Recipe updated: April 12th, 2024
Layers of cake, whipped topping, sprinkles, and cookies make this birthday trifle cake with sprinkles the cutest cake ever. I know we agree it’s cute, but how does it taste? Well, let me tell you that it tastes absolutely amazing!
The simple ingredients in this happy birthday trifle cake include a super moist white cake mix, sprinkles, cheesecake instant pudding mix, whole milk, whipped topping, cream cheese, and topped with six cookies and more sprinkles.
This layered dessert with cream cheese in the recipe is easy and fun to make, just like our cherry coffee cake, Mississippi mud cake, strawberry lemon icebox cake, and gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting.
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 he told his wife (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.
🎂 Key Ingredients
- 3 cups of whole milk
- One 16.25 ounce Betty Crocker super moist white cake mix – use milk instead of water, and 1 extra egg
- Two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese – softened
- 1 tub of whipped topping – 16 ounces – cool whip or your favorite brand
- 2 cheesecake instant pudding mix – 3.4 ounces each
- 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles
- 6 Oreo golden sandwich cookies – for garnishing
👩🍳 How to Make Birthday Trifle Cake with Sprinkles
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Prepare the Cake Mix
Put one 16.25 ounce super moist white cake mix in a large bowl and 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 to create a funfetti cake mix.
Note: You can use an electric mixer to prepare the cake batter. Start out on low speed and gradually increase to high speed until the cake mix is blended well.
Step 2. Mix the Cake Batter and Sprinkles
With a spoon or spatula, not the electric mixer, mix the cake batter and sprinkles until blended well.
Tip: Using the electric mixer can chop up the sprinkles too much.
Step 3. Prepare the Baking Dish
Spray non-stick cooking spray inside of a 9×13 inch cake pan, then pour the cake batter into the greased pan.
Step 4. Bake the Cake then Cut into Cubes
Bake the cake according to the instructions on the package. Let the cake cool completely. Then cut the cake into cubes, about 18 squares, inside the baking pan.
After that, mentally divide the cake into thirds for the three layers of cake. In other words, six cake cubes will be the first layer of this dessert. But in the meantime, set the cake aside until we begin the layering process.
Step 5. Prepare the Cheesecake Instant Pudding and Milk
In a medium bowl, add 2 cheesecake instant pudding mixes together with 3 cups of whole milk.
Step 6. Mix the Pudding and 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.
Step 7. Prepare the 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: Save a bit of the whipped topping for the last layer as it will be used on the top of the cake.
Step 8. Mix the Cream Cheese and Whipped Topping
With the electric mixer, whip the cream cheese together with the whipped topping just until combined.
Step 9. Add the Cheesecake Pudding to the Cream Cheese Mixture
Put the cheesecake pudding from the bowl we set aside earlier together with the cream cheese mixture.
Step 10. Mix the Cheesecake Pudding and Cream Cheese Mixture
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 11. Start Layering the Cake
For the first layer, use a 3-quart trifle bowl and place 1/3 of the cubes of cake around the bottom of the trifle dish.
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.
Step 12. Spread Half the Cheesecake Cream Cheese Pudding Mixture
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.
Step 13. Repeat a Layer of Cake
The third layer will be another layer of cake cubes. 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.
Step 14. Spread the Last Layer of the Cheesecake Cream Cheese Pudding Mixture
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 of it.
Step 15. Lay the Last Layer of Cake
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.
Step 16. Spread on the Last Layer of Whipped Topping
The last layer is the rest of the whipped topping that we saved earlier. 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.
Note: You might need more whipped cream than we used, depending on how thick you layered it compared to us.
Step 17. Put Garish on the top of the Cake
We used 6 Oreo golden sandwich cookies to garnish the top layer of the birthday cake. Place each Oreo cookie around the top of the whipped topping, pressing them into the whipped topping not quite halfway down. 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 on top of the cake that you prefer.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.
🎉 The Finished Cake
The photo below shows the three layers where the cake goes, and in between each layer of cake are the two layers of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture. The top of the cake has whipped topping, sprinkles, and six cookies.
The trifle bowl is a 3-quart bowl, so there is plenty of cake to go around for everyone and sure to please all of your family and friends.
🌟 Recipe Variations
What’s fun about this triffle dessert cake is you can let your imagination go wild. The possibilities are endless for any special occasion.
- Make homemade whipped cream instead of buying whipped topping in the tub at the grocery store.
- Change the birthday cake flavor by using a different type of cake mix. For example, you can use a chocolate cake mix, vanilla cake mix, pound cake mix, or whatever is your favorite cake mix, instead of a white cake mix.
- Put different cookies on top for the garnish such as lady fingers or chocolate mint Oreo cookies.
- Make a berry trifle cake dessert by adding a little bit of your favorite berries between the other layers. You can use fresh berries or frozen, but thaw the frozen berries and let them dry thoroughly.
- Use any sprinkles of your choice.
❓ FAQs
In the culinary world, a trifle is usually a layered dessert in a trifle bowl. A trifle bowl is a large glass bowl sitting on a pedestal, also known as a foot stand. 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 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 cheesecake pudding as fillings between the layers of cake and fruit. It’s a delicious cold dessert that’s sure to please everyone!
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, 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.
Most of the time leftover cake can sit on the countertop at room temperature for a few days until you have finished eating it. But this cake must be kept in the refrigerator due the to whipped topping. The whipped topping must be kept chilled or it will become runny and lose it fluffy texture.
🥳 Final Thoughts
This birthday cake trifle recipe is a delicious dessert and a beautiful work of art with three cake layers, and three whip cream layers. It’s so pretty for any occasion, not just for birthday parties.
For your next up coming party, make a beautiful presentation with this festive dessert cake that also tastes amazing.
📑 Recipe Card
Birthday Trifle Cake Recipe with Sprinkles
🫕 Equipment
- Electric hand mixer (optional)
🧂 Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 Betty Crocker super moist white cake mix (16.25 ounces)
- 2 cream cheese (8 ounces each – softened)
- 1 tub whipped topping (16 ounces)
- 2 cheesecake instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces each)
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
- 6 Oreo golden cookies (for garnishing the top of the cake)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Prepare the cake according to the instructions on the back of the package, except use milk instead of water and 1 extra egg. Also, add the rainbow sprinkles to the cake batter. Mix well, then bake in the oven according to the instructions on the back of the package.
- After the cake is baked, let it cool completely. Then cut the cake into 18 squares inside the baking pan. Mentally divide the cake into thirds. Set the cake aside for now.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the cheesecake instant pudding with the milk. Using an electric mixer, whip for about 2 minutes until the pudding begins to thicken, but you can still pour it. Set aside for now.
- In a different bowl, add the cream cheese with half of the whipped topping. Whip until combined. The other half of the whipped topping will be the last layer of the cake.
- Add the cheesecake pudding to the cream cheese and whipped topping. Whip on medium speed for about 2 minutes with the electric mixer until all is blended well.
The First Layer
- Use a 3-quart trifle bowl and place 1/3 of the pieces of the squares of cake around the bottom of the bowl. 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
- Spread half of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture around the bowl over the top of the cake pieces. Shake some sprinkles over the top.
The Third Layer
- Lay another 1/3 row of cake around the bowl.
The Fourth Layer
- Spread the last half of the cheesecake cream cheese pudding mixture evenly in the bowl. Shake more sprinkles on the top.
The Fifth Layer
- Put the last of the cake around the bowl. The cake can be above the top of the dish just a bit, don't smash it down.
The Last Layer
- Spread the rest of the whipped topping all around the top of the cake. Shake some more sprinkles on the top.
Garnish
- Push the Oreo golden sandwich cookies into the whipped topping around the center of the top of the cake, pressing them into the whipped topping. They should look like they are standing up.
- Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Keep any leftover cake in the refrigerator.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- For the garnish at the top of the cake, you can use any of your favorite cookies that you prefer.
💙 More Favorite Desserts You Will Love
- Create the perfect dessert with this colorful homemade ice cream recipe using leftover Halloween candy. For sure it will jazz up birthday celebrations, special occasions, or just a fun dessert to serve to your family and friends.
- Who doesn’t love brownies? Especially when they are triple chocolate brownies with cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips in the recipe. Yum!
- You are going to love this classic sugar cream pie recipe with a creamy vanilla custard filling and a melted butter and cinnamon sugar topping,
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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