Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Chocolate Eclair Cake


In the holiday season I came across this gorgeous looking recipe from Christy from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Christy is one of my favs in the Foodie Blog world and this recipe is lucious, and I was quite surprise with my first ever venture into choux pastry, extremely easy! But then again it may have boiled down to Christy ease of explaining what to do.  Whatever the reason it is super easy!

Ive Australianised it! And I have placed the original (USA) quantities in brackets.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 cup Water
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Plain Flour
4 Large Eggs (or 5 tiny ones)
1 Pkt (8 ounces) Cream Cheese - room temp
145g (5.1 ounces) Vanilla Pudding
3 cups Milk (for pudding)
Whipped Cream (I used a sachet of European 'Whipped Topping' because I prefer that sugary mock cream taste yes I know I'm bad to the bone, in the USA you can use Cool Whip also)
Chocolate Sauce

Preheat your oven to 200 (400) degrees. Very and I mean VERY lightly grease and flour a small glass lasange dish, I recommend approx 15 x 20cm dish.  If you use tin or pan please note it is significantly shallower and as the centre of the crust will and needs to rise up as tin doesn't really suffice. Glass produces a more radiated heat and will be better for baking (unfortunately I didn't have mine on hand and had to make do, but trust me use glass or even bakeware ceramic).

For your Eclair Crust, firstly take a medium saucepan and on a medium heat melt your butter and water together.  Bring it to the boil and remove from the heat.  Then mix in one egg at a time, ensure each one is mixed in well before adding the next of you will be likely to split your dough.  Your dough should be very elastic, spread your dough onto the base and sides of your dish.  Note : if over greased your dough will slip and won't stay up the sides.




Place the dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, don't be scared, your dough is likely to rise right up in the centre, do not be tempted to push it down, it will drop in the cooling process.  I would check it occasionally to ensure you take it out once it is golden brown as it may take less than 30 minutes but could take more, depending on your oven.

To make your Filling, place your cream cheese in your mixer and cream it so it is light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.  In a seperate bowl make your actual packet of pudding by placing contents of sachet into the bowl, add your milk and whisk, it will start to form a custard or jelly like texture.  Once you have a custard mixture, pour it into the cream cheese in the electric mixer.  Mix it well until there are no lumps present.  Let it chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, then spread it onto the crust once the crust is cooled.  Place this in the fridge to set.

To make you Topping, either whip up some whipping cream or you can use a non-dairy sachet of topping, if you choose the sachet, just make it as per the instructions on the packet.  when ready top the custard type layer with the topping, spreading it evenly with a spatula or knife.

Drizzle the top with chocolate sauce eg, Hershey Syrup or a Dessert/Ice Cream topping, the dark chocolate variety.

Now serve to your waiting crowd.... or sit down in front of a great girlie 'Rom Com' and devour a couple of pieces! You won't regret it at all..... I think its too delicious for words!




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