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:
- Lemon Cake Cookies
- Best Sour Cream Cookies
- Farmhouse Lemon Bars
- Strawberry Lemonade Pie
- Angel Food Cake Dessert Trifle
Printable Cream Puff Cake Recipe
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.
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This looks yummy….what size container of Cool whip did you use? I’d like to make it.
Hi! Great question! I used an 8 ounce container and updated the instructions to be more specific. We hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do!
is it the small or large pkgs of instant pudding?
Great question! 2 small packages. Thanks!
What size package of vanilla pudding do you use? Large or small?
Great question! 2 small packages. Thanks!
It says 8 oz
Do you really use an oven temperature of 450 degrees F? If I did that, my cakes would be burnt to a crisp. Is that supposed to be 350F?
Good question! We do, but just for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat. If it starts to brown on the corners and edges you can cover with foil to finish out baking time. Just keep an eye on it while baking. Thanks for your interest!
Oh My Gosh Girl, this looks so good. I’m making one of these today. We are stuck in the house anyway, might as well cook something good……..like this
We are in the same boat! At least we can cook some good recipes! I’m adding new ones every day, so I hope you find some other good ones here :). Hope you enjoy as much as we do!
I would love ❤️ to make this recipe in an 8×8 pan. Could you suggest the necessary changes required to amounts on ingredients? TY
Great question! I haven’t tested it, but I might try to cut the recipe in half. You could also use the slider next to number of servings here in the recipe card to help you adjust the measurements. Please let me know how it turns out!
I live in a country that doesn’t have Cool Whip. We don’t have vanilla pudding either but I can get that on line. If I use regular whipped cream, how much powdered sugar should I use to sweeten it. Or, would something like a package of Dream Whip work? Thanks.
Ooops, forgot to ask: instead of making puff pastry, could I use store bought?
Hey there! Great question! I think it will be really important to use the recipe and make the cream puff crust here as opposed to purchasing a puff pastry. As long as the filling has an enjoyable creamy essence I think it will work out well, but please let me know if you give it a try!
Put the butter and water together in the same saucepan or seperate ones?
Great question! Boil the water, butter and salt together in the same saucepan. Hope you love this cake as much as we do!
The milk 3 half cups? It’s came so soupy cream sauce.
Hmm…sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work well for you. Three and a half cups really makes the pudding mixture set-up and work well for the cream filling for us.
I’ve read this recipe 4 times and I’m still confused about adding the eggs and beating (steps 3, 4 and 5). I’m not sure what I’m adding/beating the eggs to?
Hey there! Thanks so much for letting me know. I tried to be more specific with the instructions. I hope they make more sense now. Please let me know if you have trouble with them now. Hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do!
I love cream puffs and this is a much easier way to have them. What a great and tasty dessert. I used French vanila pudding to get more of a taste like a custard cream puff taste.
Do you make the pudding or just add the mix to the cream cheese?
Hey There! Great question! Mix up the pudding and then add softened, beaten cream cheese into pudding mixture. This is my favorite layer! Hope you enjoy too 🙂
I made this, and my wife and friends absolutely loved it!!! Was very easy to make, and has become a permanent addition to our favorites recipe book.
My sisters, mom, dad, and kids love this so much, and so do I!!!
Thank you for the recipe!! I always make it for the Holidays, and for Birthdays!
I followed another recipe from my mom, but YOU
have the BEST!
Thanks again!
e
Thanks so much for sharing! So glad you love this cake as much as we do 🙂
Oh my gosh! Delish! Like a cream puff but so much easier than a cream puff! My guests loved and everyone left with your recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing! This makes my day 🙂
Such a great recipe for summer everyone enjoyed and my dad asked if I could slice some banana in between the pudding and cream next time which may be good. I’ve never worked with cream puff dough before, I watched the video as that helped soo much but the middle of the cake layer of the center was good but very dense and eggy, any tips? Wondering if I didn’t beat it long enough when I added the eggs to get light airy puff texture? Any tips would be appreciated:)
You say to pour the dough into the greased dish. The cream puff dough does not pour. Do you put it in the dish and spread it evenly across the bottom? Any other way to get it evenly spread?
Thank you
Hey There! Good question – transfer the dough and use clean, wet hands to press into an even layer or use a wooden spoon. Whichever tool is easiest for you. Hope you enjoy!
I put cup of water salt and 1/2 cup butter on stove till well heated then put in large bowl put one cup flower mix together then let cool then put 4 eggs and the mixture was kind of thin baked as directed and it was a little tough
What type of flour did you use? Doesn’t state. As per one of your previous comments my mixture is runny. Does not form a ball. I used regular mixing flour and even added a additional 1/4 cup to the mixture to see if it would help. It did not. I will proceed with the directions as you stated but I do not feel I will be getting the same texture you are stating.
Hey There! We use all-purpose flour and haven’t experienced this before. I’m sorry this is happening…I’m wondering if this is a higher altitude issue or not as we live at lower altitudes?
Boil your butter and water in a pot Add flour and stir until a film shows on bottom of pot. Put mixture in electric mixer. Beat 10 minutes to cool. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Now add to baking dish. This is the correct way to make this dough.
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.