How to Make Éclair Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 60 g butter
• 1 cup of flour
• 4 eggs
• A pinch of salt.
• Pastry cream:
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• vanilla and zest of a sour lemon
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• How to make the pastry cream (crème pâtissière):
• Bring the milk to a boil with the lemon zest.
• In a bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg yolks and cornstarch. Stir in a little of the boiling milk to loosen the mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour this back into the saucepan of boiling milk and continue stirring until the mixture is well thickened.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly, then stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour the crème pâtissière into a shallow dish and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so it doesn't form a skin. Chill the crème pâtissière in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before using it for filling.
• Note: You can also use this cream to fill mille-feuille and tarts.
• How to Make Éclair Cake — by Amal Miyasi
• For more French dessert recipes, here’s the sablé—easy and quick.

Method

1. Heat the water in a saucepan and add the butter, allowing it to melt. Then add the flour and stir until you form a dough. Stir the dough for two minutes only, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the dough to an electric mixer and add the eggs gradually until you have a soft, sticky dough.
2. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the baking pan, then begin shaping the éclair dough in one of three different ways, according to preference...
3. Start by piping the dough into a pastry bag and forming medium-sized rounds, leaving space between each round so they can puff up. After baking, slice them horizontally to fill, then dust with powdered sugar.
4. Second, shaping into fingers: Use a piping bag to pipe the dough into finger shapes, leaving space between each piece so they can puff up. After baking, slice the éclairs crosswise to fill them, then decorate with melted chocolate or Nutella.
5. Third, for the “goose” shape: fit a piping bag and pipe the first layer of the éclair in an oval on the first baking sheet. Use a second baking sheet to pipe éclair shape number 2 alongside. After baking, slice the oval piece crosswise and fill it. For shape 2, slice it lengthwise so it looks like an open wing, then place it on top of the oval section and secure it with a little pastry cream (crème pâtissière).
6. Bake the éclairs before filling at 190°C for 35 to 40 minutes, except the number 2 shape which requires less than a quarter of an hour due to its small size. Let the éclair shells cool completely before filling.
   Timers: 40 min
7. To make the crème pâtissière: Bring the milk to a boil with the lemon zest. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk in a little of the boiling milk to loosen the mixture, then pour it into the pot of boiling milk and continue stirring until the mixture thickens well. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly, then stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour the crème pâtissière into a shallow dish and cover the surface completely with plastic wrap so it doesn’t form a skin. Chill the crème pâtissière in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before using it to fill.
   Timers: 240 min
8. Note: This cream can also be used to fill mille-feuille and tarts.
9. How to Make Éclair Cake — Recipe by Amal Miyasi
10. How to Make Éclair Cake — Tags: recipes, recipe, dessert, sweet, cake, éclair, how to make éclairs, easy éclair cake, crème pâtissière, what's cooking today