Pumpkin and Gingerbread Trifle

For our Christmas party at work, I wanted to make something I've never made before - a trifle! I found a recipe from Taste of Home for a Pumpkin and Gingerbread Trifle. You can view it here but I made some changes based on the comment feedback at the bottom. You can also see how pretty it would look if you actually used a clear bowl. We didn't have any big clear bowls and I didn't want to bring one of our pretty trifle bowls into work.

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

This recipe makes A LOT of trifle! I made a big one for my work and a small one for home from this recipe and it was still too much. It says it makes 25 servings (one serving = a cup).

INGREDIENTS:

-2 packages (14.5 ounces each) gingerbread cake mix [each mix makes about an 9x9 pan of cake]
-1 package (4.6 ounces) of cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
-3 cups 2% milk
-1 can (29 ounces) solid pack pumpkin
-2 teaspoon cinnamon*
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*
-1/2 teaspoon ginger*
-1/4 teaspoon cloves*
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (like Cool Whip)

*I added these spices to give it a boost of flavor per reviews from readers. You can add more/less to your taste. You can taste the filling as you go and see what you like.

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare and bake gingerbread according to package directions, using two greased 9 in round baking pans (I used 9 in square). Cool completely on wire racks.

2. Meanwhile, for pudding, in a large saucepan, combine pudding mix and milk; stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from the heat (be careful not to let a skin form on the pudding!); cool to room temperature. Combine pumpkin and brown sugar; stir into pudding. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to taste.

3. In a four quart glass serving bowl, crumble one gingerbread cake (I used about half of one in each layer); gently press down. Top with half of the pudding mixture and whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Here is mine all ready to go. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top to make it look pretty since you couldn't see the layers.

 

See how much this makes? One big bowl, one small bowl, and some leftover gingerbread cake.

 

It was very yummy but next time, I would split the recipe in half!

I'm sharing here.