Following the success of my Classic Easy Trifle recipe, I am now presenting you with an (in my opinion) even better trifle recipe! A Chocolate Orange Trifle with Bailey´s!!!
It is no secret that I am a great fan of chocolate and orange as a flavour combination. Trifle is also one of my favourite desserts! And although I don´t really drink alcohol, Bailey´s is the one thing I really love the flavour of! So, for me, this Chocolate Orange Trifle with Bailey´s is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me!
What exactly is Trifle?
Trifle is probably one of the most iconic British desserts (or puddings as some people say) you can find. Besides, sticky toffee pudding, it is probably what the Brits are best known for in other places around the world.
In essence, a trifle should consist of multiple layers, visible from the sides of a glass bowl. Other peoples ´recipes might vary, but for me, a good trifle needs a layer of sponge, fruit, jelly, custard and whipped cream! And then finished off with some decorations for the top. If you like, you can also soak the bottom layer with some booze (I used Bailey´s here), but obviously that isn´t an option if you are wanting to make a kid-friendly version.
It´s best to use a glass bowl to make the trifle so that all the layers are visible. The recipe below will fill an approximately 3 litre bowl and feeds about 6 (at least) people. This recipe is extremely easy to double, triple, etc. and is therefore ideal for feeding a crowd!
Perfect for Christmas dinner parties, work parties, buffets or pot lucks!
How do you make a Trifle?
This Chocolate Orange Trifle can be as easy or complex to make as you wish. Depending on how many ingredients you buy from the shop and how many you make from scratch, this trifle can be super quick and easy, or slightly more technical to make. In the busy run-up to Christmas and dinner preparations, I have personally opted to use mainly shop-bought versions, however, feel free to exchange any ingredients below for a homemade version. I actually used some leftover chocolate cupcakes for the base of this trifle and used shop-bought versions for the remaining components.
In my classic trifle recipe, I add some strawberry jam in between my layers of cake. Feel free to do this here, too, however it isn’t necessary. A trifle is perfect for, and should also be made for, using up any leftovers. I, for example, used the remains of some strawberry jam I had and also some chocolate ganache I had leftover at the bottom of this trifle.
More recipes you´ll love
If you want to see the recipe that inspired this Chocolate Orange Trifle, click on the link for my Easy Classic Trifle to see the recipe for that.
Another delicious, boozy treat that is easy to make but will certainly impress your friends and family, are these melt-in-the-mouth Bailey´s Chocolate Truffles!
For more festive recipes, why not check out this German Marzipan Stollen or my Festive Chocolate Pavlova with Bailey´s!
I also have many Christmas biscuit recipes, for example, my Hazelnut biscuits, vanilla crescents, gingerbread men or easy iced cookies.
Chocolate Orange Trifle with Bailey´s | No-Bake Dessert
Recipe
Ingredients:
FOR THE TRIFLE:
To make trifle, the ratio of ingredients doesn´t have to be exactly as noted below. So if you get slightly larger/smaller packs, just use those!
- 5-6 slices of sponge cake (e.g. Madeira, chocolate cupcakes, brownies, etc.)
- 2 x 175g tinned mandarins
- 1 pack Orange Jelly (I used Hartley´s)
- 320g chocolate custard (I used Ambrosia)
- 300ml double cream
- A few tablespoons of Bailey´s Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1 square of chocolate, 1 fresh mandarine, to decorate
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
- 3 litre glass bowl
Method:
- Start by preparing the orange jelly according to the packet instructions and leave until almost completely set (if it has set completely it will be a little harder to spread but will still work. If it is too runny it will seep into the fruit and you won´t achieve a distinctive layer).
- For the bottom cake layer, cut the cake into slices, about 0.5-1cm thick. As an optional step, sandwich with a little jam, melted chocolate, etc. Tightly pack the cake at the bottom of the bowl and press down. This will form the bottom layer of the trifle.
- If using Bailey´s, drizzle a few teaspoons (depending on how strong you want it to be) over the cake layer, allowing it to seep into the cake.
- Next, you will add the layer of fruit. Pour one tin of mandarins with its juices over the sponge base. The juices will soak into the sponge making it nice and soft. Drain the second tin and add only the fruit. Spread the mandarin segments out to create an even layer.
- For the third layer, you will want to add the orange jelly to the bowl. It´s best to pour on the jelly before it has completely set. Then cover with clingfilm and put the bowl into the fridge until the jelly has completely set.
- Once the jelly has completely set, pour the chocolate custard on top of the jelly layer. Then return the bowl to the fridge whilst you prepare the whipped cream.
- For the final layer, beat the double cream and 3-4 tbsp of Bailey´s Irish Cream in a bowl with an electric whisk for 2-3 minutes until thick. Gently spread the cream over the custard layer, trying not to mix the layers. It might be easiest to dollop the cream over the custard and then use a palette knife to even it out and close the gaps. If you like, you can fill some of the cream into a piping bag and pipe some rosettes on top to decorate.
- Cover the trifle with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (the longer the better) so that the layers have time to firm up and your sponge is well soaked.
- Before serving, decorate the trifle with some fresh mandarin segments and some grated dark chocolate.
