A dessert that has truly captured my heart is the Polish Karpatka Cake, a delicious Vanilla Eclair Cake. This delectable pastry is made by combining choux pastry with a creamy vanilla filling, creating a texture and flavor that is simply irresistible. As soon as I tasted this dessert, I knew I had to create a chocolate version, and that’s how my amazing Homemade Chocolate Eclair Cake was born.
This cake features two layers of fluffy chocolate choux pastry, sandwiched together with a generous silky smooth chocolate custard cream filling. This dessert is a chocoholic’s dream. The recipe is surprisingly easy and relaxing to prepare, even for those who have never made choux pastry before. This was my first time making chocolate choux pastry, and I found it to be incredibly delicious. I’m already looking forward to making it again.
What is Polish Karpatka Cake?
But what exactly is a Karpatka cake, you may ask? Well, the name comes from the Carpathian Mountains, which span across several countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The choux pastry used in this dessert puffs up and takes on irregular shapes as it bakes, which, when dusted with powdered sugar, resemble the snow-capped peaks of the mountains. It’s a beautiful and fitting name for a cake that’s as stunning as it is delicious.
How to make Chocolate Eclair Cake?
To make a delicious chocolate eclair cake, you will need to follow a few simple steps. First, you need to prepare the chocolate pastry cream by heating the milk and whisking the eggs with sugar, salt, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Combine the hot milk with the egg mixture and cook until it thickens. Then, you need to add the chocolate and let it cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate choux pastry layers by boiling milk, water, sugar, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cocoa powder, and mix energetically until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Add the eggs one at a time and mix to incorporate. Divide the batter evenly in two 8-inch (20cm) pans and bake the pastry for 25-30 minutes until puffed.
Next, you need to prepare the chocolate custard cream filling by mixing butter and pastry cream until creamy.
How to assemble the cake
To assemble the cake place the first layer of choux pastry on a serving platter. Add a cake ring around the cake and line with acetate sheet. Add the chocolate cream on top of the pastry layer. You then need to fill the gaps from the second layer of pastry and place it on top of the chocolate cream. Cover the cake and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight. Finally, dust with powdered sugar and serve with a berry coulis or chocolate sauce.
So why wait? Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this Chocolate Eclair Cake is a must-try recipe that’s guaranteed to impress. From its decadent chocolate layers to its creamy filling, every bite is an experience to savor and enjoy. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you try it out and happy baking everyone!
Other chocolate custard desserts you may like to try
This Chocolate Magic Custard Cake is a delightful chocolatey dessert with a unique texture. While baking it forms three distinct layers: a cake-like layer on top, a custard-like layer in the middle, and a dense, fudgy layer on the bottom. This Chocolate Norwegian Cake is a delicious dessert that combines two layers of chocolate sponge cake that are filled with a generous amount of creamy and silky chocolate cream. Another custard dessert we love is this Chocolate Cheesecake Flan, a delicious dessert that combines the creamy texture of cheesecake with the smooth, chocolate and caramel-like consistency of flan. Check our full collection of Custard Desserts for more inspiration.
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Vanilla Eclair Cake
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Chocolate Eclair Cake - Chocolate Karpatka
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.
- It needs time 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.
Assemble the cake.
- 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!
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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.