Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Recipe

This Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Recipe is a festive and decadent recipe, which features spiced gingerbread cake, fluffy gingerbread cream cheese, and a rich caramel sauce. It’s the perfect holiday dessert, ready in about 2 hours (plus chilling time).

Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1½ cups light brown sugar packed
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup molasses
• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature

Whipped Gingerbread Cream Cheese Filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream cold
• ½ teaspoon salt

How To Make Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle

1. Prep the oven and pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release.
2. Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and molasses, mixing well after each addition.
3. Combine and bake: Alternate adding the flour mixture and the whole milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 1-inch cubes.
4. Make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and milk. Mix until well combined and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining half until fully incorporated. Chill the filling until ready to assemble.
5. Make the caramel sauce: Place the 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula. The sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick amber liquid. Be careful not to burn it. Once melted, remove from heat immediately. Stir in the cold butter (be careful, it will bubble violently). Stir until melted. Slowly pour in the cold heavy cream while stirring constantly. Stir in the salt. Let the sauce cool slightly so it thickens.
6. Assemble the trifle: In a large trifle dish, place a layer of the gingerbread cake cubes at the bottom. Drizzle generously with the warm caramel sauce. Spoon a layer of the whipped gingerbread cream cheese filling over the caramel. Repeat the layers (cake, caramel, cream) until the dish is full, ending with a layer of the cream filling and a final drizzle of caramel.
7. Chill and serve: Refrigerate the trifle for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the cake to soften. Decorate with gingerbread men cookies or crumbled gingersnaps before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Cooling the Cake: It is essential that the gingerbread cake is completely cool before you cube it and assemble the trifle. If it’s warm, it will melt the cream cheese filling and turn the trifle into a soupy mess.
• Caramel Safety: Making caramel involves extremely hot sugar. When you add the butter and cream, the mixture will steam and bubble up aggressively. Use a deep saucepan and stand back slightly to avoid burns.
• Make Ahead: This dessert is actually better if made a day in advance. The resting time allows the gingerbread to soak up the caramel and moisture from the cream, creating a cohesive, pudding-like texture.
• Cream Cheese Temp: Ensure your cream cheese is truly at room temperature before beating. If it’s cold, you will end up with lumps in your filling that no amount of whipping will remove.

What To Serve With Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle

This is a rich, standalone dessert, but it pairs well with holiday beverages.

• Eggnog: A classic holiday pairing.
• Hot Coffee: The bitterness cuts the sweetness of the caramel.
• Spiced Cider: Complements the ginger and cinnamon notes.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: If you want even more dairy richness on the side.

How To Store Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Recipe

• Refrigerate: Cover the trifle dish tightly with plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for an assembled trifle, as the texture of the dairy layers will change and become watery upon thawing. You can, however, freeze the baked gingerbread cake layers ahead of time.

Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 650
• Total Fat: 42g
• Saturated Fat: 25g
• Cholesterol: 145mg
• Sodium: 480mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 62g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 45g
• Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving based on 12 servings.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Bobby Flay Crab Cakes Recipe
• Bobby Flay Coconut Cake Recipe
• Bobby Flay Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting