Have you ever had a Kandy Kake by Tastykake? Growing up the Philadelphia area, we were treated to these delectable confections quite frequently. They are insanely popular small cakes covered in chocolate with a peanut butter filling. That is exactly what this trifle tastes like! Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Trifle is filled with layers of white cake, peanut butter mousse, chocolate crunchies, chocolate mousse, peanut butter chips, and topped with a Magic Shell drizzle. It is out-of-this-world delicious, super simple, and ready to serve in under two hours!
I love that this trifle looks elegant but is so simple to come together. It is highly versatile as well. If you are more of a chocolate fan, you may cut back on some of the peanut butter mousse and vice versa. It’s really hard to go wrong with vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Trifle Key Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this decadent dessert. You will need a trifle dish or some other deep bowl in order to assemble the dessert.
White Cake
While I typically favor making cake from scratch, this trifle is fabulous with boxed cake mix. More specifically, I use either Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix or Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Classic White. You really cannot tell it is from a box and it saves a ton of time!
Peanut Butter
I recommend using regular creamy peanut butter and would caution against using the natural type with the oil at the top. They may work however the texture of the mousse might be very oily and somewhat off.
Cream Cheese
It is best to use room temperature, full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. I recommend Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese (block style not whipped).
Confectioners’ Sugar
We use confectioners’ sugar to sweeten the peanut butter mousse because it dissolves easily and provides a smooth consistency.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla is always a good idea. It adds the perfect touch of flavor. I always use pure vanilla extract in my baking. It really elevates the quality of your baked goods.
Cool Whip
We use Cool Whip for the whipped cream in both the peanut butter and chocolate mousses. The main reason for this is to save time! If you prefer to make your own whipped cream, feel free to do so!
Chocolate Pudding Mix
Instant chocolate pudding mix is used to provide the chocolate flavor to the chocolate mousse and as a thickening agent.
Whole Milk
Whole milk is mixed with the chocolate pudding to create the chocolate mousse. Heavy cream may also be used if whole milk is not available.
Chocolate Wafers
The chocolate wafers are coarsely crushed to create the chocolate crunchies in this recipe. Do you know the chocolate crunchy things in ice cream cake? That is what these are! I prefer to use either Famous Chocolate Wafers or Oreo’s with the cream middle scraped out. Typically, Oreo’s seem to be more readily available here so I tend to use them. Using 20 full Oreo’s with the middles scraped out provides plenty of crunchies for the trifle.
Magic Shell Topping
Magic Shell Topping is used to coat the chocolate wafer crumbs to create the delicious chocolate crunchies. We also drizzle a bit more as a final touch to the top of the trifle.
Peanut Butter Chips
We use Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips to add a little extra kick of peanut butter along with some additional texture.
How To Crush Cookies Without a Food Processor?
Normally, I would recommend using a food processor to easily crush cookies for a recipe. However, I did not want these to turn to dust or be super small. The crumbs should be small to medium in size. Therefore, I resorted to the good old-fashioned cookie crushing method of using a plastic food storage bag and rolling pin. Please see below for instructions.
- Place cookies in the bag and close bag.
- Whack cookies inside the bag with a rolling pin until crushed into pieces.
How Should I Store this Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Trifle?
Because this dessert has mousse and whipped cream, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To keep cake that has been cut fresh, stick a piece of wax paper (or plastic wrap) on the exposed section prior to covering and storing.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
- Keeping cake fresh – To keep cake that has been cut fresh, stick a piece of wax paper on the exposed section prior to covering and storing.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Stand Mixer – to mix batter and mousse
- Trifle Dish – to hold trifle
- Rolling Pin – to crush chocolate wafers
If you liked this recipe, try our
- Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- S’mores Trifle
- Decadent Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Trifle
Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Trifle is filled with layers of white cake, peanut butter mousse, chocolate crunchies, chocolate mousse, peanut butter chips, and topped with a Magic Shell drizzle. It is out-of-this-world delicious, super simple, and ready to serve in under two hours!
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 1 box (16.25 oz) white cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist or Duncan Hines)
- PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE:
- 1 ½ cups (405 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup (114 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
- CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
- 1 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
- CHOCOLATE CRUNCHIES:
- 1 ½ cups coarsely crushed Famous Chocolate Wafers or Oreo’s (with middle scraped out – about 20 Oreos)
- 3 Tbsp Magic Shell Topping, more for drizzle
- TOPPINGS:
- 1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
Directions
- Step 1 CAKE: Prepare cake per instructions on the box. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, cut into chunks and let cool completely.
- Step 2 PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat together peanut butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Fold in Cool Whip and refrigerate until ready to assemble trifle.
- Step 3 CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat together chocolate pudding mix and whole milk until slightly thickened. Fold in Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to assemble trifle.
- Step 4 CHOCOLATE CRUNCHIES: Using a plastic food storage bag and a rolling pin, crush wafers or Oreo’s until they are small to medium crumbs (not super small). (If using Oreo’s, be sure to first scrape out cream middle.) Place in a large bowl and mix with 3 tablespoons of Magic Shell until all crumbs are coated. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble trifle.
- Step 5 ASSEMBLY: In a trifle bowl, place a layer of white cake pieces. Then, cover with 1/3 of the peanut butter layer and some chocolate crunchies. Add half of the chocolate mousse and sprinkle half of the Reese’s peanut butter chips on top. Repeat with another layer of cake, 1/3 of the peanut butter layer and chocolate crunchies. Add the last half of chocolate mousse and last half of Reese’s peanut butter chips. Top with the last 1/3 of the peanut butter layer and decorate with any remaining chocolate crunchies. Pop in the fridge for a few minutes to set and then add a drizzle of Magic Shell on the top. Keep trifle refrigerated. (You most likely will not use entire cake.)
- Step 6 STORAGE: Cover trifle tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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