Description
This Cream Puff Cake combines a light, airy choux pastry base with a rich and creamy vanilla pudding and cream cheese filling, topped with fluffy whipped topping and drizzled chocolate syrup. Perfect for a delightful dessert that’s both elegant and easy to make, this cake offers the classic flavors of cream puffs in an easy-to-slice layer cake form.
Ingredients
Scale
Choux Pastry Base
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
Filling
- 2 (3.9 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding
- 8 ounces cream cheese, very soft
- 3 1/2 cups milk
Topping
- 8 ounces whipped topping, defrosted
- 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Boil Base Ingredients: In a saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and transfer the hot mixture into a mixing bowl.
- Add Flour & Form Dough: Immediately add the flour to the hot liquid, stirring vigorously until a smooth ball of dough forms. Allow this dough to cool for about 10 minutes to prevent eggs from cooking when added.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the cooled dough, beating well after each addition until the batter is smooth and glossy. This step ensures the right consistency for puffing.
- Bake the Pastry: Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes. Then, poke several holes in the puffed center to release steam, reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C), and bake for an additional 20 minutes. After baking, cool for 30-45 minutes completely.
- Make the Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix with the milk until well combined and slightly thickened. Fold the pudding mixture into the cream cheese mixture until homogeneous.
- Assemble the Cake: Spread the cream cheese-pudding filling evenly over the cooled choux pastry base. Top with the defrosted whipped topping, spreading gently to cover the surface.
- Decorate & Chill: Drizzle the chocolate syrup artfully over the whipped topping for added flavor and visual appeal. Refrigerate the entire cake until ready to serve to allow the layers to set.
Notes
- Ensure the dough cools before adding eggs to avoid cooking them and ruining the batter texture.
- Poking holes after the initial bake lets steam escape, preventing soggy pastry.
- Use very soft cream cheese to make mixing easier and achieve a silky filling.
- Chilling the assembled cake helps the filling firm up and enhances flavor melding.
- For best results, serve within 2 days of preparation.
