Description
Creamy layers of no bake chocolate eclair cake marry classic French pastry elegance with simple American comfort. Rich chocolate ganache and silky vanilla pudding create a dreamy dessert that melts hearts and delights taste buds in every cool, luxurious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Layers:
- 1 box (14.4 ounces, 408.2 grams) graham crackers (about 3 sleeves)
- 2 boxes (3.4 ounces, 96.4 grams each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups (720 milliliters) cold milk
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) whipped topping (e.g., Cool Whip)
Chocolate Topping:
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (120 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
Binding and Shine Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional, for shine)
Instructions
- Craft the luscious pudding foundation by whisking instant pudding mix with cold milk until it transforms into a velvety, thick consistency, approximately two minutes.
- Tenderly incorporate whipped topping into the pudding mixture, ensuring a smooth, airy blend without deflating the mixture.
- Select a spacious rectangular baking dish and create the first graham cracker foundation, strategically positioning whole and fractured crackers to completely blanket the bottom surface.
- Delicately distribute half the pudding mixture across the initial graham cracker layer, ensuring comprehensive and uniform coverage.
- Construct the second graham cracker stratum directly atop the pudding, meticulously arranging crackers to create a seamless surface.
- Lavish the remaining pudding mixture over the second cracker layer, spreading with gentle precision to maintain an even texture.
- Crown the dessert with a final graham cracker layer, creating a pristine canvas for the chocolate topping.
- Generate the decadent chocolate glaze by gently warming heavy cream until it reaches a subtle simmer, then cascade the heated cream over finely chopped chocolate.
- Allow the cream and chocolate to commune for two minutes, then stir until achieving a glossy, unified consistency.
- Introduce butter and optional corn syrup into the chocolate mixture, stirring until completely integrated and luxuriously smooth.
- Cascade the molten chocolate topping across the uppermost graham cracker layer, utilizing a spatula to create an immaculate, even sheen.
- Encase the dessert and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours, permitting the layers to harmonize and soften.
- When ready to serve, slice into elegant squares and present the chilled, sumptuous eclair cake.
Notes
- Swap graham crackers with gluten-free alternatives like gluten-free vanilla wafers for celiac or gluten-sensitive individuals.
- Enhance flavor by adding a layer of sliced fresh strawberries or bananas between pudding layers for extra freshness and natural sweetness.
- Use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate in the topping for a richer, less sweet ganache that appeals to more sophisticated palates.
- Reduce sugar content by selecting sugar-free pudding mix and whipped topping, making this dessert more diabetic-friendly without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg