By: Jill Mills Posted: Dec 14, 2025

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Rich devil’s food cake, cherry pie filling, and homemade whipped cream are layered to make this impressive yet easy Black Forest Trifle. It begins with a cake mix to keep prep easy, yet it looks beautiful and tastes just as good!

The black forest flavor combo of chocolate and cherries is one of my favorites. Decadent black forest cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts, but I love making easier dishes with the same flavors too, like black forest brownies and this gorgeous black forest trifle. It’s so simple to make, especially since I opted to start with a cake mix, and yet it looks so impressive on any dessert table. It tastes incredible. too!

Why This Black Forest Trifle Recipe Is Always a Hit

Starts with cake mix. I love using store-bought cake mix because it gives you that deep, chocolatey base without the fuss of baking from scratch. Of course, if you prefer to bake from scratch, feel free to use your favorite chocolate cake recipe.
Rich chocolate & tart cherries. This recipe begins with cubed devil’s food cake and cherry pie filling. The combination of those two ingredients is a match made in heaven. The cake is moist and rich, while the pie filling is just the right balance of sweet and tart.
Beautiful presentation. Trifles are such pretty desserts, and this black forest trifle is no exception. I definitely recommend making it in a clear trifle bowl so the layers can be seen from the outside!

Overhead view of all the ingredients needed to make black forest trifle

Recipe Ingredients

This decadent trifle recipe requires just a handful of ingredients to make. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Devil’s food cake mix – Be sure to include the needed ingredients from the cake mix box, usually eggs, oil, and water. If you can’t find devil’s food, any rich chocolate cake mix will work.
Instant chocolate pudding mix – Pudding adds a smooth, creamy chocolate layer that pairs perfectly with the cherries. Be sure to use instant pudding, not cook and serve, or it won’t thicken. You could swap with dark chocolate or even white chocolate pudding for a twist.
Half and half – Using half and half instead of milk for the pudding gives it a richer, creamier texture. Whole milk works too, but it won’t be quite as thick.
Cherry pie filling – The classic tart-sweet cherry layer that makes this trifle “Black Forest.” I used canned cherry pie filling but homemade pie filling works too.
Heavy whipping cream – Whips up light and fluffy for that perfect topping. Store-bought whipped topping can be used if you’re in a pinch, but homemade is always so much better.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream and stabilizes it without leaving a gritty texture.
Pure vanilla extract
Fresh cherries – They make the presentation pop and give a fresh bite. Be careful of the cherry pits!
Chocolate curls – I love using chocolate curls as a finishing touch because they not only look pretty but also bring more chocolate flavor.

How To Make Black Forest Trifle

One thing I love about any trifle recipe is that they look beautiful and fancy but they’re so simple to make. The printable instructions for this recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

Baked devil's food cake in a white baking pan

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the baking dish and/or line it with parchment paper.
Bake the cake. Bake the devil’s food cake according to the package directions. Set aside to col completely.
Make the pudding. Whisk together the instant pudding mix and half and half until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover and chill in the fridge.
Make the whipped cream. Beat the cold whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.

Cubes of devil's food cake in a white bowl

Cut the cake. Cut the cooled cake in half. Wrap one half in plastic and foil to freeze for another time (or use however you want). Cut the other half into 1-inch cubes.
Assemble. Place an even layer of cake cubes on the bottom of a trifle bowl. Spoon half of the pudding on top, followed by a can of cherry pie filling and half of the whipped cream. Repeat the layers, reserving ½ cup of pie filling. Top the final whipped cream layer with the reserved pie filling, fresh cherries, and chocolate curls or shavings.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This gives the layers time to set and the flavors time to meld. Enjoy!

Close up of the layers in a black forest trifle

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when making this black forest trifle recipe.

Only use half of the cake. The whole 9×13 cake makes the layers too bulky and throws off the balance. Cut the cake in half once it cools, cube one half, and freeze the other for later. It’s a great time-saver the next time you need a chocolatey base for another dessert.
Make chocolate curls. For the chocolate curls, you can buy them at your supermarket, or you can use a vegetable peeler on a chocolate bar. They are easy and give you very pretty results.
Cold heavy whipping cream. It’s important to keep the heavy whipping cream in the fridge until you’re ready to make the whipped cream. Warm or room temperature heavy cream will not whip into stiff peaks.
Let the cake cool completely. The cake needs to be completely cooled before cutting and assembling. Warm cake is more difficult to work with and it can cause the other layers to melt. I like to make it a night in advance.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make ahead. To make ahead, you can bake the cake and prepare the pudding a day in advance. Just wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in a container with a lid so it stays moist. Whip the cream and assemble the trifle the day you plan to serve it.
Fridge. This trifle is best served chilled and within 24 hours for the freshest whipped cream texture. That said, it can be covered with plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. The cake will soften slightly, which many people love.

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