Eclair Cake

This easy éclair cake is perfect for parties or potlucks, or simply dishing up dessert for your family. It combines graham crackers with vanilla pudding and chocolate ganache to mimic the flavors of a traditional éclair. It's an impressive, luscious dessert with layers of texture and flavor throughout. But the best part is that it can be made with very little fuss.

Learn how to make eclair cake, and prep it ahead of time for any occasion so you can dish it up cold. Your friends and family are sure to ask you for the recipe time and time again.

What Is an Éclair?

Éclairs, or chocolate eclairs, are a popular pastry found in many French bakeries. These delicate desserts are made using a base of pâte à choux, or choux pastry. The choux pastry is baked and cooled and then filled with pastry cream before being topped with a chocolate glaze or chocolate ganache to complete the delicious treat.

Choux pastry can often be finicky to make, and sometimes you may not want to go to all the trouble just to enjoy a few bites. That's where an eclair cake comes in.

Éclair Cake Ingredients

An eclair cake can be made with just six ingredients.

• Graham crackers: Use your favorite because the flavor does matter. Regular honey graham crackers are preferred, but as a variation, you might try chocolate graham crackers.
• Vanilla instant pudding: French vanilla instant pudding will work if classic vanilla is all sold out.
• Milk: This helps to make the pudding. You can use any kind you prefer, but milk with more fat (like whole milk) will make for a pudding with a bit more richness.
• Whipped topping: This is folded into the instant pudding mixture to make a fluffy, light filling. Don't use homemade whipped cream. It will deflate too quickly.
• Semisweet chocolate: The slightly bitter flavor of semisweet chocolate contrasts nicely with the sweet pudding and crackers. You could even use dark chocolate if you wanted.
• Heavy cream: Used to make the chocolate ganache topping. It does need to be cream. Milk won't work.

How To Make Éclair Cake

The most difficult part about making éclair cake is the wait before you can take your first bite. Here's a brief outline of the process:

• Step 1. Layer crackers and filling: Fill the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with graham crackers. Because of the shape of the dish, a few graham crackers will need to be broken up to evenly cover the base of the dish.
• Step 2. Mix the pudding: Combine the instant pudding mix and milk, and then stir in the thawed whipped topping. Let this sit for a bit to set up. Then, spread half of the pudding mixture over top of the first graham cracker layer.
• Step 3. Finish layering: Add another layer of graham crackers, the remaining pudding, and then the last layer of graham crackers. Once the layering has been completed, put the dish in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• Step 4. Add chocolate topping: Chop the chocolate, and put it in a heat-safe bowl. Heat up the heavy cream in a saucepan until it's just about to boil (don't let it boil), and pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate before whisking it to smooth and silky chocolate ganache.
• Step 5. Pour chocolate on top: Once the ganache is smooth, remove the chilled cake from the fridge, and pour the ganache over top. Use a spatula to smooth the topping.
• Step 6. Chill one more time. Put the eclair cake back in the fridge to fully chill for at least eight hours.

Why Do You Need to Chill Éclair Cake?

Chilling the cake for at least eight hours gives the pudding filling plenty of time to firm up while softening the graham crackers at the same time. Once the graham crackers have softened, they resemble the texture of the choux pastry traditionally used to make eclairs.

What's the Best Pudding to Use for Éclair Cake?

It's important to use instant pudding mix for this recipe because of the way the pudding sets up. Using cook-and-serve pudding wouldn't allow for the pudding layer to be mixed with the whipped topping and layered as easily.

Can You Make Éclair Cake Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make eclair cake ahead of time. In fact, you have to. Eclair cake needs to sit for several hours (or overnight) before you serve it because the pudding needs time to soften the graham crackers. Make this up to 48 hours in advance. After that, the crackers may be a little too soft, but it's still entirely edible.

How To Store Éclair Cake

This cake saves beautifully in the fridge. Place a lid on your baking dish, or cover it with plastic wrap, and keep the eclair cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will get softer as it sits, but some people prefer that texture.