This Cream Puff Cake is a family favorite. It’s just like cream puffs but a lot less fussier. This cake is an elegant and decadent treat that I’ve been making for years!
Easy, tempting and delicious, you will love this cake. This easy cream puff cake will become a signature dish at family get togethers.
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This Cream Puff Cake is so much easier than making the intimidating french pastry. The choux dough seemed very difficult.
However, baking it in one pan instead of piping out those individual tubes and trying to make them even and pretty convinced me that this recipe is a winner.
What is pate a choux? Find out about this pastry crust.
If you’re looking for more cake recipes, try these Pig Pickin Cake, Banana Cream Poke Cake and Ultimate Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Coconut.
Why We Love This Cream Puff Dessert Recipe
This creamy cake will remind you of a boston cream pie but is in an easy to make cake form.
- Easy Ingredients: All easy ingredients for an impressive dessert.
- Family Friendly: This elegant dessert is a hit with the whole family.
- Makes Great Leftovers: I doubt there will be any left, however, if there are, it is a great leftover that is why everyone will love this recipe.
Ingredient Notes for Easy Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Flour: All purpose flour
- Instant vanilla pudding: Make sure that it is instant pudding.
- Cream cheese: Room temperature cream cheese.
- Whipped topping : This whipping cream is stable and easy to use. But you can whisk together your own homemade whipped cream if you like.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for the Best Cream Puff Cake
You can make the cream puff dessert with different variations. It is so much easier than individual cream puffs with it’s creamy pudding filling and layer of whipped topping it is a favorite dessert.
- Different Pudding: Try a sugar free pudding, pistachio pudding or even butterscotch or cheese cake flavors. Adding pudding flavors will let your family love cream puffs recipe.
- Berries: Top with fresh raspberries or other fresh fruit.
How to Make the Best Cream Puff Cake Recipe
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These are the basic steps for making . Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Step 1: MAKE CREAM PUFF CRUST
First, bring the water, butter and salt to boil in a medium saucepan, next, add the flour all at once and cook and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture leaves the sides of pan and forms a ball.
Step 2: BEAT IN EGGS
Next add eggs, one at a time. Beating thoroughly after each addition until completely smooth. The dough will form a ball and pulls away from the pan.
Step 3: BAKE
Third, spread in an ungreased 10- by 15-inch pan and then bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Crust will puff up the sides of the pan while in the oven. When removed from the oven, prick bubbles with a fork. Let cool completely.
Step 4: BEAT THE PUDDING AND CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Meanwhile, to make the vanilla filling, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese filling of instant pudding mix, milk and softened cream cheese together until thoroughly blended in a large bowl. Beat until smooth.
Step 5: TOPPINGS FOR THIS GIANT CREAM PUFF
Finally, spread pudding mixture over the baked and cooled crust and next, spread Cool Whip over pudding mixture and lastly, drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips to Make This Recipe for Cream Puff Cake
The lush Eclair Cake is full of such great flavors. This cake has a classic cream puff bottom layer with a lush vanilla cream cheese layer, a creamy whipped cream layer, and a chocolate drizzle.
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: A great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split it into two baking dishes before baking.
- More Chocolate Too: Shavings of chocolate or even a layer of chocolate pudding as well as vanilla make this recipe a chocolate marvel.
- Cooking tip: Choux likes steam, so put a piece of slightly damp parchment under the Choux as it cooks. The steam will help it rise.
- Temperature: Important to use room temperature ingredients when making the Choux, including the eggs, for best results.
What to Serve with this Easy Cream Puff Cake Recipe
Cream Puff Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Butter, 1-stick
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Water
- 4 Large eggs
- 6.8 ounces Instant vanilla pudding, 2 boxes
- 2 ½ cups Milk, cold
- 8 ounces Cream cheese, room temperature
- 12 ounces Whipped topping, 1 container frozen topping-thawed
- Chocolate syrup for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Eclair Base
- Bring the water, butter and salt to boil until butter is melted.
- Add the flour all at once and mix rapidly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture leaves the sides of pan and forms a ball.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until completely smooth.
- Spread in an ungreased 10- by 15-inch baking pan.
- Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Crust will puff up the sides of the pan while in the oven.
- When removed from the oven, prick bubbles with a fork. Let cool.
Filling
- Use an electric mixer to beat the pudding mix, milk and softened cream cheese together until thoroughly blended.
- Spread pudding mixture over the baked and cooled eclair crust.
- Spread Cool Whip over pudding mixture.
- Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Expert Tips
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split it into two baking dishes before baking.
- More Chocolate Too: Shavings of chocolate or even a layer of chocolate pudding as well as vanilla make this recipe a chocolate marvel.
- Cooking tip: Choux likes steam, so put a piece of slightly damp parchment under the Choux as it cooks. The steam will help it rise.
- Temperature: Important to use room temperature ingredients when making the Choux, including the eggs, for best results.
Thanks so much for linking to THIS WEEK’S CRAVINGS. This cake looks so YUMMY! (please, don’t forget to leave a link back in your post to our linky party.. so everyone can find Super Bowl recipes this week!) We appreciate you linking up and hope you come back next week for Valentines Cookies & Treats!
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-weeks-cravings-linky-party-14-and.html
I featured this on my blog today! I’d love if you stopped by and grabbed a button. OR if you linked this or any other project you made in January up to our Blogger of the Month Party. One blogger will win some AWESOME prizes for their project!
Amanda
http://www.todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com
Thanks, Amanda! That’s fantastic news! 🙂
This looks beautiful! My dad would absolutely love this cake, eclairs are his fave… definitely bookmarking this one!
I’m definately saving this one! It looks like it would be difficult to make but you made it sound so easy that maybe even I could do it! Thanks for linking this up to Gettin’ Krafty With It!
This looks absolutely DE-LISH! Gonna have to try it fo sho!
Your newest follower via Follow Me Back Tuesday, Jessica @ http://myworldmadebyhand.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Jessica! 🙂 I’m following you too! Great site! 🙂
This looks AMAZING! I’m definitely bookmarking it for a not-too-distant-future event.
Love it! Thank you for linking up with Masterpiece Monday. Have a great week, Mary :O)
What a wonderful recipe – it looks and sounds so good! And I just love what your sister did for your bridal shower with the recipes – that has to be one of the best gifts ever!
Can you put the pudding mixture on in advance or do you need to wait until right before you serve?
You sure can!!! I would hold off on putting the chocolate syrup on until right before serving, though.
Good luck! 🙂
um yeah this looks absolutely fantastic. It’s totally on my to make (soon) list.
OH. My. Heavens. I am SO happy I clicked your link on the Wondering Wednesday blog hop!! WOW you have a DELICIOUS blog!!! I’m your newest follower! 🙂
http://alililly.blogspot.com
Well, I’m happy you clicked too!! 🙂 Thank you for the kind words about my blog. I stopped by yours too — love it! 🙂 I’m now following you, too! can’t wait to see what you have coming up!
Great blog – I’m your newest follower!
Welcome, Jess! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit often!
This looks amazing. I used to make a vegan version of chocolate eclair cake. I’m not vegan anymore though. I should try your version!
Your newest follower via Follow Me Back Tuesday blog hop.
Come follow me..
http://www.livingsmartgirl.com
http://www.sitedandblogged.com
I am always on the look for blog contributors to join Sited and Blogged. If you are ever interested in joined a fast growing blog and sharing your blog posts let me know. It is a great way to get your blog out there, gain more followers and be part of a great blog 🙂
Sheila
Welcome, Sheila! I’m now following your blogs too! I just emailed you about Site and Blogged. Looking forward to hearing back from you. 🙂
Yes please. This sounds and looks AMAZING.
<3, New Follower
Welcome, Tanya! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit often! 🙂
New follower — happy to find a fellow cook/baker!
Welcome, Mary! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit often! 🙂
YUMMY !!! I am your newest follower and have money saving tips at:
http://joannasavesmoney.blogspot.com/
I would love you to follow me !!
Welcome, Joanna! Thanks for following! Be sure to visit often! 🙂
BTW, I’m now following your blog too!
New follower here from Blog it Forward Tuesday!
The cake sounds AWESOME! I think I gained 5 pounds just reading about it! Thanks for sharing!!
Welcome, Brea! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back often! 🙂
This cake is so light — and, if you make the sugar free version, it’s not really that bad for you! 🙂
Found you blog on Blog it forward Tuesday! Love Love your recipes, can’t wait to get a chamce to look further! If you like to follow back you can do so @ http://singlecountrychick.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Welcome, Mindy! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back often! 🙂
I’m also following your blog, too! 🙂
OMG, my mind is just spinning with the possibilities for this dessert!
Consider cheesecake pudding mix with strawberry ice cream topping — yummm…
Maybe finely chopped nuts…
Chocolate pudding… Caramel topping…
I think I just found a dessert recipe for my sister’s baby shower ;~))
Barb
Great suggestions, Barb! Thanks for sharing! Be sure to let me know if you try any of them! 🙂