This Carrot Cake Trifle has morsels of spiced carrot cake layered with tangy cream cheese mousse, salted caramel and toasted pecans, and is adorned with carrot curls. This Easter dessert trifle is the perfect sweet centerpiece for the table without the fuss of a layered cake.
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I developed this recipe in partnership with C&H® Sugar to highlight their C&H® Dark Brown Sugar. It lends a deep, rich molasses flavor which pairs so beautifully with carrot and warm spices. I adapted the salted caramel sauce from Sally’s Baking Recipes.
For the cake morsels, I used the cake base from my popular Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing recipe. The mousse is an adaptation on the crème légère from my Turkey Croquembouche with Pumpkin Spice Cream.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Trifles are easier to build than a layered cake.
- This is the festive and seasonal Easter dessert trifle.
- This recipe is customizable, see all the ways you can change it up.
Ingredients
- Carrots provide flavor and moisture to the cake morsels.
- All-purpose flour provides structure to the cake and thickens the mousse.
- Eggs bind the cake and provide structure to the mousse.
- Vegetable oil provides richness and moisture to the cake.
- Whole milk provides richness and moisture to the mousse.
- Cream cheese flavors the mousse.
- Baking soda and baking powder give rise to the cake.
- Corn starch thickens the pudding for the mousse.
- Dark brown sugar sweetens the cake and adds a molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, caramel and mousse.
- Pecans add a crunchy textural variation.
- Heavy cream adds richness and lift to the mousse.
- Nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cloves add warm spice to the cake.
- Unsalted butter provides flavor and richness to the caramel.
- Vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract and kosher salt balance the overall flavor profile.
- The acid in the lemon juice keeps the sugar from recrystallizing in the caramel sauce.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize this trifle to your liking:
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- No pecans — omit the pecans or swap for another nut, like walnuts or hazelnuts.
- No caramel — omit the caramel or swap for store-bought caramel sauce.
- Alternative spices — omit any spice you do not like or swap for another, like cardamom or star anise.
- No cream cheese — omit the cream cheese in the mousse without issue.
- Cool whip — swap the heavy cream and 2 tablespoon of granulated sugar for an 8 oz tub of thawed cool whip without issue.
- Other garnish ideas — candied carrot pieces or orange-colored white chocolate-dipped strawberries to look like carrots.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to assemble a trifle
Step 1: Spoon or pipe ¼ of the cream cheese mousse into the bottom of the trifle dish.
Step 2: Drizzle some of the salted caramel sauce and sprinkle some of the pecans on top. Cover with one portion of the cake cubes.
Step 3: Repeat the previous steps for layering, ending on a layer of cream cheese mousse with caramel and pecans.
Step 4: Garnish with candied or whole carrots and more caramel and pecans.
Hot tips
- You can eyeball dividing the mousse into 4 parts, but I like to use a kitchen scale to be sure. Weigh the entire batch of mousse and divide by four, weighing that quartered number into your piping bag or another bowl each time you need it to add another layer.
- Toast raw pecan halves spread in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch closely for burning.
Recipe FAQs
Store the assembled trifle covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Toast raw pecan halves spread in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch closely for burning.
I would not recommend this, as the mousse is not structurally sound for layering. If you want a carrot layer cake, I recommend my Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing recipe.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Carrot Cake Trifle recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Trifle
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil (266g)
- 1 cup C&H® Dark Brown Sugar (220g)
- 1 cup C&H® Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups thinly-grated carrots lightly packed, (300g) shredded, approx. 4 large carrots
Cream cheese mousse
- 1 ¾ cup whole milk (450g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 egg yolks (60g)
- ½ cup C&H® Granulated Sugar (100g)
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (352g)
- 2 tablespoon C&H® Granulated Sugar
Salted caramel sauce
- 1 cup C&H® Granulated Sugar (200g)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (85g) room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Other + garnish
- 3-4 whole carrots shaved with a peeler
- 1 cup pecan halves toasted* and finely chopped
Instructions
Do ahead
- The mousse, cake and salted caramel can be made one day ahead of time and assembled the day of for serving.
- Grease and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper with overhang to pull the cake out easier after baking.
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil and sugars. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add flour mixture in 3 parts, careful not to overmix. Fold in grated carrots.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese mousse
- Combine the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat.
- Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk by hand or with beaters until light yellow and fluffy.
- Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until thoroughly combined and lightened even further.
- Slowly stream in warmed vanilla milk with a ladle while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue slowly adding in the milk mixture until it is all combined.
- Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until the pastry cream has thickened to a pudding consistency. This can take 5+ minutes. Remove from the heat promptly and transfer to a heatproof bowl.
- Cover with plastic and press down to touch the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 1 hour or place over a bowl of ice to chill it faster.
- When the pastry cream is completely chilled, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Beat the cream cheese into the pastry cream on low just until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whip together the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the completely cooled pastry cream cream cheese mixture.
Make the salted caramel sauce
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the granulated sugar. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar is completely melted.
- When the sugar is completely melted, add the butter and stir with a whisk until combined. Be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble up.
- Once the butter is incorporated, stir constantly while gradually adding the heavy cream. Be careful, again, as the mixture will sputter and bubble up. Once combined, stop stirring and boil for 1 minute or until the caramel reaches 220°F.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the kosher salt and then pour into a heatproof container to cool to at least room temperature before using in the trifle.
Assemble the trifle
- Dice the cooled cake into 1-inch cubes using a serrated knife. Divide the amount of cubes into three, for three layers of cake cubes.
- Spoon or pipe ¼ of the cream cheese mousse into the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Drizzle some of the salted caramel sauce and sprinkle some of the pecans on top. Cover with one portion of the cake cubes.
- Repeat the previous steps for layering, ending on a layer of cream cheese mousse with caramel and pecans. Garnish with shaved carrot ribbons.
