This recipe for Chocolate Éclair Cake is so very easy, you will wonder why you haven’t been making it all along.  I like to serve it with caramel sauce drizzled over it just before serving but you don’t have to, it is delicious all on its own.

Chocolate Éclair Cake

Pate Choux Recipe

4 oz. water

4 oz. whole milk

4 oz. butter

5 oz. AP flour, sifted

4-5 eggs

1/2 t salt

In a medium size saucepan, bring the water, milt, butter and salt to a boil.  Make sure the butter melts.  Remove from heat and still in the flour.  Return to the heat and cook until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, it appears slightly shiny and leaves a thin film of flour paste on the bottom of the saucepan.  This will only take a minute or so. You can dry the dough out as much as possible but be careful not to burn it.

Cool the dough until there isn’t any steam rising.  Add one egg at a time mixing until fully incorporated before adding the next egg.  Check to see if you need the 5th egg by seeing if the dough will slide off a wooden spoon.  It should hesitate then slide off.  If it doesn’t fall off the spoon, add the 5th egg.

Evenly spread into the bottom of a 9X13 cake pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the dough appears dry on the outside, puffs, and begins to brown.  Remove from the oven and press down on the puffs using a wooden spoon.  Cool completely

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

9 oz. chocolate chips

8 oz. heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a heat safe bowl.  Heat the cream to boiling and pour over the chocolate.  Allow to stand for about 3 minutes then stir to blend the melted chocolate with the cream.  Allow to cool completely then spread over the cooled crust.  Reserve the extra for drizzling over the top.

Pastry Cream Recipe

4 oz. sugar divided in half

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 t vanilla paste

1/4 c cornstarch

2 c half and half

1 oz. butter

Mix the half of the sugar, salt and half and half in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

In a heat safe bowl, whisk the eggs together with the other half of the sugar.  Add the cornstarch and gently stir trying NOT to incorporate any air to the mixture.

Carefully temper the egg mixture by pouring the hot half and half mixture very slowly into the egg mixture while constantly stirring.  If you go too fast, you will cook the eggs and will need to start over.

Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan and return the pan to a medium high heat.  Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.  Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly to break up any lumps.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla paste.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the custard to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.  Cool completely.

When cool, spread evenly over the chocolate ganache.  Drizzle the reserved chocolate ganache over the Pastry cream and then drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.  Serve with fresh whipped cream.