I've gone and burned my cupcakes! I wasn't paying attention to the fact that I was using paper cups instead of the metal ones, and I didn't turn the oven down/take them out earlier.  In my efforts to salvage the cake, and just for something different, I thought I'd tear up the top 3/4 of the cupcakes (they don't taste burned at all) & make a trifle with them. 

I haven't done this before though, so I'd love some advice on what to layer it with!  Here is what I have on hand (well, since I went to the store while hungry, anyway, lol):

cool whip

butterscotch instant pudding

vanilla instant pudding

chocolate instant pudding

caramel "dessert topping"

I also have BC chocolate fudge canned frosting (I haven't found a chocolate frosting recipe I like yet -- I'm making the switch from mixes/cans slowly, lol).  I had planned to whip up the frosting with some coffee to put on the cupcakes & kinda want to stay with that flavor profile, though I don't know if it will work now?

I do have Kahlua on hand, but since kids & some older folks will be eating it, I'm thinking that's probably not a good idea!

Also, I'm skipping the berries thing, as my husband doesn't like them & I'm also taking a white cake with raspberry filling to the party & want a non-fruit option!

Thanks so much for your advice! :)

AI think I would like the vanilla pudding and probably add a little of the cool whip to it to lighten it up. Put a layer of the cupcakes, vanilla pudding & drizzle some of the caramel topping on top finishing it with the rest of the cool whip. If you have chocolate on hand, you could decorate it with chocolate curls.

thanks for the tips & ideas! I took your idea & ran with it, with a few modifications. I found a recipe online that included mixing coffee in with the pudding, so I did that. Then I put caramel in between one layer & "swirled" it around on top of the last layer of cool whip.  I love the chocolate curls idea, but I've only done it once & apparently don't have the proper tool. It took me HOURS to get enough to cover the sides of an 8 inch round.  And they were more like half curls. lol

AThat sounds delicious. For the chocolate curls, I have a cheap potato peeler that works beautifully for the curls. Just run it around the edges of a large chocolate bar and voila it curls nicely and very quickly gives the trifle a nice touch.

Good to know -- I had used some dark chocolate from the baking area that may have just been to dang HARD, lol. A regular chocolate bar would have been pretty easy, I think.

The trifle was well received, as was the cake.  My first time filling with anything other than frosting between the layers! The Cake Boss's raspberry filling was AWESOME. :)  My skill at stacking/filling/frosting & decorating with buttercream, was...well...less than technical perfection, lol.  It's great to have family to experiment on! ;)