Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

My family will tell you that my favorite cake to make is a trifle. I fell in love with trifles several years ago when I tried one for the first time at a church dinner, since then a trifle is my "go to" cake for all occasions and my kids swear up and down that each one is the best one yet! I can't really attest to that, because like many of the sweets I make, I rarely eat any of it, so I just go on what the kids tell me. But I just don't think you can go wrong with a trifle....they go well with just about any type of filling, their easy to make, and look impressive in the bowl. And if my kids can be believed I've not come up with a bad combination yet!

This past week was the oldest granddaughter's birthday and her mom wanted me to make a trifle for her "cake". She found a recipe for a Peanut Butter Buckeye Cake in my Midwest Living magazine and ask me if I could convert it to a trifle instead....sure, why not?! I mean, peanut butter just goes really well with chocolate right? So the daughter picked up some peanut butter cups and away I went! I've only changed a couple of things from their recipe, but I think you'll like this version just as well. One thing you will notice is that none of my ingredients are name brands, so feel free to buy your own store version or the more costly kind! ;)

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

 1 pkg. milk chocolate cake mix
 1 large tub of whip cream
 1 can sweetened condensed milk
 1 jar of CRUNCHY peanut butter
 1 pkg. cream cheese
 1 jar hot fudge sauce
 12-15 peanut butter cups chopped
 1/4 cp. toffee bits (optional)

Prepare the cake mix according to directions and bake in 11x9 pan. Allow to cool and then let set overnight covered (this helps to firm up the cake a bit). When your ready to prepare the trifle, beat cream cheese and peanut butter together in large bowl, add sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Fold in all of the whip cream but one cup (set this aside for the top), again mixing well. Microwave the hot fudge sauce just long enough to be able to pour it and then get ready to set up your trifle. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in small cubes (I run my knife lengthwise down the cake about 1/2" apart, then cross cut the same way). Place about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the cake cubes in the bottom of your trifle bowl, tucking in extra cubes to close any spaces you may have. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese/peanut butter mixture over the cubes carefully spreading it out to the edges. Drizzle hot fudge sauce over the top. Add another layer of cake cubes, once again tucking in any where you have spaces; press down lightly. Add the rest of your cream cheese mixture and spread again. In the center of the mixture add your reserved whip cream, spreading out lightly, but not enough to cover your cream cheese/peanut butter completely. Drizzle with more hot fudge sauce and then sprinkle the top with the chopped peanut butter cups. I like to toss on a handful of the toffee bits with any of my chocolate trifles, but I like toffee bits!! Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and set in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

This trifle is VERY rich so spoon out small servings when you're ready to enjoy! Depending on the size of your trifle bowl you may end up with some cake cubes leftover. I always do and I like to freeze mine for use later in a "mix and match" trifle! The possibilities with these things are endless.

Oh, and the granddaughter? She had some trifle, but Ga surprised her with some stiletto cupcakes for her actual "cake" instead and for once THEY were the bigger hit!