Who won 2nd place at the ward dessert competition?  That’s right.  Me!

I love this dessert, Kelly! I took a picture of it 🙂

Jason says the only reason the 1st place dessert won was because the cook cheated and got all of her friends to vote for it.  To which I responded, “Yeah, but didn’t all my friends pretty much vote for mine…?”  He said that was different because my friends actually thought mine was the best.  Oh, Jason.  So loyal.  To be fair, I tasted the 1st place dessert and thought it was pretty yummy, so I don’t really think there was a conspiracy, despite what my husband thinks.

By popular demand, here’s 2nd place!

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

Layers 1 and 4
America’s Test Kitchen spice cake (this is a fantastic cake!  It’s also very involved.  If you’re short on time and/or feeling a bit lazy, a spice cake mix from a box works perfectly well.  I fed the trifle to my in-laws using a box cake and they raved about it just the same)

Bake according to directions in 9 x 13 pan.  Cut cake into little squares and arrange at bottom of trifle bowl so that there is a minimum of space between the pieces.

Layers 2 and 5
1 C. pumpkin
Sugar-free cheesecake pudding, mixed according to directions on box (what’s the point of sugar-free, given all the other sugar in this trifle, you ask?  Actually, Jello only makes cheesecake pudding in sugar-free.)
2 t. cinnamon

Mix together and smooth over the cake layer.

Layers 3 and 6
1 C. whipping cream
1/8 C. sugar
1 t. vanilla
Crushed Heath bar

Whip whipping cream with sugar and vanilla until the cream has the usual whipped cream consistency.  Smooth on top of pumpkin layer, being careful not to get any orange in the whipped cream.  Sprinkle crushed Heath bar liberally on top.

Note: I had enough to probably add another layer of each, but was out of room in my trifle bowl.