cake batter, one at a time and beat after each for one minute.
Pour half the batter into prepared Bundt pan.
Top with praline mixture.
Top with remaining batter.
Bake at 350°F for one hour.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, give a shake to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan, then flip to remove cake from pan.
Allow to cool completely, about two hours.

Add butter, brown sugar, butter, salt, and water to your heavy bottomed pan.
Stir over medium heat into the butter is melted, sugar dissolved, and everything is combined.
Stop stirring.
Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat as the mixture bubbles a bit. Keep a close watch on it so it doesn’t burn.
In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in some of the milk and whisk until combined. Add the egg yolks and whisk them in.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the milk and cream and whisk to combine.
Add this cream mixture to the mixture cooking on the stove, whisking as you pour.
Bring the whole mixture up to a gentle boil, whisking continually. The mixture will begin to thicken after a few minutes and it will happen fast.
Switch to a rubber spatula and give it a few more stirs as it becomes pudding.
If using as a pudding you can serve warm or put into a heat-proof container to serve later.
If adding to a trifle, take care to not let the hot pudding hit the sides of the glass bowl.

Trifles look especially pretty in a glass dish so you can see the layers.
Break or cut the cake into chunks.
Whip a pint of heavy whipping cream with 2 Tablespoons of sugar until peaks form. Set aside.
Line the bottom of the glass bowl with 1/3 of cake pieces.
Top with 1/3 of the pudding.
Repeat two more times: cake, pudding, cake, pudding.
Frost the entire thing with whipped cream.

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary based on exact ingredients used and serving size.

Prep Tips:

Timing - I recommend baking the cake the day before or early in the day so it can cool thoroughly.
Layering - Making a trifle doesn’t have to be complicated. I like to think of my version as “rustic” since I used broken pieces of cake and didn’t try to make a pattern or pretty it up too much.
Flavors - Any unfrosted cake could be used as long as it complements the flavor of pudding you used. This recipe uses a homemade butterscotch pudding but you could use an instant pudding mix as well. Vanilla pudding would work with any kind of cake you want to use.
Whipped Cream - As far as the whipped cream, I do love to use freshly whipped heavy cream with a touch of sugar. Other options would be prepared nondairy topping in the freezer or a mix like Dream Whip. But heavy whipping cream is about the same price, takes minutes to make and tastes so amazing.