Start by preheating your oven and following the instructions on the chocolate cake mix box, or if you’re feeling adventurous, stick to your homemade chocolate cake recipe. Ensure that it’s baked perfectly and let it cool completely to room temperature.
After the cooled cake has set, it’s time to cut it into bite-sized cubes. Aim for roughly 1-inch pieces to ensure they layer well.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until stiff peaks form.
For canned cherries, ensure you drain them but keep the juice. If you’ve chosen fresh cherries, pit and chop them into smaller pieces.
Grab your trifle dish or individual serving glasses and start layering with the chocolate cake cubes at the bottom.
Spread a generous layer of vanilla pudding over the chocolate cake.
Next, spoon a layer of your marinated cherries over the pudding.
Top off with a generous layer of whipped cream.
Continue to repeat the layers—cake, pudding, cherries, cream—until reaching the top of your dish.
Finish with dark chocolate shavings or grated chocolate and a few cherries on top.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or, ideally, overnight.
Notes
Ensure your heavy cream is very cold before whipping for better volume.