Easy to Make Chocolate Eclair Cake Perfect for Any Occasion

This post today is kind of for Easter and also for any other time of year because this yummy dessert is one you will want to make all the time! This easy to make chocolate eclair cake is perfect for any occasion and is a surefire hit! My sister used to make this all the time for just about any get together we had as a family. It gives you the luxurious feel of having a chocolate eclair but without all the work, trial and error and just all the work! Yes I said that twice because they are a lot of work haha! This dessert is a combination of choux pastry, a cream cheese pudding mixture, whipped cream, and chocolate ganache. Its super easy to make and I have fond memories of my sister teaching me how to make it when I was just newly married. I didn’t realize at the time that she was teaching me skills I would use my entire life. I am sharing this post with some of my favorite bloggers that are also sharing a favorite Easter dessert as well! Make sure to check out the rest of the recipes at the end of this post.

So, lets talk about how to make this amazing chocolate eclair cake:

First you need to make the choux dough and spread it on a large jelly roll pan (15 by 10 by 1 inch). To make the choux pastry, you need to put your water and a stick of butter in a pan and bring it to a boil, medium heat or medium-high heat should be good. Once it has come to a boil, add your flour and salt all at once and mix it my hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Once it comes together to form a ball take it off the heat. This happens really fast so be prepared! You want to let this cool for just a couple of minutes before we add the eggs so that it doesn’t cook the eggs before they have a chance to mix into the pastry dough. You want to add 4 eggs, one at a time, beaten thoroughly each time before adding another one.

Spread the pastry into a jelly roll pan and make sure it covers the entire thing. It will not be very thick, Try the make it as even as possible. Bake this in the oven at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes. Once it is cooked, take it out of the oven and immediately use a fork to pierce the bubbles that form in the pastry while it is hot. Now let the pastry cool completely before we add the rest of the ingredients.

Once the pastry is cooled, you will need to add the instant vanilla pudding and whisk milk into the pudding. I like to use a medium bowl for this. I also use whole milk in my pudding. (You can use other flavors of pudding mixes such as cheesecake or coconut cream).

Put a brick of softened cream cheese into a large bowl or a mixer. Mix up the cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer to let it soften and whip up. Now slowly add the pudding about 1/2 cup to start and make sure it mixes with the cream cheese entirely. This will prevent the cream cheese from clumping in the pudding. If you throw the cream cheese in the pudding and try to mix it, the cream cheese will stay lumpy.

Continue adding the pudding until it is all incorporated. Now spread this pudding layer over the entire cake. Next, you want to add a layer of cool whip. I like to use Cool Whip because it is easy and it tastes good with it. Spread it over the entire layer of pudding. Put this all in the fridge while you prepare your chocolate ganache.

While the cake is chilling in the fridge, put a small saucepan on the stove on low heat. Add your butter and semisweet chocolate chips. Use a whisk and mix until it is all combined and the chips are melted completely. Now turn off the heat and add the milk and powdered sugar alternately until you run out. It should be a nice shiny and runny mixture.

Grab your cake out of the fridge and use the whisk to sprinkle the chocolate ganache all over the cool whipped topping. You can make some fun designs with the chocolate sauce. It will thicken up and become more firm as it cools on the cake. Let the cake sit in the fridge for about an hour to let everything cool and settle together.

Check out the full recipe below!

This easy eclair cake can be made a day ahead of time. The first time I had this I could not stop eating it. It is one of my most favorite desserts. This chocolate eclair cake recipe is simple and uses items that most of us have in our pantry already! The instant pudding helps you cut some corners while still tasting amazing. Once tip. have is to not cover it with plastic wrap as it will stick right to the cake. One thing you can do if you want to cover it is add some tooth picks poking up from the cake that the plastic wrap can rest on tp prevent it from sticking to the cake. Once we cut it up and eat out share, we will add it to an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap at this point. This cake has all the great flavors of an eclair without all the work! This cake is perfect for a large gathering such as a family reunion, or a fun Easter dinner! My kids have even asked for it for their birthday. Add this easy dessert recipe to your rotation and make it for your family right away!

Make sure to check out these Amazing Easter Dessert Recipes!

Strawberry Fool Dessert | Modern Glam

Easter Bunny Cupcakes | Craftberry Bush

Easter Bunny Cake – with Pattern | Happy Happy Nester

Lemon Curd Easter Parfaits | Finding Lovely

Bunny Puff Pastry Easter Tart | Tatertots and Jello

Easter Basket Flower Cake | My 100 Year Old Home

How to Make “Egg Hunt” Easter Cupcakes | Robyn’s French Nest

Chocolate Eclair Cake | Twelve on Main

Light & Delicious Lemon Cheesecake | Maison de Cinq

White Chocolate Easter Egg Pudding Cups | My Sweet Savannah

Blueberry Lavender Naked Cake | Inspirations for Moms