Cherry and Panettone Trifle

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, cherries, and Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious Trifle! It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a summer sweet treat when fresh cherries are in season!

My kids and I love Italian Panettone! When the chilly fall season finally arrives, you can be certain that we will look for and buy at least a loaf or two of this special holiday bread (or cake, as others readily point out, but I won’t argue with anyone over this! I love it either way!).

I compare it to a brioche loaf – deliciously sweet, buttery, and tender! It comes in many varieties during the Christmas season – plain, with chocolate chips, or loaded with fruits so it’s like a fruitcake and tastes a little bit like it, too!

Because it was Christmas, I gravitated to the more festive-looking Panettone loaf I saw.
Now, we had an entire loaf of Panettone that we didn’t get to eat last Christmas. I was unwell during the holidays, so many of my groceries intended for making a Christmas feast were left untouched.

However, for New Year’s Day, I resolved to make something out of the holiday goodies we still had. I wouldn’t let any of this delicious bread go unused!

The good thing is that since the bread is akin to a fruitcake, it really doesn’t expire for several months, so I knew I could still use it up to June!! But hey, why wait that long?

I know my family loves trifle, so I decided to use this delicious bread to make my family a yummy dessert. It was also an easy dessert that I could make even though I wasn’t totally well yet.

This blog post will show you how to make an easy and delicious holiday fruit trifle using the Italian Panettone Cake and cherries. Enjoy!

My husband is English so he naturally loves trifle, too so it was always a winning choice though I told him this is not strictly English but trifle with an Italian flair because I used an Italian holiday bread (or cake!).

The freshly whipped cream, custard, nuts, and fruit combination (and the chocolate shavings, too!!!) totally made this dessert delicious!

My kids and husband suggested that the next time I make this, I should try either a plain or chocolate-loaded Panettone as they felt it would work better with the cherries and raspberries!

Of course, naturally, cherries and raspberries are chocolate’s best friend so I will definitely try that for next time!! Totally, noted. 🙂

Why you would love this Cherry and Panettone Trifle

You would love Cherry and Panettone Trifle because it combines the rich and festive flavors of panettone, a traditional Italian holiday bread, with the sweet and tart goodness of cherries. The layers of panettone soaked in a flavorful syrup, combined with layers of creamy custard and fresh cherries, create a delightful and indulgent dessert. The contrast of textures and flavors, along with the hint of holiday spices, makes it a delicious and comforting treat that’s perfect for the holiday season or any special occasion.

Ingredients for Cherry and Panettone Trifle

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, cherries plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious Trifle!

• 15 oz can sweet dark Cherries (use 2 cans if doubling the layers)
• (6 oz) package fresh Raspberries or your fruit of choice
• 1 small loaf of plain or chocolate Panettone (about 1 lb) or use your favorite plain sponge cake,
• 2 cups store-bought or homemade custard (see notes)
• 1 pint whipping cream, freshly whipped with 2 tablespoons Icing sugar
• A handful of sliced Almonds
• Extra Chocolate Shavings

Instructions for Cherry and Panettone Trifle

1. Drain canned cherries and reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. Reserve 1/2 cup of the juice if doubling the recipe. Slice the Panettone into bite-sized cubes.
2. Spread the cubed Panettone in a trifle bowl (there will be some leftovers). Drizzle with the reserved cherry juice or syrup. Top with the cherries and raspberries.
3. Pour the custard on top of the fruits and then spread the freshly whipped cream all over. Garnish with extra cherries and raspberries, sliced almonds, and chocolate shavings. The trifle can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

NOTES

Notes: You can use store-bought custard like Ambrosia Devon Custard (1 can if doing only 1 layer) or use Bird’s Custard Powder to make your own. Follow directions on the can but use 4 tablespoons powder instead of 2 as you want a thicker custard. If you want to make it from scratch, follow this easy recipe for yummy vanilla custard sauce.

My family commented that plain or chocolate-flavored panettone is the best one to use for this trifle so use that if possible.

I only made a single layer for each trifle component here but you can certainly double it. Simply double the ingredients and double the layers except for the whipped cream as it’s the final topping so one is enough.

If you don’t like raspberries because it’s too tart/acidic for you then feel free to use other fruits that pair well with cherries like bananas or other sweet fruits. You can also just use cherries by themselves, too for a more cohesive flavor in your trifle.

Yield: 10 Servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: Holidays, Christmas, Trifle, Panettone, Italian, British, English, Cherries. Raspberries, Fruits

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Cherry and Panettone Trifle

Manila Spoon

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, cherries plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious Trifle! Perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any celebration!

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Chill 8 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, British

Servings 10

Calories 523 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 15 oz can sweet dark Cherries use 2 cans if doubling the layers
• 6 oz package fresh Raspberries or your fruit of choice
• 1 small loaf of plain or chocolate Panettone about 1 lb or use your favorite sponge cake,
• 2 cups store-bought or homemade custard see notes
• 1 pint whipping cream freshly whipped with 2 tablespoons Icing sugar
• A handful of sliced Almonds
• Extra Chocolate Shavings

Instructions

 

• Drain canned cherries and reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. Reserve 1/2 cup of the juice if doubling the recipe. Slice the Panettone into bite-sized cubes.
• Spread the cubed Panettone in a trifle bowl (there will be some left-overs). Drizzle with the reserved cherry juice or syrup. Top with the cherries and raspberries.
• Pour the custard on top of the fruits and then spread the freshly whipped cream all over. Garnish with extra cherries and fruits, sliced almonds and chocolate shavings. The trifle can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

You can use store-bought custard like Ambrosia Devon Custard (1 can if doing only 1 layer) or use Bird’s Custard Powder to make your own. Follow directions on the can but use 4 tablespoons powder instead of 2 as you want a thicker custard. If you want to make it from scratch, follow this easy recipe for yummy vanilla custard sauce.

I only made a single layer for each trifle component here but you can certainly double it. Simply double the ingredients and double the layers except for the whipped cream as it’s the final topping so one portion is enough.

My family commented that plain or chocolate-flavored panettone is the best one to use for this trifle so use that if possible.

If you don’t like raspberries because it’s too tart/acidic for you then feel free to use other fruits that pair well with cherries like strawberries bananas or other sweet fruits. You can also just use cherries by themselves if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 523kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 8gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 231mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 3gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 1113IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Cherry Panettone Custard Trifle, Holiday Cherry Trifle with Panettone, how to make Easy Panettone Trifle dessert, how to make Easy Panettone Trifle dessert with cherries, Step-by-step Panettone Trifle instructions

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Last updated on May 22nd, 2025 at 02:48 pm