Every Time I Make This Cranberry Trifle for Christmas, Someone Asks Me for the Recipe

Several years ago, we were going to my cousin’s house for Christmas Eve and she asked me to make dessert. My mom makes hundreds of cookies each year (not lying) and I knew my aunt would make baklava. I decided to make Cranberry Coconut Trifle.

If you’ve never had a trifle before, let me introduce you to my best dessert friend. It features cubes of cake layered with creamy custard, whipped cream and usually some sort of fruity situation. Trifles are so special, they even have a dish named after them to serve them in. 

This particular recipe features sponge cake, custard and whipped cream, all spiked with coconut, along with a honey-sweetened cranberry sauce and toasted coconut. If you haven’t tried them together, coconut and cranberry are a match made in heaven. Plus the rich custard and pillowy whipped cream balance out the tart cranberry sauce, and toasted coconut flakes give little pops of crunch. It’s so delicious!

When I made this for the Christmas Eve party, I didn’t feel like making the cake so I just bought a pound cake at the store and made the custard, whipped cream and cranberry sauce—feel free to do that too. Heck, you could buy a boxed cake mix. Not a fan of coconut? Use vanilla or almond extract and sprinkle the top with your favorite nuts. Are you reading this in the summertime? Use blueberries or raspberries instead. There’s no wrong answer when making trifle. 

This dessert looks pretty spectacular too. Many trifle bowls are tall and narrow, so the layers can really show off. And some have legs so they tower above cookie platters and pie plates. But you can honestly use any large bowl; no need to go out and buy a special dish if you don’t want to. 

I knew the dessert was tasty, as I was lucky enough to taste it when it was being tested in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, but I was not prepared for how much other people loved it. This may be the most-asked for recipe I’ve made for my extended family; in fact, as recently as last year one of my cousins asked me to send it to her. I even shared the recipe with my neighbor last year; she made it with a gluten-free boxed cake mix and her whole family loved it too.

Maybe the best part about making a trifle for the holidays is that it begs to be made in advance. As the trifle sits, the custard and cream soak into the cake. And if there’s anything left over, pop it in the fridge. Because there’s nothing better the day after a holiday party than a cup of coffee and trifle for breakfast.