Description
A show-stopping Cream Puff Cake made with layers of delicate choux pastry, filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (227g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Make sure the butter is completely melted before the water starts boiling.
- Once boiling, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add all the flour at once. Using a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, vigorously stir the mixture until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can continue by hand). Let the dough cool for about 5-10 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or just snip off the end of the bag if you don’t have a tip). Pipe three concentric circles of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, starting with the largest circle for the base, then a medium circle on top of that, and finally a smaller circle on top. Leave some space between the circles as they will expand during baking.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up. Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking!
- Once the choux pastry is baked, turn off the oven and prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Let the pastry cool in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the pastry from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it’s just about to simmer.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until the mixture is pale and smooth.
- Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a simmer. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking vigorously, to ensure the cornstarch is fully cooked and the pastry cream is thick and stable.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted and the pastry cream is smooth and glossy.
- Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the pastry cream to cool completely and thicken further.
- Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it’s just about to simmer.
- Pour the hot heavy cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about 1 minute to allow the heat to melt the chocolate.
- Gently stir the mixture, starting from the center and working your way outwards, until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy.
- Stir in the butter until it’s melted and fully incorporated into the ganache.
- Let the ganache cool slightly for about 10-15 minutes before using it to assemble the cake.
- Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the cooled choux pastry horizontally in half.
- Spoon or pipe the chilled pastry cream into the bottom half of the choux pastry.
- Place the top half of the choux pastry back on top of the filled bottom half.
- Pour the slightly cooled chocolate ganache over the top of the Cream Puff Cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. You can use a spatula to spread the ganache evenly if needed.
- If you want the ganache to set up a bit more, you can chill the assembled Cream Puff Cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Just before serving, you can dust the Cream Puff Cake with powdered sugar for an extra touch of elegance.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Choux Pastry Success: Ensure the butter is fully melted before the water boils when making the choux pastry. This helps the pastry puff up properly.
- Egg Temperature: Don’t add the eggs to the choux pastry dough when it’s too hot, or they will cook. Let the dough cool slightly first.
- Oven Door: Avoid opening the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking the choux pastry to prevent deflation.
- Pastry Cream Lumps: Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks thoroughly to prevent lumps in the pastry cream.
- Preventing Skin: Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap while cooling to prevent a skin from forming.
- Ganache Smoothness: Start stirring the ganache from the center outwards to ensure a smooth and glossy finish.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes