In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk and pudding mix until pudding begins to thicken.
Stir in about 1 cup of the whipped cream.
Cover the bottom of a trifle dish with brownie pieces. Layer ½ of the pudding mixture and ½ of the whipped cream over the brownie pieces.
Add another layer of brownies and the remaining pudding mixture. Dollop or pipe the remaining whipped cream to top the trifle.
Shave some of the dark chocolate bar over the whipped cream for garnish. Top with a few more brownie pieces.
Notes
You will need a 13x9 pan of prepared brownies for this recipe - which is equal to two boxes of brownie mix, baked. There will be a few pieces of brownies leftover, which you can use as garnish. You can use store-bought brownies or even make a double batch of homemade fudge brownies if you prefer.
Be sure to use instant chocolate pudding for this recipe otherwise the mixture will not set properly.
We whipped a full 32 oz. carton of heavy whipping cream and sweetened it with about 1 cup of powdered sugar (you can also use granulated sugar). Whip until soft peaks form, then add the sugar, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Don’t overwhip. You can easily substitute with Cool Whip if desired.
You can prepare the pudding and the brownies the day before. The whipped cream should be whipped right before assembly. The brownies are easiest to cut and assemble if they’ve been chilled in the refrigerator as it firms them up. If you want to make this trifle a day in advance, I would recommend using Cool Whip as it is more stable compared to homemade whipped cream. It's best to make this trifle the morning of your event.
STORAGE - Cover the trifle with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.