Chocolate Éclair Cake

Cream puffs and éclairs always catch my attention at every bakery, imagine then a whole cake made with this pastry. I found this recipe on Kerri's blog, and decided to give it a shot. A week later, it was my husband's birthday, and guess what he asked me to make? So, here is his favorite cake recipe.

Crust:
1 cup of water
½ cup butter of margarine
½ tsp. Salt
1 cup plain flour
4 eggs

1) Put water and butter in a medium saucepan, bring water to boil & simmer until butter melts. Remove from heat.

2) Mix salt & flour & add all at once to water & butter mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball.

3) Add one egg at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Spread in a
greased jelly roll pan (15x10x1 inches) (38x25x2.5 cm) I think a 13x9 (33x23) pan would work if you don’t have the bigger one.

4) Bake at 400ºF/205ºC for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and press flat (wait a minute or two so you don’t burn yourself). Cool.

5) Spread filling, topping and glaze over crust. Serve cold.

Filling:
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding.
2 ½ cups of milk
1 8oz (227 g)package of cream cheese, softened

With electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and add just a little milk at first (if you add too much at once you’ll end up with lumps of cream cheese). Keep adding milk gradually while beating. Then add the 2 puddings and beat until thick. Spread over crust.

Topping:
1 8oz tub of Cool Whip

Spread on top of pudding mixture.

Glaze:
½ cup of chocolate chips
2 tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar for the Aussies)

Melt choc chips with butter in the microwave or on the stove. Stir in confectioner's sugar.
Drizzle over the Cool Whip.

Make at least 2 days ahead so crust can soften and flavors blend.
(I never make it ahead and it tastes wonderful anyway.)

I use this pastry cream recipe instead of the vanilla/cream cheese filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 can milk (use the can to measure)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Vanilla

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, milk and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. The mixture will thicken. Add the vanilla. Transfer to a shallow bowl and press plastic wrap directly to prevent a skin from forming. Use as a filling for cakes, éclairs etc.