So much I loved the Vanilla Eclair Cake, the Polish Karpatka, that I had to do a chocolate version of it, so here it is, an amazing Chocolate Eclair Cake. As a chocolate lover I simply adore this version. Two layers of chocolate choux pastry that are filled with a generous amount of creamy and silky chocolate cream. It’s simply hard to resist.
The recipe is quite easy and relaxing to prepare. It is the first time making the chocolate choux pastry and I find it really delicious and for sure will make it again.
You can serve this amazing cake with your favorite sauce, either berry coulis, chocolate sauce or caramel sauce for extra flavor and texture. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
Chocolate Choux Pastry Layers
- 1/2 cup (65g) flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
- 2 tsp (10g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 2 oz (60g) unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
Chocolate Filling
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 2/3 cup (135g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp (10g) cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 4 oz (120g) semisweet chocolate
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) butter , room temperature
Instructions
- First prepare the chocolate pastry cream to have time to cool. Place milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile whisk the eggs with sugar and salt until well combined. Add cocoa powder and cornstarch and mix to combine.
- Gradually add milk into the egg mixture and return to heat. Cook stirring constantly until it boils and thickens.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate and stir until completely melted.
- Pour the cream into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent forming a skin on the surface. Let cool to room temperature.
- Prepare chocolate choux pastry layers. In a saucepan bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add flour and cocoa powder all at once and incorporate mixing energetically with a wooden spoon until homogenous.
- Return the saucepan over low heat and while stirring cook for 1 minute or two to pull out the moisture from the batter and until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. You will see some of the dough sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer batter to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375 F (190C). Grease two 8 inch (20cm) pans and line with parchment paper.
- Add the eggs one at a time, carefully incorporating each into the batter, using a wooden spoon or even a stand mixer. It will result in a smooth, homogeneous batter which still holds its shape.
- Divide choux pastry evenly and spread on the bottom of the pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until nicely puffed.
- Let cool.
- Prepare the chocolate filling. Place butter into a large bowl and mix until creamy. Gradually add spoons of pastry cream and mix to incorporate. Add another spoon only when the other spon is fully incorporated. Repeat until all the pastry cream is fully incorporated. In the end add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Assembly. Add a bit of chocolate cream on a serving platter. Add the first layer of choux pastry. Place a ring and line with an acetate sheet for easier removal. Add chocolate cream on top of the pastry layer. Fill the gaps from the second layer of pastry and place on top of the chocolate cream. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or better overnight.
- Before serving, dust with powdered sugar. Serve as is or with a berry coulis or chocolate sauce. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
Hi, in this it doesn’t say bread flour as opposed to the vanilla flavored, can either be used for both recipes? I want to make the vanilla one first, can I use all purpose for it?
Thank you for all your recipes, they are amazing!
Hi Ella!
I absolutely love your recipes and just made a sourdough starter as I always wanted to try and make it myself. I love all your recipes!
I also made yesterday a chocolate karpatka cake and while it’s very delicious I can feel that the texture is not silky but abit grainy. Can you advise why that happened? Thank you again for your great work!
Hi, I have 2 9inch pans. Should I double the recipe for the choux pastry?
no need to double.. I think the recipe will be just fine for a 9 inch pan too.. slightly less tall.
Hi, i made this on Thursday placed it in the fridge overnight and took it out Friday. When i took it out of the ring and peeled the plastic it away, it looked nearly like yours. I enjoyed making this and its my first polish dessert i have made.
There is a question i wanted to ask about the pastry cream and the butter. When i blended them together it seemed to look just slightly curdled, however i thought perhaps that’s how its supposed to look. I carried on and when taking it out of the mold after it had been in the fridge overnight it seemed to look a bit more curdled, is this supposed to happen? I followed your recipe exactly and im so glad your measurements are in grams! as well as the cup measurements which i dont tend to like.
Also is the temp 190c fan or just 190c? i have an electric fan oven and did my temperature the same but gave it less time for the choux pastry which i think actually needed longer in the end as it did seem a bit doughy just on the insides and did not have that thin layer off slightly browner color of pastry which i see in your picture.
It is very important that the butter and cream have about the same temperature in order not to curdle. You shoudn't mix the cream with butter if the cream for instance is much colder. As for the oven temperature, I almost never use fan when baking cakes. Just regular top and bottom heat. Yes, next time you can definitely leave the choux few minutes longer to get the desired color. Ovens can heat slightly different. Hope you didn't get discouraged and try this cake again 🙂
Im trying to make this but it doesn’t say what to use for the pastry cream just the layers and filling
Hi im trying to make this but it dont have the amounts for the cream just the filling and layers…. or am I missing something….
The chocolate filling is the cream.