Add a little drama to your Thanksgiving table this year with our Pumpkin Spice Trifle. With layers of spice cake, pumpkin cream cheese filling and all things pumpkin spice, it will be hard to resist a taste!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cake Cook Time: 30-35 mins
Cake Cooling Time: 1 hr
Assembly Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs (approx.)
Servings: 20

Ingredients:

ginger snap cookies-crushed
caramel sauce
Philadelphia no-bake cream cheese filling
Cool Whip
canned pumpkin puree
spice cake mix
pecans-optional

Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Step 1: Make spice cake by adding 2 eggs and a can of pumpkin puree to a large bowl and mix together using an electric mixer. Pour cake batter into a parchment paper lined 9×9 inch cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in center of cake. Set aside to cool completely.

eggs and pumpkin in a large blue bowl on the counter

spice cake mix, eggs and pumpkin being mixed in large blue bowl on the counter

Mixed spice cake batter in a large blue bowl on the counter

spice cake batter in a parchment paper lined 9x9 cake pan on the counter.

Step 2: While cake is baking, mix the second can of pumpkin puree with the no-bake cream cheese filling in a bowl. Once combined, cover and chill in the refrigerator.

pumpkin and no bake cream cheese filling mixed together in a glass bowl on the white counter

Step 3: Once cake has cooled completely cut it into 1½-2 inch pieces (approx. 38-42 pieces).

Step 4: Crush ginger snap cookies by placing them into a ziploc bag and press and roll a rolling pin over them until crushed. Place in a bowl on the counter.

Step 5: Remove chilled pumpkin cream cheese layer and Cool Whip from the fridge and place on the counter near glass trifle bowl. Do the same with the vanilla wafer cookies.

Cut up spice cake on parchment paper on the counter. Pumpkin cream cheese filling in a glass bowl, whip cream, crushed graham crackers I a bowl, crushed pecans in a small bowl and vanilla wafers on a plate- al on the counter.

Step 6:

Layer some of the pieces of the spice cake into the bottom of your trifle bowl.
Reserving the rest of the cake pieces for additional layers.
Next, add a layer of the chilled pumpkin cream cheese filling on top of the cake pieces.
Next, add a layer of the Cool Whip top on the pumpkin cream cheese filling layer.
Next, add a layer of crushed ginger snap cookies.

Step 7: Repeat (Step 6) several more times depending on the size of the trifle bowl.

cake pieces in glass trifle container on the counter.

Layer trifle in glass container on counter

Step 8: Garnish the top of the trifle with crushed ginger snap cookies, vanilla wafer cookies and caramel sauce if desired. Serve in small bowls and enjoy!

Video of layering the Pumpkin Spice Trifle dessert. Cake, pumpkin cream cheese, then whip cream, ginger snap crushed cookies and then repeat layers. Decorate with vanilla wafers, crushed ginger snap cookies and caramel sauce all in a large glass trifle container.

Tips:

Try making individual trifles in martini or coupe glasses.
Add chocolate shavings on top.
Make your own whipped cream.

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

Add a little drama to your Thanksgiving table this year with our Pumpkin Spice Trifle. With layers of spice cake, cheese cake filling and all things pumpkin spice, it will be hard to resist a taste!

Tara

Total Time 2

Servings

Equipment

Trifle bowl
electric mixer
9×9 inch cake pan

Ingredients

1 cup ginger snap cookies (crushed)
caramel syrup
1 container of Philadelphia no-bake cream cheese filling (24.3oz container)
16 oz Cool Whip (2 containers- 8 oz each)
30 oz canned pumpkin puree (2 cans- 15 oz each)
1 box of spice cake mix
¼ cup pecans-crushed (optional)

Instructions

Make spice cake by adding 2 eggs and a can of pumpkin puree to a large bowl and mix together using an electric mixer. Pour cake batter into a parchment paper lined 9×9 inch cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in center of cake. Set aside to cool completely.
While cake is baking, mix the second can of pumpkin puree with the no-bake cream cheese filling in a bowl. Once combined, cover and chill in the refrigerator.
Once cake has cooled completely, cut it into 1½-2 inch pieces (approx. 38-42 pieces).
Crush ginger snap cookies by placing them into a ziploc bag and press and roll a rolling pin over them until crushed. Place in a bowl on the counter.
Remove chilled pumpkin cream cheese layer and Cool Whip from the fridge and place on the counter near the glass trifle bowl. Do the same with the vanilla wafer cookies.
Layer some of the pieces of the spice cake into the bottom of your trifle bowl. *Reserving the rest of the cake pieces for additional layers.
Next, add a layer of the chilled pumpkin cream cheese filling on top of the cake pieces.
Next, add a layer of the Cool Whip on top on the pumpkin cream cheese layer.
Next, add a layer of crushed ginger snap cookies.
Repeat (Step 6-9) several more times depending on the size of the trifle bowl.
Garnish the top of the trifle with crushed ginger snap cookies, vanilla wafer cookies and caramel sauce if desired. Serve in small bowls and enjoy!

Notes

Try making individual trifles in martini or coupe glasses.

Add chocolate shavings on top.

Make your own whipped cream.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.

5 Comments

Angelica Marks says:

November 1, 2024 at 10:32 am

Absolutely delicious 😋

1. Beth says:
  
  November 1, 2024 at 10:43 am
  
  Thanks, Angelica! 😍
  
Brenda Magliacano says:

November 1, 2024 at 10:39 am

So delicious!

Thomson Thomas says:

November 1, 2024 at 11:29 am

Got a chance to taste it today, great recipe, yummy…… should definitely try it. Will love it, 👍👍👍👍

1. Tara says:
  
  November 1, 2024 at 12:30 pm
  
  Thank you for the kind words!