Lightly grease and flour one 9×13″ pan, tapping firmly to remove any excess flour once coated. Set the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.
Add milk, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder and whisk until combined.
Slowly stir in hot coffee until batter is smooth — it will be thin.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out dry or with moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely before proceeding with the recipe (I prefer to do this the day before).
Once cool, cut into 1″ cubes.
Chocolate pudding
In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until completely smooth.
Whipped cream
In a medium bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
Place half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl or large glass bowl. Top with half of the pudding and half of the whipped cream. Add desired optional toppings.
Repeat, using remaining ingredients in the same order. Top and garnish as desired.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. This trifle is best served the day it is made because of the fresh whipped cream. If you use cool whip, it will last a little longer.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 485cal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg