Description
This Cream Puff Cake is a delightful layered dessert featuring a light and airy choux pastry base topped with a creamy vanilla pudding and cream cheese filling, finished with whipped topping and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Perfect for serving at gatherings or as a sweet treat, it combines the texture of cream puffs with the ease of a layered cake.
Ingredients
Scale
Choux Pastry Base
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
Filling and Topping
- 2 (3.9 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
- 8 ounces cream cheese, very soft
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping, defrosted
- 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan to prevent sticking.
- Boil Water, Butter, and Salt: In a saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil. Once boiling, transfer this mixture immediately to a mixing bowl.
- Add Flour and Form Dough: Stir in the all-purpose flour vigorously until a ball forms. Allow the dough to cool for about 10 minutes to avoid scrambling the eggs in the next step.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy, indicating the dough is ready.
- Bake the Pastry Base: Press the choux dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes until puffed. Then poke holes in the center to deflate the puffing, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for another 20 minutes. Allow the pastry to cool completely for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and milk until thickened. Combine this pudding mixture with the cream cheese until well blended.
- Assemble the Cake: Spread the cream cheese and pudding filling evenly over the cooled pastry base.
- Add Whipped Topping and Chocolate: Top the cake layer with the defrosted whipped topping. Finally, drizzle the chocolate syrup over the whipped topping for added flavor and decoration.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the assembled cream puff cake until ready to serve to allow the layers to set and flavors to meld.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is very soft to avoid lumps in the filling.
- Poking holes in the puffed pastry center prevents it from being hollow and helps create a stable base for the filling.
- Use room temperature eggs to mix smoothly with the dough.
- For an extra touch, sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving.
- This cake is best served chilled and consumed within 2 days for optimal freshness.
