A delicious, creamy filling on top of a light choux pastry gets glazed with a rich chocolate ganache. This dessert sounds fancy but it is so easy to make and it's a definite crowd-pleaser!
This cake is amazing. It's one of the first desserts I've made that was completely finished by my family. It is even better the next day, so I would recommend making it the day before you plan on serving it so that the flavors really meld. The ganache should be properly chilled in order to get the eclair texture. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and the ganache tasted great. Please don't substitute anything else for this crust, either--the crust what makes the cake taste like a true eclair. The pastry shell stays firm enough to support the filling without getting soft or soggy. I have tried other eclair cake recipes that call for graham cracker crumbs in layers and they do not have the delicious and realistic eclair taste that this recipe has. Freeze the beater(s) along with the mixing bowl and your whipped cream will form stiff peaks faster. And make sure your bowl is completely clean before attempting to whip the cream; that's why you whip it before you mix the pudding. Fold in pudding with a spatula and don't overmix and it will stay fluffy. Hope this helps!
Read Morethis was very easy to make but did use a lot of bowls, utensils, etc. and time. i had a feeling the faux cream filling (made with pudding mixes) was not going to be that great, and it wasn't. the crust got a little soggy for my taste (that dough probably really wasn't mean to be a bottom crust of a "cake"). will most probably not make again.
Read MoreThis cake is amazing. It's one of the first desserts I've made that was completely finished by my family. It is even better the next day, so I would recommend making it the day before you plan on serving it so that the flavors really meld. The ganache should be properly chilled in order to get the eclair texture. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and the ganache tasted great. Please don't substitute anything else for this crust, either--the crust what makes the cake taste like a true eclair. The pastry shell stays firm enough to support the filling without getting soft or soggy. I have tried other eclair cake recipes that call for graham cracker crumbs in layers and they do not have the delicious and realistic eclair taste that this recipe has. Freeze the beater(s) along with the mixing bowl and your whipped cream will form stiff peaks faster. And make sure your bowl is completely clean before attempting to whip the cream; that's why you whip it before you mix the pudding. Fold in pudding with a spatula and don't overmix and it will stay fluffy. Hope this helps!
UPDATE: the second time around I beat the dough a lot more, until it was more creamy, and it spread easily in the pan. It poofed up like the recipe said and wasn't as eggy tasting. It was perfect! This is so delicious! My crust didn't poof up like the recipe said so I was a little worried, but it came out just fine. It was a bit eggy; I might try it with 3 eggs instead of 4 next time. Make sure you use heavy whipping cream (if your grocery store doesn't carry "heavy cream"), especially for the ganache, and it to a boil before adding it to the chocolate. It also must sit for 1-2 minutes before whisking it together. Otherwise it may not harden.
I can't say enough about this cake. It is delicious! The choux pastry is simple to make, and the slight saltiness of it is perfect with the creamy filling and chocolate ganache. I made it for a friend's b-day and everyone loved it. I am looking for a reason to make it again soon!
I think this is an amazing dessert. Everytime I make everyone raves how good it is. Very easy to make. I found if you use the better chocolate the ganache turns out perfect. I use Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chips. Saves on chopping chocolate also just dump the bag in a bowl and add the hot cream turns out perfect everytime.
this was very easy to make but did use a lot of bowls, utensils, etc. and time. i had a feeling the faux cream filling (made with pudding mixes) was not going to be that great, and it wasn't. the crust got a little soggy for my taste (that dough probably really wasn't mean to be a bottom crust of a "cake"). will most probably not make again.
I made this for my husband tonight, and he said it was the best dessert I've ever made. I agree. The flavor of the filling was perfect and the chocolate on top was so rich. This took me a bit of time, but it was quite easy and worth every minute. YUM. Have a cup of tea ready, because this is so rich and delicious. Thanks for the recipe! It is wonderful!
I have made this several times, and everyone has always loved it. I have as of yet to actually make it as a single cake though. I have done it in mini loaf pans, and piped out like eclairs from the store. Mede 75 for a banquet, and none were left, everyone thought I bought them. This is by far the best eclair recipe that I have made. Just follow directions...easy
Wonderful! I used this recipe for all parts of the cake, but followed the directions for the shape of it from the Chocolate Eclair Torte recipe- dropping tablespoons of the dough in a circle onto parchment paper to bake. I spread the filling and ganache on top of that. The filling is very tasty- the heavy cream tones down the sweetness of the pudding, and makes it really rich. The dough is light and soft, and puffed up perfectly as it baked. I will definitely be making this again!
I was almost going to make another recipe which used graham crackers, so glad I didn't! This was amazing! The pastry shell is a must for it to really taste like a real eclair. I used French vanilla pudding but other than that followed it exactly. The ganache was beautiful once it hardened and everyone loved it! Will definitely make this again.
amazing! easy but a bit time consuming. I brought it to work today and everybody loves it and a few requests for the recipe print out. I add only 3/4C cream to the chocolate ganache and also a few TBS of powdered sugar.
This turned out really well, and is nice and easy! My brother requested it for his birthday and it was a hit with the entire family. The one problem I had was that "1c" of chopped chocolate was not enough in proportion to the cream to make ganache, it ended up more like hot cocoa. I added about 2oz extra chocolate and it came out fine, but there was also lots of extra ganache, so I probably could have gotten away with 3/4c of cream and less chocolate. Every other ganache recipe I've ever made measured chocolate by weight, so that was probably the problem. I'd estimate you need about 6oz chocolate for 1c cream.
A huge WOW. This is amazing. My husband loves Eclair's so this was perfect for Fathers Day. This recipe is not light on the calories so beware! Very rich and tasty! Yum!
My first attempt turned out pretty good but not perfect. My ganache didn't harden so I think I may have gotten the wrong kind of chocolate. The shell was pretty good but a little thick. Other than that, it was really good. The filling was perfect!
Just made this for the second time. It has to be an all time favorite. Very easy, tastes just like an eclair. I bake almost everyday and have many recipies in my file. This one is a keeper!
My husband loves this 'cake' so much! He requests it all of the time. I brought it to my in laws for Christmas and they all enjoyed it as well! I don't add any additional sugar/vanilla to the whipped cream because the pudding mix is sweet enough. I have also halved the recipe and it turned out just as well (I did cut the baking time to 15 minutes).
This is delicious! I made exactly as recipe stated. It is an easy, quick dessert that is so light and airy. Not overly sweet. Perfect for company.
AMAZING! I followed the directions exactly. It was quite simple to make. It tasted like a gourmet pastry that you'd get from a bakery. I took it to a dinner party and everyone loved it- they said I should open my own bakery! Definitely one of the best desserts I've ever made. Thanks for this recipe!
Why did I try this recipe? It is so good that I want it all the time! Followed it to the T and it was so so yummy! Tastes just like an Eclair!! Love the crust, love the filling, and love the chocolate. So what if you have to use more than one bowl. This is the real deal. Thank you Laney Jane my tastebuds thank you!!!
This is a bit time consuming, but well worth it. I've made the one before with graham crackers and the pre-made frosting, and this one is SOOOOOO much better! I made this for a birthday party at work and got great reviews!
Amazing! It tasted just like an eclair donut! The filling is so delicious, I used French vanilla pudding for that too, it was amazing!!
I don't get it.....a previous reviewer said, now I just have to figure out what to do with all those egg whites....WHAT? what am I missing? Didn't say anything about separating the eggs. My ganache didn't set up AT ALL. It was like chocolate syrup. I think it was MY BAD. I went online and checked the differences between heavy and whipping cream, there is a big dif. Don't make my mistake and use whipping cream. I had a lot and didn't think it would matter. But I do think I'd like it with a touch of sweetness. I would try the sour cream ganache like the other reviewer. This would probably be five stars for me it I had done it correctly. :)
This was my family's favorite dessert that I've ever made. It was a hit! Perfect mix of salt and sweet. It was easy too!
I've made this so many times, and it is always a hit with my guests. I usually use the instant french vanilla pudding mix. If you don't have the time or ingredients to make homemade whipped cream, you can use cool whip, although it definitely is better with homemade!
I made this for a Christmas dessert this year (didn't try it out ahead of time). I read a number of the other reviews and took some of those things to heart. But I just LOVED this dessert! It's light and flavorful. I could have probably eaten half the pan myself that night! lol Well worth making if you like Eclairs. It's inspired me to make single eclairs now. :)
This recipe is the best eclair cake that I found. I loved that it was super easy and fun to make. The pastry crust was a cinch and the filling devine! Had a hard time keeping my fingers out of the bowl. The only reason that held me from rating 5 stars was that the ganache topping, even though super rich and had absolutely no complaints, I found a little bitter. Obviously because of the bittersweet chocolate but maybe next time I may add some honey or confectioners sugar to it.
Love, love, love this recipe! I make it in 2 varieties, as written and without the pudding (double the whipped cream and powdered sugar to taste). You can use any ganache recipe you'd like. I am looking forward to being creative with this... making the dough, letting it cool, putting a layer of ice cream and then toppings... or fruit and caramel... the possibilities are endless! Thank you Laney Jane!!!
I enjoyed making this recipe several times. Yes its alot of utensils, but its worth it. I make this for work meetings and my daughters ROTC flight.
This recipe was SO easy and SO delicious!!!! My mom even asked me to make two more cakes! This was so perfect, the pastry shell did not taste eggy at all. The filling was perfect, and not overly sweet like alot of desserts. I can't wait to make this next Christmas to bring to my in laws =)
This was great. I loved the crust, its just like the real thing. This beats the gramcracker crusts this cake usually has. All tho I did cheat a little. I added 8 oz whip topping instead of heavy whipping cream. So it would prolly be that much better with reall whipping cream. Since i do not buy heavy cream, i used fat free sour cream in my ganache. I used a sourcream ganache recipe from this site. Its not my favorite ganache but i liked it with this. Good recipe.
Amazing!!!! I made this for my Dad's 60 birthday. Between 5 of us we managed to eat over half of it. This was easy to make, I didn't change a thing!
My husband loves Eclairs, so this was the perfect recipe for his birthday cake. I used a french vanilla pudding and we loved it!
This was REALLY terrific! I actually used a different ganache recipe because of ingredients on hand, but this was a real crowd pleaser at our big Sunday dinner. I also made a homemade cooked pudding instead of using the instant packages (we have some obnoxious allergies in this house!) and I think that added as well. Next time I may top it with some fresh berries as well. It was really quite rich. Now I have to make something with meringue to use all of these egg whites!
I made this for my fiances birthday and everyone loved it. I made it exactly as written. I would recommend this to anyone and it has now moved into my permanent recipe box. :)
The pastry and filling were pretty good, however the ganache did not work for me. Something had to have been missing. It was a big runny mess. Next time I will find a different ganache recipe to use.
A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN ON A PLATE - the only thing to mention ~ I should have smoothed the pastry shell dough completely flat when spreading in the 13 x 9 glass pan. I ended up with 'over the top' edges ~ the dough will form it's own 'edges'. Otherwise followed recipe almost exactly (only added 3 eggs for the pastry shell & used semi-sweet chocolate chips in ganache) and everyone raved about my Mothers Day contribution !!
I'm giving this 5 stars for taste and presentation, although I will make slight modifications next time. If you mound the dough more towards the centre, you'll get a better baked shape. Next time I'll use half the filling ingredients. I don't prefer a Ganache for chocolate eclairs. I made one from Good Housekeeping that is better (in our opinion)(2tbsp butter or margarine, 2squares unsweetened Chocolate, 2tbsp hot water, 1-1.5 c. icing sugar). To make it like a real chocolate eclair, slice the baked pastry in half horizontally, pour in the filling, cover with the top layer and ice the top layer. I served 14 people with this cake. Everybody raved about it.
AMAZING! Its even good a day or two after! I can not get enough of it and so easy to make! Dont be afraid!
Yum!! Made this for dessert on a Friday night for my parents and I as a special treat at the end of a long work week. All of us absolutely loved it!! The dough came out perfect and I did not find it to be too eggy as others have suggested. I followed the recipe for the dough and filling portions of this dessert exactly. I used a recipe for a chocolate glaze that I have used in the past to top my regular eclairs which uses semi sweet chocolate chips, butter, milk, and corn syrup. In the future I think I will try out the ganache the original recipe includes. This dessert was much easier to make than the somewhat daunting looking recipe indicates. I was expecting it to be a bit of a juggling act of bowls and utensils but in actuality with a little forethought it's quite simple. I made this cake before I started making dinner which gave it plenty of time to chill in the fridge before serving. Everyone found it to be an extremely decadent and tasty treat that was equally delicious the next day, too! With it only being the three of us there was plenty left over although it didn't last long in the fridge. I definitely plan to make it again, perhaps for a holiday
Turned out wonderful. Everyone in my house loves it. :-) I will be making this again.
This was very, very good! Our new favorite dessert, indeed. I'd never made choux pastry before and was intrigued to try a new style of pastry. Very easy to do, especially if you're familiar with the method for roux (cooking flour with butter for sauces and such). Baked the pastry for about 8 minutes longer than directed and it was perfect; let it bake until even the bottom is golden brown, the sides will most certainly puff up and create the desired boat effect. Did not add the confectioner's sugar or vanilla to the whipped cream as I knew it would be too rich for our taste buds but this was the only "change" made to the original recipe. Be sure to fold the whipped cream into the pudding, don't just scramble-mix it together. The ganache was perfect, especially after chilling on top of the cake overnight. This dessert is perfect for company or just all to yourself! We did not feel it tasted faux or plastic in any way. UPDATE: Made this again with vanilla and banana cream pudding together and also sprinkled sweet roasted walnuts over top of the ganache. This brought it to an entirely new level of scrumptiousness!
This was very, very good! Our new favorite dessert, indeed. I'd never made choux pastry before and was intrigued to try a new style of pastry. Very easy to do, especially if you're familiar with the method for roux (cooking flour with butter for sauces and such). Baked the pastry for about 8 minutes longer than directed and it was perfect; let it bake until even the bottom is golden brown, the sides will most certainly puff up and create the desired boat effect. Did not add the confectioner's sugar or vanilla to the whipped cream as I knew it would be too rich for our taste buds but this was the only "change" made to the original recipe. Be sure to fold the whipped cream into the pudding, don't just scramble-mix it together. The ganache was perfect, especially after chilling on top of the cake overnight. This dessert is perfect for company or just all to yourself! We did not feel it tasted faux or plastic in any way. UPDATE: Made this again with vanilla and banana cream pudding together and also sprinkled sweet roasted walnuts over top of the ganache. This brought it to an entirely new level of scrumptiousness!
Made it at first for a friend's birthday, and later made it again just because both the friend and I enjoyed it so much. Great recipe.
I wanted to try a new recipe for Christmas dinner. Chocolate eclairs have always been a favorite of mine, so after reading the reviews figured I would give this recipe a try. SO GLAD I DID!!! This dessert tastes exactly like a chocolate eclair.....it is so delicious! Yes, it is a little time intensive, but hey - anything "fabulous" usually is.
To cut down on the number of bowls, I left the water/butter/flour mixture in the saucepan and then used my portable mixer to beat in the eggs. I baked the batter in a round cake pan and then split it in half once it had cooled. For those who think this recipe is too "eggy", this will allow you to scoop out some of the inards and then let the shell dry out a bit before adding the fillings. As others have suggested, I used French Vanilla pudding mix. I couldn't find bittersweet chocolate at the grocers, so used semi-sweet. Fresh strawberries and raspberries are in season so that made a nice garnish along with some mint leaves. Yum.
When I make this my husband hovers over it, guarding it like a wild animal. He LOVES this dessert!! I didnt even know he liked eclairs--apparently he really really loves them. But this recipe is a favorite in our house!!! The only thing I changed is I add 1/4 cup sugar to the dough. That is what my friend does in her regular eclair recipe. So either way its amazing!!
This was the best! I made this for a cookout for work. I had to make a second one the next day for those that missed out. It was easy and taste light.
Was expecting this to be delicious, had very little flavor, my husband and i found it very boring, hardly any taste at all...bummer, total let down.
Oh my gosh!!! This is the first recipe I have ever reviewed on this website, and I'm happy to review it! This recipe is amazing just as it is written. Do not change a thing and you will be making this thing for every get together you attend. I know I will be!It's light and sweet and absolutely heavenly.
After the first time I served this I have always been asked to make it again. It's SOOO easy, & SOOO good! I don't change a thing!
I made it for my boyfriend and he absolutely loved it! Best dessert idea ever!
DELICIOUS! Made this tonight and I can't get enough. It was so easy to make and it taste like it comes straight from a bakery in France. Definitely going to make this again!!!
YUM! I added an 8 oz package of cream cheese to the pudding which was sugar-free. I also did not add any extra sugar to the whipped cream. It makes a fabulous sugar-free dessert!
This dessert is very good. Everyone in my family loved the crust, and the filling was delicious and easy. I will definitely be making this again!
This cake is so so addictive. :) I have already made it twice in the past few months and am planning to make again this evening. Mind you, there are only two adults and a toddler living here and this cake is still gone in a couple of days!!ha! Its a little work and time to get this dessert done but, trust me, its well worth the wait. Oh, and its even better the day after you make it. :)
This dessert is delicious and impressive to guests. I made it for a bridal shower and people were making comments as soon as they saw it that they had to have a piece. It did take a bit of time and several dishes to prepare, but was worth it for the end result. I will be making this one again! SO good!
Loved this cake. It was time consuming and hard work but so very worth it. I think I'd only make it for special occasions or if I wanted to impress guests. But, I am going to make this again and share it with my sister who loves to bake as much as I do.
Made this for my hubby's birthday party and we all loved it. He loves eclairs and this tasted just like one!
This was really yummy. Although I didn't let my ganache get thick enough, this tasted just like a chocolate eclair. Absolutely going to keep.
Wonderful, made exactly as written except I piped the crust into the 9 X 13 Pan. The guys loved loved loved this!!!!
Love love this recipe! Big hit, everyone love it. I am being asked to make this over and over. My sister is allergic to coco, so I was thinking of making it with white chocolate, so she can have it too. Will give an update of the result. YUMMY
Amazing! I don't typically review, but felt like I had to given that I swapped this recipe out from the graham cracker one that I was originally going to make. I made this for my husband to test it out before making for a dinner party, and I received rave reviews from all! My husband insists that this desert should be on hand for him to eat every week, lol. I did think that the crust was a little bit eggy, but no one else seemed to think so. I can't wait to make this again over the holidays!
I made this recipe for my wife's birthday. I will just say the next day there was barely any left in the pan. This cake is awesome and I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves sweets!!
Best eclair recipie!!!! The crust is flaky much like an eclair. The graham cracker eclair desserts are good, but, this one is better! I followed others' advise and chilled my mixing bowls and mixers. Allow ganache to cool a bit before adding. Heavenly!!!
LOVE, LOVE this recipe!!! The directions are great, and the recipe is very easy. I wouldn't change a single thing, everyone loved it. I made it for a dinner party. I was worried about the pastry shell getting soggy, so I baked it in the morning and left it at room temperature. I then made the pudding mixture and refrigerated it separately. I made the ganache just before dinner and let it cool while we ate. I put it all together just before serving. Perfect!! The refrigerated leftovers are not soggy. : )
Delicious! I didn’t add the powdered sugar to the whipped cream since it’s mixed with the pudding. I think it’s sweet as is.
My husband made this for my birthday and it was great. Followed the recipe as written. Family was amazed at how much it tasted like an eclair. Will definitely make it again.
This was my first time making a choux pastry and I have to say it was rather simple
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday and my husband absolutely loved it! He said it was the best dessert I've made by far and he's not a fan of sweets. I had trouble with the ganache, but it was entirely my fault I used whipping cream instead of heavy cream which the recipe called for resulting in a runny chocolate mess. We still loved it! I will definitely make it again.
Everyone loves this cake......this is the second time I have made it and it is my "go to" dessert for all occasions.
This is amazing and delicious. Makes a PERFECT choux pastry. My family requested it for Easter dessert. Lengthy but easy to do and makes a nice presentation. Great recipe - thanks!
Everyone loved it! I made it exactly as written and it was perfect. When you are adding the eggs to the dough make sure that you really incorporate the ingredients because mine looked lumpy, just really get that mixer in there so that everything is fully blended together.. I used unsalted butter (as you should with most desserts), whole milk, and quality chocolate. This is a keeper!
Made this for a Super Bowl party that I attended tonight, it was an absolute hit! It wasn't very hard to make at all and was very delicious. Would definitely make this again!!
This was a hit for our Mother's Day family party! I made the filling with the Pastry Cream recipe on here, once it was soft set I folded the whipped cream into it as you would with the pudding mix. I have already given a copy of the recipes to other family members and it is on the list of favorites for everyone!
This was a huge hit at my dinner party. The choux pastry crust is easier to do than you think.
Everyone in my family thought the crust was terrible. (It was hard and chewy). I've made cream puffs before, and they turned out great, so I'm not sure what happened. The top was great, but it is hard to go wrong with whipped cream and pudding.
I have made this multiple times and it received rave reviews each time. I am adding to my holiday menu this year.
I made it according to the recipe - exactly. (I did half it for a 8" square pan.) My neighbor's comment was perfect, "OMG! There should be a law against something tasting that good."
This cake is so great it should be illegal. Every year my daughter wants a unusual cake no one is familiar with, so begins the search for the perfect cake. This is my favorite so far... it's soooo good
Very good recipe. I made it as written, and it turned out perfectly. I often avoid recipes with boxed mixes, like the pudding mix in this recipe. I prefer everything to be from scratch, but I didn’t notice any “processed” taste with this. I will make it the same next time. It is an easy recipe to make. I do think the pastry gets a little soggy the second day, so this is probably best eaten the same day you make it. You could probably make the pastry the day before and the filling the day of, if you need to save time.
This is very good! There is more than enough filling for the crust using the recommended pan size. The next time I might try using sweetened chocolate chips vs. the 60% cacao bittersweet chips that I used this time.
Made this for my hubby's birthday party and we all loved it. He loves eclairs and this tasted just like one!
this so good always have liked this dessert but even better with Ganache chocolate instead of teh frosting
It was a bit too sweet for our tastes but I used French Vanilla pudding and Enjoy Life chocolate chips for the ganache. I plan to cut the sugar next time from both the whipped cream and the base. We have food allergies so have to pick our ingredients carefully. I made it again with less sugar and it was wonderful.
