
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the most wonderful time for holiday-themed desserts! This Christmas Gingerbread Trifle with Brandy Whipped Cream is exactly what you need to serve this holiday season!
What is a trifle?
A trifle is a classic English dessert that is usually made with three layers: a sponge cake, custard or jam, and a fluffy whipped cream. There are many variations now and the options are endless!
With the repeating layers, we like to think of trifles as the lasagna of the dessert world. In this holiday recipe, we kept the trifle somewhat traditional, but of course we added our own festive flare.
This Christmas Gingerbread trifle is made with a gingerbread sponge cake, brandy whipped cream, and cinnamon crème anglaise.
Looking for another delicious trifle?? Check out our Chocolate Raspberry Red Velvet Trifle!
What is it Crème Anglaise or Vanilla Custard Sauce?
Crème Anglaise is a french vanilla custard sauce and is used in a variety of desserts including ice cream, custards and even crème brulees. The base recipe always contains milk, egg yolks and sugar. In this recipe we added a touch of ground cinnamon to give it a festive feel.
Can I Make the Trifles in Advance?
Since there are many components to the trifles, you can make this task significantly easier by planning it out and making certain parts in advance.
You can make the gingerbread men and the gingerbread cake up to one week in advance. Just store the cookies in an airtight container and the sponge cake in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.
Additionally, the crème anglaise will keep for 3 days in the fridge as well.
The whipped cream is best if made the day you plan to assemble the trifles though. But you can assemble the trifles in their individual containers, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight if you plan to serve them the following day if needed.
Enjoy!
We hope that you enjoy this festive holiday recipe for Christmas Gingerbread Trifles with Brandy Whipped Cream. If you give this recipe a try, click the heart button, leave us a comment and 5-star rating below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Recipe developed in collaboration with Chef Vanessa Wilson-Watson
Looking for more recipes like this? Check these out:
- Gingerbread Mini Loaf Cakes with Lemon Glaze
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Spiced Pear and Maple Cream Puffs
- Apple Cider Cheesecake Bars with Caramelized Apples
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You had me at the gingerbread! Gingerbread is one of my favorite things about Christmas baking.
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