Eclair Cake Recipe with Homemade Cream
A delightful no-bake éclair cake with layers of graham crackers, homemade cream, and whipped topping.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR PASTRY CREAM:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
INGREDIENTS FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
- 1 ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INGREDIENTS TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE AND GANACHE:
- graham crackers
- 4 oz 60% dark chocolate bar
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PASTRY CREAM:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together: ¾ cup granulated sugar,¼ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together: 1 ½ cups whole milk,1 ½ cups heavy cream, 5 large egg yolks & 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Keep the heat at medium to avoid cooking the pastry cream too quickly or preventing it from thickening properly.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and strain into a large bowl.
- Stir in: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (one tablespoon at a time)
- Let the pastry cream cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled (about 90 minutes). After the pastry cream has chilled in the fridge, it's time to whip up the whipped cream and assemble the cake.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
- In a large bowl, mix together cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, creating a thick, fluffy texture.
INSTRUCTIONS TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE & MAKING GANACHE:
- Combine Creams: Gently fold whipped cream into cold pastry cream until fully combined using a spatula, not an electric mixer.
- Assemble Layers: Place an even layer of graham crackers on the bottom of a 9×13" baking pan.
- Top with half of the pastry cream mixture.
- Add another layer of graham crackers
- Add the remaining pastry cream.
- Finish with a final layer of graham crackers
- Add Ganache: Melt chocolate and cream together to make a ganache.
- Smooth ganache over the top graham cracker layer.
- For optimal results, chill the cake in the refrigerator for few hours to let the graham crackers soften and allow the filling to firm up.