Description
Indulgent cream puff cake merges classic French pastry techniques with modern dessert creativity. Layers of delicate choux pastry and silky custard promise a memorable culinary experience you’ll savor with each elegant bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
Filling Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese (softened)
- 2 cups (480 ml) cold milk
- 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup (240 ml) whipped topping (or homemade whipped cream)
Topping Ingredients:
- ½ cup (120 ml) chocolate syrup or melted chocolate
- Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare a buttery, light foundation by combining water and butter in a saucepan, bringing to a rolling boil. Swiftly incorporate flour until a cohesive dough ball emerges, creating a robust base for the dessert.
- Allow the dough mixture to cool momentarily. Introduce eggs individually, whisking thoroughly after each addition to achieve a silky, lustrous texture that will puff beautifully during baking.
- Transfer the velvety dough into a greased rectangular pan, spreading evenly to ensure uniform thickness. Slide into a preheated oven, baking until the surface transforms into a golden, puffy landscape with crisp edges.
- While the base cools completely, craft a luxurious filling by whipping cream cheese until impossibly smooth and free of lumps.
- Gently blend pudding mix and milk into the cream cheese, creating a rich, creamy consistency that holds its shape effortlessly.
- Incorporate whipped topping delicately, folding to maintain the filling’s airy, light structure without deflating its volume.
- Once the pastry foundation has reached room temperature, generously layer the creamy filling across its entire surface, ensuring complete and even coverage.
- Enhance the dessert’s decadence by drizzling rich chocolate syrup in elegant, artistic patterns across the cream’s surface.
- Refrigerate the assembled masterpiece for several hours, allowing flavors to meld and filling to set into a perfectly sliceable texture.
- When ready to serve, cut into precise squares, optionally dusting with a delicate veil of powdered sugar for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Ensure butter and water boil fully before adding flour to create a perfect, lump-free pastry base that rises beautifully.
- Room temperature eggs blend smoother into the dough, preventing potential curdling and creating a silky, uniform texture.
- Avoid overmixing the cream cheese filling to maintain a light, airy consistency that doesn’t become dense or heavy.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours for optimal flavor melding and a firmer, more sliceable texture.
- Swap instant pudding mix with homemade custard for a more refined, less processed dessert option.
- Use dairy-free alternatives like coconut cream and plant-based cream cheese to make this recipe suitable for lactose-intolerant guests.
- Garnish with fresh berries or toasted nuts to add extra texture and elevate the visual appeal of the dessert.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 263
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg