Chocolate Eclair Cake

This is basically a giant chocolate eclair that does not require piping out individual eclairs and then piping in the filling. It's much easier to make with the same wonderful taste. I chose to make my own pudding and chocolate topping but if you are pressed for time, do take a little help from the store and use a boxed pudding mix and chocolate sundae topping.

serves 12

Pastry Shell
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
4 large eggs

In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter, sugar and water to a boil. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low. Cook stirring until a ball forms and the dough pulls away from the pan. Transfer the dough to a bowl with an electric mixer. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. The dough will become a thick paste. Press the dough into the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan that has been sprayed well with baking spray. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Vanilla Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 vanilla bean pod

Place the sugar and cornstarch into the bottom of a medium saucepan and whisk until combined. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk and half and half. Make sure the cornstarch is well mixed in and that there are no lumps. Whisk in the egg yolks and toss in the vanilla bean. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and pour the pudding to a fine mesh sieve that has been place over a medium sized bowl. Using a spatula, press the pudding through the sieve to remove any lumps. Add the vanilla and butter, mix until combined. If desired, split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds from the pod. Add them to the pudding. Cover the top of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the frig until cold.

Chocolate Sauce

makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
6oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips(splurge and get a good quality)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan bring the sugar and heavy cream to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and chocolates. Keep stirring until all are melted and the sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla. Serve warm and store leftovers in a container with a lid in the frig.


To Assemble

Whisk the pudding before place on the top of the eclair shell. Pour over the shell and spread out. Heat the chocolate sauce briefly in the microwave to make sure it will pour. Drizzle it over the top of the pudding. Top with sweetened whip cream and serve. To make serving easier, I cut the shell into 12 squares first and reassembled in the baking dish before pouring the pudding over it. Serve right away. I found that if you place the cake back in the frig, the chocolate will harden and you will have to re-cut it before you can serve it.