Eclair Cake
Eclair Cake is all of the great flavors of an éclair in cake form. This easy recipe has a cream puff crust, vanilla cream cheese layer, whipped cream, and a chocolate ganache. Unlike some recipes that use a box of graham crackers, this delicious eclair cake is made with a real eclair crust. This is hands down my husband’s favorite dessert.
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CHOCOLATE ECLAIR CAKE
This measly corner piece was all that was left after us, our friends, and the missionaries (who made a surprise stop) devoured it.
This was a Father’s Day request from my husband John who loves eclairs. My sister-in-law Kristy made this for us when she came out to visit and we quickly fell in love with it.
It is very light which makes it easy to eat a TON of it! You can make it simple with Cool Whip (whipped topping) and Hershey’s syrup (it’s still great this way) or go the extra step and make homemade whipped cream and homemade chocolate sauce to make it unbelievable! This hot fudge sauce is great too on it.
There are two versions of this. A lot of people make a no-bake eclair cake with layers of graham crackers, whipped cream, and vanilla instant pudding. This is the grown up version of that.
This is one of our favorite desserts and we make it for special occasions, birthdays,…a family reunion. It tastes like a classic eclair.
INGREDIENTS
- Instant vanilla pudding mix – Instant pudding mix is used here for our pastry cream. You can use French vanilla pudding as an option.
- Choux pastry (pâte à choux) – which includes flour, unsalted butter, water, and eggs.
- Cream cheese
- Milk
- Whipped cream – made with heavy cream and powdered sugar. Of course you could use a tub of Cool Whip but it’s not the same.
You’ll get an arm workout here. Once you’ve incorporated all of the eggs it will be the texture of cake batter. There’s not sugar here. This is a classic eclair crust.
Pâte à Choux
paux de choux or eclair crust.
HOW TO MAKE ECLAIR CAKE
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9″X13″ glass baking pan.
- For the Eclair Crust: In a small saucepan, melt butter in water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Mixture will be very wet. *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won’t be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease. No big deal but I like the crust to go up the sides a bit.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don’t want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don’t touch or push bubbles down).
- For the Filling: Whip cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. In separate mixing bowl make vanilla pudding by beating the pudding mix and the milk for 3 minutes with an electric mixer and put in the fridge until set. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly mix pudding and cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in refrigerator. When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in, spreading to cover bottom crust. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream. Store leftovers in the fridge.
OTHER EASY DESSERT RECIPES:
- Eggnog Eclair Cake
- Chunky Monkey Eclair Cake No-Bake Dessert
- Banana Split Icebox Cake
- Scotcheroos
- Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding
- Lunch Lady Brownies
- Monster Cookies
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- No-Bake Cookies
- Carmelitas
- Banana Split Dessert
Eclair Cake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
Filling:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (5.1 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
- 3 cups whole milk
Topping:
- 1 (8 oz) container cool whip or one batch homemade whipped cream, (just enough for a thin layer. I don't use the whole container)
- chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauce, (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9"X13" glass baking pan.
- For the Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Mixture will be very wet. *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won't be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease. No big deal but I like the crust to go up the sides a bit.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don't want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don't touch or push bubbles down).
- For the Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate mixing bowl make vanilla pudding by beating the pudding mix and the milk for 3 minutes with an electric mixer and put in the fridge until set. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly mix pudding and cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge. When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in, spreading to cover bottom crust. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.
Notes
Hi, would this recipe work if I make it the day before? Thanks.
Yes, absolutely. It stores great!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and each time it turns out fantastic! Great job including pictures and tips. I have added a little bit of extract (or egg nog) to the cream cheese before whipping. It helps with creating smoothness before adding pudding mixture. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you!
Made this for our girls night Christmas dinner and it was fantastic!
Thank you!
So yummy and easy to make!!! My family loved it!
Thank you! We love this one.
Can I use a disposable foil pan
Yes that would work!
Love this cake, it’s so yummy easy to make! Wondering if you’ve ever tried to make it in individual muffin or brownie pan? I want to make it for a party and thought individual ones might be nice over an entire cake that needs to be cut.
I’ve never tried it individually but I don’t see why not. It’s a pate a choux batter which is what individual eclairs are made of.
I made this recipe in a mini muffin pan for my brother’s wedding. They were perfect for a covid friendly backyard wedding. They were a huge hit.
Can I use a metal none stick pan
Yes!
I’m a life-long eclair lover. This is fantastic!! I was skeptical about the use of instant pudding mix but not anymore. I used freshly whipped cream. The homemade chocolate sauce is what really elevated this recipe. It’s the pay-off. I might be disappointed with a bakery eclair after this.
Yes all those little things make it so yummy!
Looks delicious,can’t wait to try this recipe,going to try to make for the fourth of july
Thank you!
This cake has been one of the family’s favorites ever since my mom started making it . It’s easy and it’s fast . I change the flavors of puddings around sometimes like banana cream and vanilla together . There are so many different flavors you can come up with . This is the greatest reciepe since sliced bread . It is always a hit at every function I bring it to . Thanks ……
It’s my husband’s favorite too! So happy you guys like it as well.
Just finished making this. Have not tasted it put all together but the homemade chocolate sauce and whipped cream is Ssooo good. Can’t wait to serve it for Easter dinner!
So glad you liked it!
I made this for a big group of friends and they all loved it! Just wondering though, if I’m going to make it a day ahead is it better to leave it unassembled (filling in the fridge, crust covered at room temp) and put it together right before serving, or put it all together and leave it in the fridge overnight?
I actually make it the day before often and it holds up well.
Love this recipe! Made it for work pot-lucks and the pan is always empty! It’s the easiest “fancy” dessert ever!
Thank you! We love it too!
This is one of my family’s all-time favorite desserts. I’m making one now per special request from my 20 y/o son. He hates cream cheese, so I omit it from his version, and just use the pudding, cool whip & chocolate syrup drizzle. Everyone adores the cream puff crust!
So good right!
Hello. Can I make creme patissiere for the filling instead of the pudding? Thanks for the recipe.
Yes of course!
The sides caved in after it cooled. I redid it using a cookie sheet and it worked much better. Otherwise, delicious! I added maraschino cherries and chopped walnuts.
This is the best ‘fancy’ dessert that is really quite easy! Followed directions exactly as written and it turns out perfectly. I’ve made it about 10 times now!
AWesome! I love hearing that.
I have about 1/2 cup of AP flour. Do you think I could use self rising flour for the other half?
Should be fine!
Can this cake be frozen? It is delicious, however, I have about 1/2 of it left.
Yes, you can!
Have you ever made this for a picnic? How long is it okay to let it sit out? Thanks so much.
Your recipe is beyond awesome! I’ve made it three times in the last several weeks. It was a hit with EVERONE. I do have several things to share with you about this marvelous taste of heaven. I usually like to try a recipe out on myself and my husband before I make it for guests. Since it’s just the 2 of us now, a recipe that makes a 9 x 13 pan is a little too much for us. The first thing I do is check to see if I can make half a recipe. I know that a 9 inch pie plate is half of a 9 x 13 pan. With this recipe I used a 10 inch deep dish pie plate. It was awesome! I realized that we liked the idea that each piece would have a nice piece of that wonderful puff. I will always make it like that. I also made a “tasty” discovery when I didn’t have a box of vanilla pudding. It was 11:00 pm, the puff was baking, and I needed to make it THEN. I found a box of white chocolate pudding in my pantry. Voila success! I will always use the white chocolate for this . Even my granddaughter asked for the recipe! YUM, thank you for sharing this heavenly recipe with all of us.
Absolutely amazing!
Thank you!
After I found this recipe a few years ago it has been my go to! It always get raves (even from my stoic Russian coworker who grew up on cream desserts- he kept going on lol).
My crust is done after about 17 minutes- the original must be an error? Used 3 different ovens.
I use homemade whipping cream (8 oz whipping cream, 2 T sugar, 1/2 t Vanilla), but storebought Hershey’s Simply syrup. When I lived by Trader Joe’s I used the Superior TJ moo goo (?) chocolate syrup.
Thank you!
Thanks. Yes, the crust will be done at different times for everyone. Glad you loved it!
How far ahead can i prepare this before meal
You can do it about a day ahead ahead of time.
I drizzled on carmel too. Love this dessert! Thanks for sharing it.
Ooh sounds delightful!
I’m posting this recipe on my blog tomorrow. Thanks for creating it!
http://www.simplher.com
Unless you skipped arm day and REALLY need that workout, you can use a handbeater and whip the crust together in no time. Just keep doing the eggs one at a time and incorporate fully, beating until the product is shiny and well blended. This was one of those surprise big hits – a coworker tried to be coy and not tell her birthday, then was disappointed when no cake magically appeared in the break room on her special day. So someone ran out at lunch to solve the problem. I’m thinking pantry emergency boxed cake mix on the double, or whatever was on clearance at (super center)… nope. This is what she made. Quick, easy, ingredient-friendly and delicious. And 18yrs later, I’m still making it.
What a story! I love it. I will try a handbeater next time. Thanks for the tip!
how much milk would you use for 2 small boxes of the pudding for the Éclair cake
I would still use 3 cups of milk.
If you haven’t tried this yet, then you absolutely MUST! Do yourself a favor and make it with homemade chocolate sauce and whipped cream, though! This dessert will change your life!! 😍 There have been times when I actually dream about it. I will forever be grateful to you, Christy, for sharing it with us (I’m not kidding)! 😁
Oh Jamie that makes me happy! I’m with you on the homemade ingredients. So much better.
I make this dessert and cream puffs all the time. Super easy and delicious. I use my mixer to add the eggs, one at a time. Never had a problem!
I just so happened to make this last week to bring in to work for my birthday. Using different flavors of pudding means there are SO many possibilities. I tried butterscotch out for the first time and it was hands down my favorite version I’ve ever made of this.
::drools::
I am a butterscotch lover so I’m definitely going to have to try that.
hey girl- this looks so yummy! y’all have a great weekend!
Thank you!
This is my husbands favorite dessert. I have been making this for him several times already and he cannot get enough!
I love hearing that!
Best cake EVER!!!B I could eat the entire cake!
Me tooooo!
I made the chocolate eclair cake for one of my bosses birthdays, because the chocolate eclair pie from marie calendars was his favorite. Because they have closed most of the Marie calendars, and we can no longer get that pie, I thought I would give this a try. It did not disappoint! Plus I really hate any crusts for an eclair pie or dessert made with graham crackers. This crust was amazing! I recently found out that my grandson loves Boston cream donuts, so I have promised to make this for him too! Thanks for this amazing dessert!
This is my husband’s absolute favorite!
In the bit before the actual recipe (where it shows pictures of her making the crust), it was noted to make sure to NOT OVER GREASE the pan. That is VERY IMPORTANT! So what I did was, sprayed the dish lightly with cooking spray then took a paper towel and wiped it out. There was still enough remaining in the pan to serve it’s purpose and it wasn’t so greasy that the batter wouldn’t sick on the sides and become difficult to spread in the dish.
Thank you for pointing that out.
I also added bananas between the cream layer and the topping, A BIGGER HIT than before!!
I spoke too soon! It was so yummy and I made it again this morning….my crust mixture was runny. I baked it anyway…no good. I am going to make the crust again tonight after work. Do you think if I have the same issue maybe I should just add more flour? I could tell the consistency was off the minute I finished mixing the flour before adding eggs.
Shoot. I’m not sure what happened?
I find that when you use 4 large eggs (I think those chicks are laying larger eggs than before!!) the mixture is too runny. I always use 3 small eggs and one large and it turns out perfect.
Great tip!
This was delicious! And the crust was soooo easy, those comments had me all freaked out for nothing. I made two puddings; vanilla and Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean pudding and both tasted great! Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
You must be a master baker! Haha
I have been making this recipe for the last 4 years. I make it every Easter and other special occasions. It has become one of my all time favorite desserts. I always get rave reviews and I’m so sad when the last piece is eaten. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
I love to hear that!! I love it too!
Can this Eclair Cake be made a day or two before & keep refrigerated? I’m planning on making it for Easter
Thank you
Yes, sorry! You can make it a day or two ahead.
I use 1 cheesecake & 1 coconut cream instant pudding. Put toasted coconut on top. Yummy
Yum!
My mom used to make this and substituted chocolate pudding for the vanilla and it was DIVINE!! Vanilla was also stellar but for those who want an extra chocolate kick it’s incredible!
More chocolate would make me happy!
I’ve made this before and we call it GIANT CREAM PUFF! The name gets everyone’s attention. Used your recipe instead of digging mine out. Everyone is always impressed with this dessert and surprisingly there is ALWAYS room for it no matter what’s for dinner!
I know right?! It’s quite the party dessert.
Christy, I made this for Christmas and it was loved by all. Thank you
1) I want to know what kind of all purpose flour you use ?? Bleached or Unbleaached ??
2) can this cake be made the night before and refrigerated and served the next day ??
Will it be soggy ? Thanks
I always use bleach just from habit. Shouldn’t matter either way. You can make this the night before. I often do!
Hi Christy, I’ve been making this for years and we love it! The only thing I do differently is, I use an 11” x 16” pan. More to love and it comes out great! Also, you don’t need to spread the eclair mixture up the sides, it rises and makes its own sides.
Nice to know. I’ve never not put it up the sides but I will try that next time.
Always struggled choosing between eclairs and some sweet heaven cake. No more of that now! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and saving me from that dilemma! )
You are welcome!
My 7yo son said it looked exactly like the picture! Thanks for the recipe. Love the base.
Can u assemble this the nite before or will it ruin the crust
No, I’ve totally assembled the night before.
I made this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free flour. It turned out really well. The crust doesn’t have the same texture and the taste is slightly different. For me, that doesn’t matter because this recipe is so good and having it in a gluten free version is a big win for me.
Magnifique . I will bake it tomorrow .
Your dessert looks wonderful,I would love to try making it ,however I can’t find coolwhip in UK shops.What is it ?and what would be a suitable substitute.
Thanks Sonia
If you note in the recipe ingredients there’s an option to make your own whipped cream which is what I prefer actually. Here’s the link for easy reference.
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/05/homemade-whipcream-how-to.html
Use dream whip
THIS CAKE HAS BEEN A SENSATIONAL HIT WITH EVERYONE WHO HAS TRIED IT. MANY HAVE ASKED FOR THE RECIPE. LOVE IT! THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT.
You’re welcome! So glad to hear that.
I am making this right now. The crust is in the oven & it puffed up like crazy & looks amazing. I did use a mixer to add the eggs, hope it doesn’t affect the taste or texture.
Sounds like it’s coming along perfectly.
I haven’t assembled this yet, but the filling is delicious and the crust turned out exactly like the picture. I’m going to make vanilla bean whipped cream for the top. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ooh that sounds divine!
Hi there…I love this cake! I was wondering if anyone had tried breaking the dough and making eclair cupcakes?
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work!
Could I use a gluten free flour for the crust? Like Cup4cup? Thanks for any advice you can give me!
I have not tried it so I cannot be sure!
Can this be made in the thermomix?
Shoot. I don’t know what a thermomix.
This is exactly how I make mine.. Its the best. I dont like the graham cracker crust recipes out there.To me thats NOT at all a eclair…… This is truely like a eclair…. I also shave a chocolate bar on top for a little extra flare… Its so light and fluffy. Its always gone the same day I make it….
This looks fab and it’s without sugar! What else should I ask for?
Chocolate Eclair Cake is a crowd pleaser every time I make it!
Glad you approve!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made it about ten times. It’s everyone’s favorite. I prefer using three eggs instead of four, baking it for 23 to 24 minutes instead of 30 to 40, and making the pudding before whipping the cream cheese, because it has to set. It’s always a hit!
Thanks for your tips!
If you just pat it into the bottom of the pan only, it will “puff” up the sides all on its own and is thicker and “puffier” than if you press it up the sides. Just a thought!
Oh yum, this sounds delicious! And love your photos, by the way 🙂
Thank you! I want to update these so bad.
Do you have to refrigerate before serving? Do you have to refrigerate leftovers? Does that make the crust soggy?
You must refrigerate because the filling is a pudding mixture. The crust does not get soggy I promise!
Can I make this a day before and put in the fridge until I need it?
Absolutely. I do it all the time.
Oh yum! thanks
I cannot believe that people are atill using Cool Whip. Seriously, it is not a food. It is a food-like substance.
I agree.
I will do something that I have never done before, leave a comment about a recipe. This looks amazing and so easy. I bake quite often and I wonder whether I can substitute the pudding mix with handmade “creme de patissier” and finish with some cooled ganache? To give this great dessert a more homely touch.
Many thanks for posting.
Ef
Ps: a big fan of the title of your blog as well.
Thank you for commenting! If you want to make it from scratch you can absolutely. Thank you for your feedback!
Made this recipe back when i first saw it a couple of years ago. JUST made it again today! Still waiting for cooling and setting to occur.
The hardest thing about this recipe is the WAITING for it to set completely so we can EAT IT!!! WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!
Yay!!!
This is the best! I buy fudge frosting and microwave about 3 heaping TBS and then drizzle over the top. I try not to make this to often as I have no willpower! Before I know it, half the pan is gone. 🙂
Me too! It’s so easy to eat.
Not sure why this cake is rated 2.5 stars? I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit! We love it!
Sometimes the rating thing goes crazy.
I, too, have always had this as a pistachio pudding dessert, with chocolate syrup drizzled, then topped with crushed pistachios. Wonderful! I think this recipe lends itself to most any pudding flavor! Thanx!
I agree!
This is a amazing dessert. I have made it for holidays. My daughter loves it
One of my favorites!
This is easily the most popular dessert I make. Family and friends actually beg me to make this. It’s easy and tasty beyond the few steps it takes to make. I would never insult the deliciousness of this dessert by using cool whip!!! You gotta whip some heavy cream for a fitting topping to this yummy dessert.
Other recipes by the same name are not nearly as good. This girl has the winner!
Make it- just be prepared to keep making it- cause it will be a hit!
Thank you! I agree about the homemade whipped cream!
This is awesome I ate 2 peices
Love that you loved it.
This is Amazing!! My family loves it. I did change it a little bit. I use half and half instead of milk to make the pudding. We like it thicker! Also instead if chocolate syrup I use chocolate fudge over the top! It is good both ways though! DELICIOUSNESS!
The flour measurement is WAY off! You can even see it in the recipe. Four eggs, 1/2 cup butter and cup of water. The batter was even thinner than cake batter. I used 3 1/2 cups of flour. It’s delicious!
It’s correct. We’ve been making it for years.
The recipe is absolutely correct. It’s a special method and if you don’t follow the measurements and directions correctly, you get a mess. I have made this several times and even screwed it up by using double the butter! If you used all that flour, you did not make it as a choux, which is what an eclair and cream puffs are made of.
I made this last night and it turned out beautifully!! I set the timer on the crust for 25 minutes and it’s a good thing I did. Wish I could post a pic, because mine looks just like the pic with the recipe. I also whipped my own whipped cream and that just added to the wonderful flavor….oh, I and so used french vanilla instead of plain vanilla. This will be made again…and again, and again 🙂
Yay!!!!!
This dessert was amazing,i made it exactly like the recipe said. Who ever had problems with it must have did it wrong,after the water and butter melted and came to a boil I took off the heat added one egg at a time at room temperature,mixed well then added another egg one at a time. It did not fall it looked just like the picture, also used a glass9x13pan. It was delicious😊😊😊😊 I posted recipe on my page. Ty for sharing I’m so going to make in the future.
Forgot added flour when off heat then one egg at a time sry.
Thank you Michelle!!