Hazelnut Chocolate Trifle

The combination of really good chocolate and hazelnuts can’t be beaten, which is why pairing the two together in this Hazelnut Chocolate Trifle makes perfect sense! Layering chocolate marble cake, hazelnut chocolate spread, hazelnut chocolates, and chocolate pudding, with whipped cream just felt right!

Holiday desserts should be delicious, indulgent, and easy! Hazelnut Chocolate Trifle is all of those things and more! It’s delectably rich and luxurious, which is a word I never thought I would use to describe a dessert prepared with Nutella! But, truthfully, this trifle is just delightful! I’m not a huge fan of Nutella because I find that it’s too sweet for me, but pairing it with other sweet food items mellowed the sweetness. It sounds odd, but that’s exactly what happened.

I have to tell you the truth, I battled with whether or not to include this Hazelnut Chocolate Trifle in this series. We don’t buy Nutella at all.  In fact, a few years ago, when McKenna was still in high school, I found a jar of a half-eaten jar of Nutella in her bedroom.  She had purchased it with her own money and had hidden it from us.

We don’t buy it because it’s just too sweet and anything with that amount of sugar cannot be good for you. When it comes to sugar, I always make an exception at Christmastime though! In addition to her sneaking a jar of Nutella into her room, John.e has convinced me that the amount of palm sugar in Nutella is gross and it’s also endangering the homes of gorillas (or something like that.)  I only listen half of the time.  Sometimes, it’s easier to just not bring something into the home; do you know what I mean?

The need for an easy, no-bake dessert won the battle in this case though, and therefore, this trifle is being shared with you, Dear Reader. I know Nutella is a popular staple in most homes, especially homes with little kids, so I knew most of you would already have the ingredient on hand.  Again, if you are like me and concerned about the price, you can buy the cheaper brand like this one here. It’s almost half the price!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my first Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles Series! Even though this is the first series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, etc., is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do love them, but I don’t care for them if they too many ingredients and too many layers. I’ll do my best to keep the trifles in this series uncomplicated.

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! Speaking of strawberry shortcakes, you have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Marble Cake or Loaf – If you have a recipe for a marble cake, you can bake one, allow it to cool, and then cut it into cubes. Otherwise, do as I did and pick up a loaf cake at your local grocery store. Most grocery store bakeries are well stocked with ready made cakes.
• Nutella – This hazelnut spread is sold just about everywhere! Keep in mind that you can buy alternative, no-name brands if you’re looking to save some money.
• Hazelnut Coffee Creamer – You can substitute this with whole milk if you wish.
• Chocolate Pudding – I bought ready-made pudding. KozyShack is one of my favourites!
• Ferrero Rocher Chocolates – I’m using milk chocolate.
• Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts
• Whipping Cream – Please see the next section on whipping cream.
• Vanilla Extract
• Chocolate Bars – I used milk, white, and dark hazelnut chocolate bars as garnish. This is optional.

HOW TO MAKE A HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

Transfer the Nutella to a mixing bowl and pour in the hazelnut coffee creamer. Beat to combine. Set aside. Transfer the whipping cream and vanilla extract to a chilled mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.

Place a layer of the marble cake cubes into a trifle bowl. Drizzle half of the Nutella mixture over the cake pieces. Using half of the chocolate pudding, add a layer directly on top of the nutella and cake cubes. Next, arrange the halved Ferrero Rocher around the inside perimeter of the trifle bowl. Add half of the chocolate hazelnuts to the bowl and then a layer consisting of half of the whipped cream. Repeat all of those layers once more, ending with whipped cream.

Garnish with the chocolate squares, extra Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Balls and chocolate hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PREPARING TRIFLES

First of all, there are no steadfast rules about how many layers you should or shouldn’t have. My rule of thumb is this – make the trifle big enough to feed your family and/or guests, and use a bowl that is big enough to accommodate the layers. If you have a larger trifle bowl, you can simply add another layer or add more berries or cake to fill it up. Likewise, if your bowl is too small, you can make mini trifles with the leftover ingredients in stemmed dessert bowls.

Trifles cannot be prepared days in advance, nor can they be frozen. Since most trifle recipes are assembly-type recipes, the best thing to do is to prepare them on the day you plan to eat them. However, with that said, every trifle in this series can be prepared a day in advance. If you prepare the trifle a day in advance, it’s a good idea to set the garnish aside and place it onto the trifle just before serving. That way, your trifle will look like it was just freshly prepared.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!