• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tammy Circeo - Chez Nous
  • Home
  • About Chez Nous
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking & Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Casseroles
    • Homemade Staples
    • Meat
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sauces
    • Seafood
    • Skillet Dinners
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Local Producers
  • Retail Therapy
    • Cookbooks I Love
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Kitchen Tools
    • Kitchen Linens
    • Thrive Market
  • Contact Page
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Retail Therapy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Retail Therapy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Baking & Desserts

    Four-Layer Dessert

    Published: Jul 2, 2019 · Modified: May 9, 2023 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Yum
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    My mother-in-law has made Four-Layer Dessert for as long as I've known her. Although it usually shows up for patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day with berries on top to depict our flag, it's just as delicious at any time of year!

    The whole dessert topped with a sliced strawberry and sitting next to a stack of dessert plates and forks

    This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click them and purchase something, I get a little commission. Thank you for your support.

    The original recipe is more of a collection of processed foods like pudding mix and ready-made whipped cream, none of which I consume any longer! So I set out to recreate it using whole, natural ingredients. Because there are four layers, the from-scratch process takes a little longer than it did when we used ready-made ingredients, but it's so worth the effort.

    The Layers of Four-Layer Dessert

    • crust
    • cream cheese mixture
    • pudding
    • whipped cream

    For the pudding:

    I usually start by making the pudding because it needs to thicken and chill before you can assemble the dessert. AND it's the most labor intensive layer of the four. You can make vanilla pudding, of course, but we are partial to chocolate around here. Just mix the dry ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then whisk in the milk.

    Sugar, cocoa, and flour measured out
    Sugar, flour, and cocoa whisked into milk

    Cook it over medium heat till bubbly, then gradually stir about a cup of it into the egg yolks to temper them before adding them to the saucepan. If you don't temper, you'll have scrambled eggs in your pudding and that is absolutely not desired!

    four egg yolks in a milkglass bowl with eggshells to the side
    Look at the color of those yolks! Farm-fresh eggs for the win!!
    A little of the chocolate milk mixture mixed into the egg yolks to temper them

    Continue cooking the pudding over medium heat till it thickens adequately. Pour it into a bowl and place parchment paper directly on the surface of the pudding, pressing down to be sure none of the surface is exposed to the air.

    Chocolate pudding ready for the fridge to thicken up even more

    for the crust

    The crust might be my favorite part and it's just because I love pecans so much! It's simply pecans, flour, and butter. Just mix them together and press them into the pan and bake it for about 15 minutes. You can use a gluten-free flour blend or cassava flour if needed.

    Pecan Crust ready to bake for 15 minutes

    for the cream cheese

    While the crust is cooling, whip heavy cream and mix it with softened cream cheese and sugar. This layer is like cream cheese frosting's lighter cousin!

    for the assembly

    After the crust is cool, carefully spread the cream cheese mixture on. If you're not careful, the crust will stick to the cream cheese and make a big mess so be gentle.

    Cream cheese layer ... cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream

    Then pour the chilled pudding on top.

    Pudding Layer on top of the cream cheese layer

    And the final layer is straight up whipped cream.

    whipped cream on top of the pudding layer

    It's such a cooling summer dessert that I'm glad to make with wholesome ingredients!

    a piece of the dessert on a dessert plate

    Other recipes you might like:

    • Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
    • German Potato Salad
    • Terrassen - a German Jam-filled Cookie
    • Blueberry Cream Pie
    • Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

    If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!

    Recipe

    The whole dessert topped with a sliced strawberry and sitting next to a stack of dessert plates and forks

    Four-Layer Dessert

    Tammy Circeo
    Once made with processed ingredients, I've recreated it using from scratch techniques and wholesome ingredients.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings

    Ingredients
      

    Layer One

    • 1½ cups flour
    • 1 cup pecans chopped
    • ¾ cup butter melted

    Layer Two

    • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 1 cup powdered sugar

    Layer Three

    • ¾ cup sugar
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • 2⅔ cups milk
    • 4 egg yolks beaten
    • 1 Tablespoon butter
    • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

    Layer Four

    • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    Layer One

    • Heat oven to 350°
    • Mix all the ingredients and press into a 9x13 baking pan.
    • Bake for 15 minutes.

    Layer Two

    • Whip the heavy whipping cream with 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar.
    • Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and the whipped cream.

    Layer Three

    • In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and the flour.
    • Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, over medium heat till bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
    • Gradually stir 1 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly. Add the tempered egg mixture to the rest of the milk mixture in the saucepan.
    • Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes and remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
    • Pour the pudding into a bowl, place parchment paper directly on the surface of the pudding, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    Layer Four

    • Whip the heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar till it is stiff.

    Assembly

    • After the crust is cool and the pudding is chilled, you can spread the cream cheese layer (Layer Two) on the crust (Layer One). Be sure to do that carefully so as to not pick up crumbs from the crust. Spread the pudding (Layer Three) evenly on, and top it with the whipped cream.

    Notes

    For the best time management, make the pudding (Layer Three) first and put it in the refrigerator to chill. About an hour before you are going to assemble the dessert, put the cream cheese out to soften, and make the crust. 
    I use gluten-free flour blend with good results.
    Keep chilled till serving and be sure to chill it a good four hours before serving. It's a good idea to make it the day before you will serve it. 
    You can serve it plain, but I like to top it with chocolate shavings or sprinkle cocoa powder on the top, and with berries on the side. For patriotic holidays, we use blueberries for the stars and strawberries for the stripes to depict our flag. 
    You can make vanilla pudding, too, rather than chocolate.
    Keyword dessert, four-layer dessert
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Yum

    More Recipes for Baking and Desserts

    • Vanilla Bean Flan
    • Orange Marmalade Cake with a slice cut out.
      Orange Marmalade Cake
    • A baking dish with Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding and a serving on a small blue and white plate
      Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
    • Sourdough Skillet Cobbler with ice cream
      Sourdough Skillet Cobbler

    About Tammy Circeo

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Headshot of Tammy.

    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Baking dish with balsamic roasted onions in it on a wooden charger with a napkin and serving pieces beside
      Balsamic Roasted Onions
    • A deviled egg plate with Simple Deviled Eggs
      Simple Deviled Eggs
    • Featured Image - Two pottery bowls with Guinness Beef Stew, blue napkins with spoons and forks laid on them, slices of crunchy sourdough bread
      Guinness Beef Stew
    • Overhead view of Hot Artichoke Dip with bread slices
      Hot Artichoke Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Photos & Recipe Sharing
    • Commenting Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Tammy Circeo