Cream Puff Cake
This homemade Cream Puff Cake is super EASY to make and tastes so good everyone will ask for this dessert recipe!
With a cream puff pastry like crust covered with a rich and creamy vanilla filling topped with whipped topping and drizzled with chocolate, this Cream Puff Cake is simply irresistible!
Best Cream Puff Dessert
My family loves this cake so much we’ve made it twice in the past two weeks! While it’s a toss-up between our Best Chocolate Cake from a Box Mix, Heath Bar Cake and Glazed Rum Bundt Cake this one may be a new FAVORITE cake!
A unique homemade puff pastry crust is the base layer that my husband adores. Topped with a rich and creamy pudding and cream cheese layer that is my favorite, this dessert is only made better with a layer of whipped topping and drizzled with chocolate. The cream puff cream is so good I could eat that for dessert and be satisfied.
I’m the type of dessert fan that believes more chocolate is better, so I added even more chocolate syrup to my piece of puff cake and discovered that I like a hint of chocolate more than dousing the cream in chocolate. Shocking, I know!
Whether it’s the layers in our Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars, Gooey Marshmallow Brownies or Candy Land Dessert I love when complementary flavors come together to make each bite magical. And that’s exactly what happens in the layered cream puff cake!
Easier Than a Cream Puff
Eaten with a fork instead of being handheld, this Puff Cream Cake doesn’t look the same as an individual cream puff, but it certainly doesn’t lack any flavor!
The real star of a cream puff dessert is the cream. This Creamy pudding and cream cheese-based dessert is so much quicker to make in cake form, so this recipe is truly a winner!
This Cream Puff Cake is an easy make at home version of a fancier bakery style cream puff pastry. I love cream puffs! I only get them occasionally at festivals or at one of the most famous restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus.
Sometimes family parties or banquet type meals will have mini cream puffs that are purchased from GFS, but nothing holds a candle to this homemade cream puff cake! And adding chocolate syrup makes it reminiscent of a chocolate eclair.
What is Cream Puff Filling Made Of?
My favorite layer is the instant vanilla pudding, milk and cream cheese which makes the creamy yellow cream puff filling. Add whipped topping on top for a cream puff cake that is amazing!
Tips for Making Cream Puff Cake
- Allow time for the dough to cool so that the puff layer is prepared properly.
- Allow pan and dough to cool before adding the cream filling so that cream layer can remain firm and cool.
- Cream cheese that is VERY soft will be easiest to mix, if there are small bumps know that they will not negatively affect the quality of the dessert.
- Begin with a very light drizzle of chocolate as we’ve found that less equals more.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but know that it will taste best in the first couple days.
- The dough could be prepared and frozen, but the finished dessert would not freeze well.
If you love the rich, creamy flavors in this cake check out our Old-Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. This pie recipe has similar, yet delightful flavors!
How to Make Easy Cream Puff Cake
- Boil together water, butter and salt then pour into a mixing bowl.
- Add flour and beat by hand until it forms a ball or beat for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer until very well mixed. I prefer to use an electric mixer, so a ball does not form with the beater I have, so I just take time to mix well.
- Cool for 5 to 10 minutes! The next step is adding eggs and the base of the dough needs to cool enough that the eggs don’t start cooking as soon as they hit hot dough.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
- Add eggs and beat until thick and smooth. Dough surface should have a satin sheen.
- Cool again for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer into greased pan. Use clean, wet fingers to spread out until level and bake for 15 minutes at 450°F. Corners and edges will PUFF up, this is normal.
- Prick with a knife several times (about 15 to 20 times) in the center of the puffed up part to allow air to escape.
- Reduce oven heat to 350°F and bake another 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the dough so that it doesn’t get too brown. If this happens the edges can be covered with foil, but I have not had to do this.
- Allow pan and dough to cool for 45 minutes to an hour before adding cream filling. You should not feel heat in the bottom of the pan when applying the cream layer.
- Beat softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Whisk together pudding and milk and add to cream cheese. Mix slowly at first and then beat well. Pour over baked cream puff.
- Cover with Cool Whip. Store in the refrigerator.
- Drizzle with chocolate syrup immediately before serving.
Other Easy Spring Dessert Recipes:
Cream Puff Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 3.9 oz box instant vanilla pudding 2 small packages
- 8 ounces cream cheese very soft
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping defrosted
- 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and grease a 9×13" baking pan.
- Boil together water, butter and salt. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.1 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add flour and beat by hand until it forms a ball or beat for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer until very well mixed.1 cup all-purpose flour
- Cool dough for 10 minutes.
- Add eggs to dough and beat until thick and smooth. Dough surface should have a satin sheen.4 eggs
- Cool again for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer into a greased pan and press out until flat. Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F.
- Prick with a knife about 15 times in the center that is puffed up to allow air to escape. Reduce oven heat to 350°F and bake another 20 minutes.
- Allow pan and dough to cool for about 30 – 45 minutes before adding cream filling.
- Beat softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl.8 ounces cream cheese
- Whisk together pudding and milk. Mix well. Add to cream cheese and mix slowly at first and then beat well. Pour over baked cream puff.2 3.9 oz box instant vanilla pudding, 3 1/2 cups milk
- Cover with Cool Whip and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Store in the refrigerator.8 ounces whipped topping, 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
Video
Notes
- Allow time for the dough to cool so that the puff layer is prepared properly.
- Allow pan and dough to cool before adding the cream filling so that cream layer can remain firm and cool.
- Cream cheese that is VERY soft will be easiest to mix, if there are small bumps know that they will not negatively affect the quality of the dessert.
- Begin with a very light drizzle of chocolate as we’ve found that less equals more.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but know that it will taste best in the first couple days.
- The dough could be prepared and frozen, but the finished dessert would not freeze well.
Did you make this recipe?
Follow PlowingThroughLife on Instagram and Pinterest for more! And don’t forget to leave your thoughts below.
Rate This Recipe Pin This Recipe
I’ve made this twice and it’s amazing!!! I wanted to try it with Bavarian cream vs the pudding cream cheese filling for someone who does not like cream cheese. Have you tried this? Any idea how it would turn out?
I use cheesecake pudding mix and a little less milk to keep it “less messy” and I do a fall version with pumpkin pie filling mixed in and pumpkin pie seasoning!
Can I use cook and serve pudding mix
Hey There! I don’t use cook & serve as it can melt the other ingredients if not chilled properly before mixing in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this now several times. I use a home made whip cream and home made chocolate sauce. Either way this is always a favorite when I bring it somewhere. Follow this recipe and you will not be sorry!
Can you make the crust the day before, and then finish it off the next day? If so, would you put crust in fridge?
Hey There! Yes, the crust can be made a day ahead. You can store tightly covered on the counter top or in the fridge. Hope you enjoy 🙂
This sounds delicious but why ruin it with cool whip. Elevate the dessert with real whip cream.
Can I use sugar free pudding?
Hi Beth – I haven’t tested it, but as long as it is instant pudding I think it would work fine. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do 🙂 ~Jennifer
I followed the recipe exactly and my dough is runny. I didn’t have to use my hands to spread it in the pan because it just poured right in. I checked out other recipes online and it said you were supposed to add the flour to the boiling water and cook it till thick which is not what this recipe said. I’m baking it now. Fingers crossed that I can use this because I used four eggs that I don’t want to waste.
This is a light dessert. I have gotten so many compliments.
This is amazing recipe. I could not locate mine so I looked this one up. I didn’t have vanilla instant pudding so I used white chocolate. This is really refreshing dessert. I made for my Cinco De Mayo meal.