Birthday Trifle Cake with Sprinkles

(Last Updated On: October 10, 2022)

Isn’t this just the cutest birthday trifle cake with sprinkles that you’ve ever seen? Okay, so we agree it’s cute, but how does it taste? Well, let me tell you that it tastes amazing, just heavenly!! It’s also easy and fun to make. Make a cake, cut it into squares, whip the cheesecake pudding and some whipped cream, add it to the cream cheese, and then layer it up with the cake. Topped with whipped topping and more sprinkles. That’s it.

My son-in-law’s birthday was coming up, so he checked online and found this recipe on Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen website, and told my daughter he wanted her to make it for him. And so she did and it turned out great! 🙂

If you need to make a fancy-looking birthday cake for a special birthday party or special occasion, that also tastes amazing, then you are going to love this birthday cake recipe.

🎈 What’s in this Birthday Trifle Cake?

This recipe includes a super moist white cake mix, sprinkles, cheesecake instant pudding mix, whole milk, and cream cheese. The top has 6 cookies and more sprinkles.

🎂 Key Ingredients

• One 15.25-ounce super moist white cake mix with milk instead of water, and 1 extra egg
• 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles
• 2 cheesecake instant pudding mix – 3.4 ounces each
• 3 cups of whole milk
• Two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese – softened
• 1 tub of whipped topping – 16 ounces
• 6 OREO Golden Sandwich Cookies – for garnishing

🧑‍🍳 Step-By-Step Instructions with Detailed Photos

Step 1. Prepare the Cake Mix

We used one 15.25-ounce super moist white cake mix. Prepare the cake according to the instructions on the back of the package, except use milk instead of water and 1 extra egg. Adding milk instead of water and 1 extra egg makes this cake super duper moist. It also gives it a flavor like the cakes that are made in bakery shops. Yum!

After you have the cake batter prepared, add 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles together with the cake batter.

With a spoon or spatula, stir the cake batter and sprinkles until blended well.

Pour the cake batter into a 9 x 13-inch greased baking pan.

Bake the cake according to the instructions on the package. Let the cake cool completely. Then cut the cake into 18 squares inside of the baking pan. After that, mentally divide the cake into thirds. Set the cake aside until step 5.

Note: Beginning in step 5 we will start the layering process, and there will be 3 layers of cake.

Step 2. Cheesecake Instant Pudding and Milk

In a medium-sized bowl, add 2 cheesecake instant pudding mixes together with 3 cups of whole milk.

Whip the cheesecake instant pudding together with the milk using an electric mixer. Whip the pudding and milk for about 2 minutes until the pudding just begins to thicken, but you can still pour it out of the bowl. Set aside for now until step 4.

Step 3. Cream Cheese and Whipped Topping

In a different bowl, add two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese together with 2 cups of whipped topping. Note: Later, in step 5, the last layer, whipped topping will be used on the top of the cake.

With the electric mixer, whip the cream cheese together with the whipped topping just until combined.

Step 4. Add the Cheesecake Pudding to the Cream Cheese and Whipped Topping

Add the cheesecake pudding from the one bowl together with the cream cheese and whipped topping in the other bowl.

Put the electric mixer on medium speed and whip the cheesecake pudding, cream cheese, and whipped topping for about 2 minutes until smooth. We will now call this cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture.

Step 5. Layering the Cake and the Cheesecake Cream Cheese Pudding Mixture

The First Layer

For the first layer, use a 3-quart trifle bowl and place 1/3 of the squares of cake around the bottom of the trifle bowl.

Note: Placing the pieces of cake in the trifle bowl doesn’t have to be perfect, just lay the cake pieces as best as they can fit. You can break apart some of the pieces of cake to make them fit better in the center of the bowl, but don’t crumble them too small.

The Second Layer

For the second layer, scoop out half of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture, then spread it around the trifle bowl over the top of the cake pieces. After that, shake some sprinkles over the top of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture. Note: We will use the other half of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture in the fourth layer.

The Third Layer

The third layer will be another row of cake. Arrange another 1/3 of the pieces of cake to fit all around the trifle bowl. The trifle bowl is narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, so you will be able to get a bit more cake in the bowl with this layer.

The Fourth Layer

The fourth layer will be the last half of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture. Spread it around evenly in the trifle bowl, then shake more sprinkles on the top.

The Fifth Layer

The fifth layer is one last row of cake. You should have enough cake to go around the bowl. The cake can be above the top of the dish a little bit, so don’t smash it down.

The Last Layer

The last layer is the rest of the whipped topping that was saved earlier from step 3. Spread the remaining whipped topping all around the top of the cake. You can make it kind of poofy and fluffy looking. Then shake some more sprinkles on the top. You might need more whipped cream than we used depending on how thick you layered it compared to us.

Step 6. Garish

We used 6 Oreo golden sandwich cookies to garnish the top of the birthday cake. Place each Oreo cookie around the top of the whipped topping pressing them into the whipped topping not quite halfway. They should look like they are standing up, as shown in the next photo following this photo. You can use any of your favorite cookies that you prefer.

Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.

🎉 The Grand Finale – Birthday Trifle Cake with Sprinkles

The photo below shows the 3 layers where the cake goes, and in between each layer of cake are the 2 layers of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture. The top of the cake has whipped topping, sprinkles, and six cookies.

❓ FAQs for this Recipe

What is a Trifle Cake?

In the culinary world, a trifle is usually a layered dessert in a trifle bowl. The possibilities are endless what the layers can be.

A trifle cake is a layered dessert that usually has pieces of cake as 3 of the layers. And sometimes in between the cake layers are fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, etc.

And there is usually a combination or mixture of puddings and cream, for example, whipped cream, cream cheese, and or cheesecake pudding as fillings in between the layers of cake and fruit. It’s a delicious cold dessert that’s sure to please everyone!

Where to Buy a Trifle Bowl?

There are a variety of trifle bowls to choose from in the stores and online. Depending on how much you want to spend and how fancy you want to get, Amazon has lots to choose from and their prices aren’t too expensive.

And the same goes for Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Kohl’s, and Hobby Lobby. Prices can range from $2.99 to $60 or more. Styles can range from very simple to extravagant.

🥳 Final Thoughts

This birthday trifle cake is a beautiful piece of art. So pretty for any occasion. The trifle bowl is a 3-quart bowl so there is plenty of cake to go around for everyone. The flavor of this trifle cake is heavenly and sure to please all of your family and friends.

Create more birthday fun with this colorful homemade ice cream recipe using leftover Halloween candy. For sure it will jazz up your birthday celebrations and be a smashing hit with the kids!