Heaven on Earth Cake with delicious layers of angel cake, sour cream pudding, cherry pie filling, whipped topping, and almonds. Creamy and decadent, this cherry trifle is a sure crowd pleaser!
I was out running errands when I received this text from G, “Hey, there’s heaven on earth in the fridge”. Whaat? WTH is heaven on earth?
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued and, duly intrigued, my first stop when I got home was the refrigerator.
Heaven on earth cake, I soon discovered, is an icebox cake made with layers of cubed angel food cake, vanilla pudding with sour cream, cherry pie filling, whipped topping, and toasted almond slivers.
G’s mom has been making this refrigerator cake for years for potlucks and family get-togethers. Creamy and decadent, it never fails to impress the crowd!
This dessert is actually a cherry trifle. Why it’s called heaven on earth, I have no idea. G thinks it’s because of the use of angel food cake. I think it’s because every bite is like finding heaven on earth.
It’s so simple to make; you’ll be pleasantly surprised how amazingly delicious it turns out with hardly any effort. So easy in fact the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for it to set and chill!
Tips on How to Make Cherry Angel Trifle
The recipe calls for angel food cake but feel free to swap with pound cake, chocolate cake, vanilla sponge cake, brownies, crushed Oreos or sponge fingers for variety.
For an extra kick of flavor, briefly soak the cake cubes in sherry or fortified wine.
I used Cool Whip to cut down on prep time, but you can use whipped topping from scratch if you like. With an electric mixer, beat one cup of very cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
I usually use a 9 x 13 pan but if you want a thicker dessert, use a square 9 x 9 pan as in the video.
Not a fan of cherry pie filling? Swap with strawberry or blueberry pie filling! This dessert is amazing all year round; try apple pie filling during the Fall months.
Ingredients
1 box Angel food cake or 1 prepared Angel Food Cake
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 tub (8 ounces) Cool Whip
1 tablespoon almond slivers, toasted
Instructions
Bake angel food cake according to package’s directions. Allow to cool and cut into cubes.
In a bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, and sour cream and beat until smooth. Set aside.
In a 9×13 baking dish, arrange 1/2 of cake cubes in a layer.
Spoon 2/3 of cherry pie filling over cake.
Place the remaining 1/2 of the cake on top of pie filling.
Spoon pudding over cake and spread evenly.
Spoon and spread whipped topping over pudding layer.
Garnish cake with the remaining pie filling and toasted almonds. Chill for about 4 to 5 hours.