12 Days of Christmas Christmas RECIPES

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

I’m really missing throwing our annual Christmas Party. With Covid and trying to sell our house, it’s just not working out for us this year. Other than getting all my favorite people together in a room to celebrate the coming King, my favorite part of it is menu planning! It’s one of my favorite parts of party planning and today’s recipe would be perfect for a party, especially a small gathering of dinner party. I love a good trifle and even better when you can put them in smaller, individual serving dishes. Add the flavors of your favorite holiday latte, Peppermint Mocha, and you have the perfect recipe for the holiday season. 

I will be totally honest and say that this dessert is on the fancier side and not easy or simple to throw together. It is definitely a special occasion type of dessert. It is not child friendly either, though it would be easy to make it by leaving out the liqueur. I figured this is the  year we all have more time to try something new.  If we can all  learn how to make sourdough this year, we can make a fancy trifle with homemade mousse and pudding, right?? I will tell you it is totally worth the time and effort because it is freaking delish. 

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

See below for step x step instructions (with pictures) and scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe!

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Ingredients for White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles

Glass Bowls // White Chocolate // Semi-Sweet Chocolate // Jackson Morgan Peppermint Mocha Liqueur // Plastic Mixing Bowl

Recipe:

Cake:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a round cake pan by greasing and lining with parchment paper. Set aside. 

Prepared cake pan

Cake Pan

STEP 2: Add milk and butter to a small saucepan and heat to almost a boil. Remove and set aside.

Milk and butter in saucepan

All-Clad Saucepan

STEP 3: Add purpose  flour, cocoa  powder, baking powder and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Dry ingredients for cake in mixing bowl

Plastic Mixing Bowl

Mixed dry ingredients in mixing bowl

Plastic Mixing Bowl

STEP 4: Add eggs to bowl and mix with a whisk attachment until light and fluffy.

Eggs added to mixing bowl

KitchenAid Mixer

STEP 5: Add sugar and beat for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and mix.

Sugar added to eggs and mixed

KitchenAid Mixer

Vanilla added to sugar/egg mixture

KitchenAid Mixer

STEP 6: Add hot milk mixture slowly to the sugar egg mixture while beating on low speed. 

STEP 7: Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Dry ingredients added to mixing bowl

KitchenAid Mixer

STEP 8: Pour batter into prepared  pan.

Batter poured into prepared pan

Cake Pan

STEP 9: Bake for 25 minutes.

Baked cake

Cake Pan // Cooling Rack 

STEP 10: Let cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cake cooling on cooling rack

Cooling Rack

Peppermint  Mocha Simple Syrup:

STEP 1: Add sugar and 1/4 cup water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. 

simple syrup ingredients in saucepan

Calphalon Saucepan

STEP 2: Remove from heat and allow to cool.

STEP 3: Once cooled, stir in peppermint mocha liqueur.

Liqueur added to simple syrup

Calphalon Saucepan

The Laundress - Sport Detergent

White Chocolate Mousse:

STEP 1: Prepare an ice bath by putting ice into a large bowl with a little cold water. Set aside.

Ice Bath

Stainless Steel Bowl

STEP 2: Add 1 cup cream to  a small saucepan and heat until just boiling.

cream added to saucepan

All-Clad Saucepan

STEP 3: Chop white chocolate into small pieces and add to a food processor.

Chopped white chocolate

Flexible Cutting Board // White Chocolate

STEP 4: Turn the food processor on and slowly pour the hot cream and mix until smooth.

chocolate added to food processor

Food Processor

STEP 5: Pour the white chocolate mixture into a bowl and place in the ice bath to cool. Let it cool for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

White Chocolate mIxture in a bowl

Glass Bowl

White chocolate mixture placed in half bath

Glass Mixing Bowl // Stainless Steel Bowl

STEP 6: Beat the rest of the cream (1 1/2 cups) to just stiff peaks. 

Whipped cream in mixing bowl

KitchenAid Mixing Bowl

STEP 7: Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture until combined. 

whipped cream added to white chocolate mixture

Glass Bowl

White chocolate mousse mixture

Glass Bowl

STEP 8: Fold in the peppermint pieces.

Peppermints added to white chocolate mousse

Glass Bowl

STEP 9: Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Chocolate Pudding:

STEP 1: Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place into a bowl. Set aside.

Chopped chocolate on cutting board

Plastic Cutting Board

chocolate added to bowl

Plastic Mixing Bowl

STEP 2: Add cream to a small saucepan and heat to almost a boil. 

cream in saucepan

Greenpan saucepan

STEP 3: Add eggs to another bowl and whisk. 

Eggs added to bowl

Glass Measuring Cup

STEP 4: When cream is hot, slowly pour into bowl with eggs while whisking. 

Cream added to eggs

Glass Measuring Cup

STEP 5: Place the egg/cream mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes. 

egg/cream mixture in saucepan

Greenpan Saucepan

STEP 6: Pour the cream into the bowl with chocolate through a sieve.

STEP 7: Stir until smooth.

Chocolate pudding mixture in mixing bowl

Plastic Mixing Bowl

STEP 8: Set bowl in an ice water bath to cool for about 15 minutes, while stirring.

Pudding mixture put in ice bath

Plastic Mixing Bowl // Stainless Steel Bowl

STEP 9: Cover, placing plastic wrap where it touches chocolate mixture and refrigerate for about 3 hours while setting.

saran wrap added to pudding mixture,

Plastic Mixing Bowl


Assemble:

STEP 1: Brush cake with Peppermint Mocha Simple Syrup.

cake brushed with simple syruo

Pastry Brush

STEP 2: Cut cake into small pieces.

Cake cut into small pieces

STEP 3: Add a dollop of white chocolate mousse to the bottom of your vessel.

White Chocolate added to bottom of vessle

Glass //  Marble Board

STEP 4: Add a couple of pieces of cake.

Cake added to Trifle

Glass // Marble Board

STEP 5: Add a dollop of chocolate pudding.

Chocolate Pudding added to glass

Glass / Marble Board

STEP 6: Finish with another dollop of white chocolate.

White Chocolate added to top

Glass / Marble Board

STEP 7: Pipe whipped cream or cool whip on top and sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces.

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

Marble Board // Glasses

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

Marble Board // Ramekin // Glasses


White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

Marble Board // Glasses 

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

Glasses // Marble Board

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

Glasses // Marble Board

Products I used:

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Printable Recipe:

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles are perfect for a fancy Christmas Dinner! #peppermintmochatrifles #triflerecipes #minidesserts #christmasdesserts #christmasrecipes

White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Trifles

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Peppermint Mocha Simple Syrup

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup peppermint mocha liqueur

White Chocolate Mousse

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 12 ounces white chocolate
  • 1/2 cup chopped peppermints or candy canes

Chocolate Pudding

  • 8 ounces chocolate
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 large egg yolks

Topping

  • Whipped topping
  • Crushed peppermints or candy canes

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a round cake pan by greasing and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Add milk and butter to a small saucepan and heat to almost a boil. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  4. Add eggs to bowl and mix with a whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
  5. Add sugar and beat for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and mix.
  6. Add hot milk mixture slowly to the sugar/egg mixture while beating on low speed.
  7. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes.
  10. Let cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.


Peppermint Mocha Simple Syrup:

1. Add sugar and 1/4 cup water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Once cooled, stir in peppermint mocha liqueur.

White Chocolate Mousse:

1. Prepare an ice bath by putting ice into a large bowl with a little cold water. Set aside.

2. Add 1 cup cream to a small saucepan and heat until just boiling.

3. Chop white chocolate into small pieces and add to a food processor.

4. Turn the food processor on and slowly pour the hot cream and mix until smooth.

5. Pour the white chocolate mixture into a bowl and place in the ice bath to cool. Let it cool for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

6. Beat the rest of the cream to just stiff peaks.

7. Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture until combined.

8. Fold in the peppermint pieces.

9. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Chocolate Pudding:

1. Chop the chocolate into small piece and place into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Add cream to a small saucepan and heat to almost a boil.

3. Add eggs to another bowl and whisk.

4. When cream is hot, slowly pour into bowl with eggs while whisking.

5. Place the egg/cream mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.

6. Pour the cream into the bowl with chocolate through a sieve.

7. Stir until smooth.

8. Set bowl in an ice water bath to cool for about 15 minutes, while stirring.

9. Cover, placing plastic wrap where it touches chocolate mixture and refrigerate for about 3 hours while setting.

Assemble:

1. Brush cake with Peppermint Mocha Simple Syrup.

2. Cut cake into small pieces.

3. Add a dollop of white chocolate mousse to the bottom of the glass.

4. Add a couple pieces of cake.

5. Add a dollop of chocolate pudding.

6. Finish with another dollop of white chocolate.

7. Pipe whipped cream or cool whip on top and sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces.

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

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