• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking Gorgeous
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us
    • Media Mentions
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cozy Soups
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cozy Soups
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Cooking Gorgeous » Recipes » Pastries & Sweets

    Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry

    Published: Jun 17, 2021 · Modified: Jan 15, 2023 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Chocolate Eclair Cake is a delicious cake made of crispy Choux Pastry filled with velvety diplomat cream, and fruits, and then topped with chocolate ganache.

    eclair cake recipe ekpa pasta tarifi

    If you are bored of sponge-based cakes and looking for something more extraordinary, our Chocolate Eclair Cake recipe is perfect for you.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry

    This delicious Chocolate Eclair Cake is a combination of giant choux pastry and diplomat cream with some bananas and strawberries.

    It is basically a big profiterole with some fruits inside, very similar to Karpatka but the pastry cream is much lighter and softer.

    a slice of chocolate eclair cake

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    Choux Pastry

    labelled picture of ingredients for ekpa cake
    • Eggs - Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before using them. They are the leavening agent for the choux pastry. It is essential to add the right amount of eggs to the dough. Adding too many eggs will make the dough too runny which will make the choux balls flat. Not adding enough eggs will make the dough too dry and the choux balls will crack.
    • Butter -  It provides richness and flavor to the dough as well as moisture. I prefer unsalted butter to be able to control the amount of salt added later.
    • Water - Make sure you measure the water correctly. You can also use milk or a combination.
    • Salt - It seasons the dough and also enhances the sweetness.
    • Sugar - It adds a slight sweetness and helps color the dough. 

    Diplomat Cream

    Labelled picture of ingredients for creme diplomat
    • Milk - I always use full-fat milk, which is sold in blue bottles in the UK. It is essential to use milk with high-fat content to achieve a rich and delicious custard which is the key element of this Chocolate Eclair Cake.
    • Sugar - Both granulated and caster sugar works great with this recipe.
    • Egg yolks - They add richness and provide structure. Some recipes call for whole eggs however I strongly advise using egg yolk only for the best texture and flavor.
    • Vanilla paste - I use vanilla bean paste or extract for deep and delicious vanilla flavor. Avoid using artificial vanilla for making pastry cream.
    • Butter - Use good quality unsalted butter. It adds shine and flavor to the pastry creme.
    • Cream - You can use either double cream/heavy cream or whipping cream to make the creme Chantilly. Make sure it is cold before whisking and keep it refrigerated until you need it. While whipping the cream you have to start on low speed and then gradually increase it. Stop beating the cream when it reaches a pipeable consistency to avoid over-whipping it.
    • Flour - I use plain flour and mix it with cornflour to thicken the pastry cream.
    • Gelatine - I prefer using gelatin powder but you can use 3 x 1.7g gelatin sheets if you prefer. If using gelatin sheets, soak them in cold water for a few minutes before you use them and squeeze the excess water gently. 

    Ganache and Decoration

    Labelled picture of ingredients for the decoration
    • Chocolate - The same as I use for Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets, Lazy Cake (Chocolate Biscuit Cake), and Moist Chocolate Cream Cake, I use 70% dark chocolate. However, feel free to use any of your preferred chocolate as long as they are for cooking.
    • Double cream - I use double cream/heavy cream to make the ganache. The reduced-fat cream wouldn't work with this recipe.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    I'm not gonna lie, same as Russian Honey Cake - Medovik and Chocolate Nutella Babka Bread, this Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry takes a bit of time and preparation.

    And it is not the easiest recipe here on this blog.

    Therefore, make sure you are diligent with the measurement and follow the steps exactly.

    To achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Pastry Cream

    The recipe for the diplomat cream is very similar to the one that I use for my delicious French Strawberry Custard Tart and Strawberry Mille Feuille.

    Place the milk and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer gently on low heat.

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar.

    the eggs, flour and cornflour are mixed to make creme diplomat for eclair cake(ekpa pasta)

    Add the cornstarch along with the flour and whisk until combined.

    mixture of flour, sugar, eggs and cornflour for making creme patisserie

    Pour about half of the simmering milk over the sugar and egg mixture, whisk well, then transfer it all back onto the saucepan. 

    Keep whisking until it boils, add the butter and vanilla extract if you are using that, then whisk for another minute before removing from the heat. 

    pastry cream is bubbling away for eclair cake(ekpa pasta)

    After removing the pan from the heat, in a small bowl, stir the gelatine powder and a little bit of cold water to dissolve it.

    Add it to the pastry creme and whisk well until dissolved and combined. 

    Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl or tray, cover with cling film touching the surface, and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.

    pastry cream is spread on a baking sheet for cooling

    Prepare the Choux Pastry

    Preheat the oven to 200° C - 390° F (fan oven). Start preparing the choux pastry while the pastry cream is cooling down.

    Preparing the choux pastries is very easy and only takes 10 minutes!

    Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add water.

    Bring to a boil, lower the heat, then add the flour, salt, and sugar all at once.

    Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated and a thick dough is turned into a ball. 

    Gently cook the dough ball for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.

    Remove from heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes before adding the eggs.

    water, flour and butter are mixed to form a dough for making choux pastry

    When the dough has cooled down, add the eggs bit by bit, mixing well after each time until the eggs are totally incorporated.

    You can do that stage with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.

    adding the eggs into dough using a mixer

    Stop adding the eggs when you reach the right texture which is shiny, thick, and smooth with a pipeable consistency. 

    You might end up with some left eggs which you can use to eggwash the pastries.

    choux pastry is ready to be piped

    Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a large round nozzle attachment.

    Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Using a pen, draw a circle size of 25 cm (10") Ø on each tray.

    Pipe one 23 cm (9") Ø circle and two 5 cm (2") mounds on each tray. You should have 2 flat large and 4 small choux pastries in total.

    choux pastry dough is piped on a tray

    Cook for 20 mins in a 200° C - 390° F preheated fan oven until golden brown then turn the heat down to 150° C - 300° F.

    Cook for another 10 minutes then remove the small balls from the oven.

    Continue cooking the larger circles for another 15 minutes.

    Remove the trays from the oven and let the pastries cool down while preparing the diplomat cream.

    Prepare the Diplomat Cream

    Once the pastry cream has cooled down, start whipping the cold double cream or whipping cream until you reach stiff peaks.

    cream is whisked until stiff

    Whisk the pastry cream to loosen it in a large bowl.

    Gently fold the whipped cream in 3 or 4 times. Transfer into a piping bag with a large round nozzle.

    Prepare the Chocolate Ganache

    I prefer using dark chocolate (at least 50% cacao) for this cake but you can customize it to your taste and make it with milk or white chocolate.

    Chop the chocolate into small pieces using a serrated knife and place in a medium heat-proof bowl. 

    Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer making sure it's not boiling.

    Pour over the chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.

    the warm cream is poured on chocolate

    Stir until completely combined and the chocolate has melted with a metal spoon or rubber spatula.

    The finer the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. 

    Start assembling the cake before the chocolate starts to set.

    cream and chocolate are whisked until smooth and shiny

    Assemble the Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry

    One of the kitchen tools you might find useful to assemble this cake is a 25 cm (10") Ø springform cake tin.

    It is designed to make releasing a cake from a pan easier. It has a mechanism that loosens the walls of the cake tin, allowing you to easily unmould the cake.

    They're ideal for cakes like Eclair Cake (Ekpa Pasta), as well as Baklava Cheesecake or Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake.

    Place one layer of large choux pastry into the springform cake tin and pipe ½ of the diplomat cream on top spread it, and even out the surface with a spatula or a butter knife.

    Place the bananas and strawberries on top of the diplomat cream.

    Split open the 4 small choux pastries, dip them in the chocolate ganache then place them on top of the fruits.

    choux pastry is dipped in chocolate ganache

    Continue this step until you create a layer of chocolate-dipped choux pastries.

    Chocolate dipped choux pastries

    On top of the small choux pastries, pour in ⅔ of the chocolate ganache.

    pouring the chocolate ganache on choux pastries

    Pipe the other ½ of the diplomat cream on top spread it and even out the surface with a spatula or a butter knife.

    ½ of the diplomat cream is piped on choux pastries

    Place the second large choux pastry on top of the diplomat cream and pour the rest ⅓ of the chocolate ganache on top.

    the second large choux pastry is placed on diplomat cream

    Refrigerate it overnight until it sets then remove the ring carefully before serving.

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • Line your springform cake tins side with silicon paper before starting to build the cake. It will make it much easier to remove the cake from the tin.
    • When making the batter for the choux pastry, add the beaten egg a little at a time until the consistency described above is reached. You might not need all the eggs stated in the recipe.
    • When the pastry cream starts boiling, cook it for another minute before removing it from the heat.
    • The pastry cream should have cooled down enough to not melt the whipped cream when added, but not cooled so much that it will have completely set. 
    • When making the chocolate ganache, don't let the cream boil, let it gently simmer before adding the chocolate pieces.
    • While whipping the cream you have to start on low speed and then gradually increase it. Stop beating the cream when it reaches a pipeable consistency to avoid over-whipping it.
    • When adding the whipped cream to your pastry cream, add it gradually and fold it gently together until nicely combined.

    Recipe FAQs

    Why did my choux pastry not rise?

    There might be two reasons for that. The first reason is that you added the eggs before the flour mixture totally cooled down. That would cook the eggs and your pastry wouldn't rise.
    The second reason is that you added too many eggs. Add the beaten egg a little at a time until the consistency described above is reached. You might not need all the eggs stated in the recipe.

    Why is my diplomat cream too soft?

    There might be a few reasons for that.
    The first reason is that you didn't cook pastry cream long enough before adding the gelatin. When the pastry cream starts boiling, cook it for another minute before removing it from the heat.
    The second reason is that you didn't let the pastry cream cool down enough before adding the whipped cream. The pastry cream should have cooled down enough to not melt the whipped cream when added, but not cooled so much that it will have completely set. 
    And the last reason is that you added the whipped cream too fast, all in one go. When adding the whipped cream to your pastry cream, add it gradually and fold it gently together until nicely combined.

    Can I use milk chocolate for the ganache?

    Yes, you can use milk chocolate for the ganache. If you want to make your ganache with milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate, use 280 grams of milk chocolate and 120 ml of cream.

    Related Recipes

    For other delicious cake recipes why not try:

    • a slice of Russian honey cake
      Medovik - Russian Honey Cake
    • super moist chocolate cake with cream
      Moist Chocolate Cream Cake
    • Easy Apple Crumb Cake
    • blueberry crumble cake recipe
      Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this scrumptious Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooking Gorgeous

    a slice of eclair cake(ekpa pasta)

    Chocolate Eclair Cake with Choux Pastry

    Ayla Clulee
    This Chocolate Eclair Cake is a delicious cake made of crispy Choux Pastry filled with velvety diplomat cream, and fruits, and then topped with chocolate ganache.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine French, Mediterranean
    Servings 10 pieces
    Calories 694 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Cuisinart mixer
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 Saucepan
    • 1 piping nozzles
    • 1 springform cake tin

    Ingredients
     
     

    Choux Pastry

    • 100 g unsalted butter
    • 250 ml water
    • 150 g strong flour
    • 5 g sugar
    • 5 g salt
    • 250 g eggs (4-6 eggs)

    Diplomat Cream

    • 650 ml full fat milk (whole milk)
    • 150 g caster sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
    • 30 g corn starch
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 60 g butter
    • 1 ½ teaspoon gelatin powder
    • 400 ml double cream or whipping cream

    Chocolate Ganache

    • 200 g dark chocolate (%50 cacao)
    • 200 ml double cream, whipping cream or heavy cream
    • 1 large banana (sliced)
    • 400 g strawberries (tips removed and cut in halves)

    Instructions
     

    Making the Pastry Cream

    • Place the milk and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer gently on low heat.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar. Add the cornstarch along with the flour and whisk until combined.
    • Pour about half of the simmering milk over the sugar and egg mixture, whisk well, then transfer it all back onto the saucepan.
    • Keep whisking until it boils, add the butter and vanilla extract, then whisk for another minute before removing from the heat. 
    • In a small bowl, stir the gelatine powder and a little bit of cold water to dissolve it. 
    • Add it to the pastry creme and whisk well until dissolved and combined. 
    • Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl or tray, cover with cling film touching the surface, and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.

    Making the Choux Pastries

    • Start preparing choux pastries while the pastry cream is cooling down.
    • Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F) fan oven.
    • Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add water.
    • Bring it to a boil, lower the heat then add the flour, salt, and sugar all at once.
    • Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated and a thick dough turned into a ball.
    • Gently cook the dough ball for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.
    • Remove from heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes before adding the eggs.
    • When the dough has cooled down, add the eggs bit by bit, mixing well after each time until the eggs are totally incorporated. You can do that stage with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.
    • Stop adding the eggs when you reach the right texture which is shiny, thick, and smooth with a pipeable consistency. You might end up with some left eggs which you can use to eggwash the pastries.
    • Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a large round nozzle attachment.
    • Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Using a pen, draw a circle size of 25cm (10") Ø on each tray.
    • Pipe one 23 cm (9") Ø circle and two 5 cm (2") mounds on each tray. You should have 2 flat large and 4 small choux pastries in total.
    • Cook for 20 mins in a 200° C (390° F) preheated fan oven until golden brown then reduce the heat to 150° C (300° F).
    • Cook for another 10 minutes then remove the small balls from the oven. Continue cooking the larger circles for another 15 minutes.
    • Remove the trays from the oven and let the pastries cool down while preparing the diplomat cream.

    Making the Diplomat Cream

    • Once the pastry cream has cooled down, start whipping the cold double cream or whipping cream until you reach stiff peaks.
    • Whisk the pastry cream to loosen it in a large bowl, then gently fold the whipped cream in 3 or 4 times. Transfer into a piping bag with a large round nozzle.

    Preparing the Chocolate Ganache

    • Chop the chocolate into small pieces using a serrated knife and place in a medium heat-proof bowl.
    • Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer making sure it's not rapidly boiling.
    • Pour over the chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
    • Stir until completely combined and the chocolate has melted with a metal spoon or rubber spatula. The finer the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream.
    • Start assembling the cake before the chocolate starts to set.

    Assembling the Chocolate Eclair Cake

    • Line your 25 cm (10") Ø springform cake tins side with silicon paper. (It will make it much easier to remove the cake from the tin).
    • Place one layer of large choux pastry into the cake tin, pipe ½ of the diplomat cream on top spread it, and even out the surface with a spatula or a butter knife. 
    • Place the bananas and strawberries on top of the diplomat cream.
    • Split open the 4 small choux pastries, dip them in the chocolate ganache then place them on top of the fruits.
    • Continue this step until you create a layer of chocolate-dipped choux pastries.
    • On top of the small choux pastries, pour in ⅔ of the chocolate ganache.
    • Pipe the other ½ of the diplomat cream on top spread it and even out the surface with a spatula or a butter knife.
    • Place the second large choux pastry on top of the diplomat cream and pour the rest ⅓ of the chocolate ganache on top.
    • Refrigerate overnight until it sets then remove the ring carefully before serving.

    Notes

    • Line your springform cake tins side with silicon paper before starting to build the cake. It will make it much easier to remove the cake from the tin.
    • When making the batter for the choux pastry, add the beaten egg a little at a time until the consistency described above is reached. You might not need all the eggs stated in the recipe.
    • When the pastry cream starts boiling, cook it for another minute before removing it from the heat.
    • The pastry cream should have cooled down enough to not melt the whipped cream when added, but not cooled so much that it will have completely set. When adding the whipped cream to your pastry cream, add it gradually and fold it gently together until nicely combined.
    • If you want to make your ganache with milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate, use 280 grams of milk chocolate and 120 ml of cream.
    • While whipping the cream you have to start on low speed and then gradually increase it. Stop beating the cream when it reaches a pipeable consistency to avoid over-whipping it.
    • When making the chocolate ganache, don't let the cream boil, let it gently simmer before adding the chocolate pieces.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 694kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 12gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 282mgSodium: 379mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 4gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 1656IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 175mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    « Turkish Moussaka - Patlıcan Musakka
    Spicy Egg Fried Rice »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve tried this recipe twice ..and it turned out so delicious and moist both times. This is the perfect recipe.

      Reply
    2. Patty R

      February 09, 2023 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      I am so excited to find this recipe and will be making soon. I do have a question, though. Could I make this entirely as directed, then wrap and freeze? I want to make it for my Mother’s 96th birthday and have to travel with it.

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        February 09, 2023 at 3:17 pm

        Hi Patty, I am glad to hear you like my recipe! It is a family favorite that I make often.
        You can freeze it but the strawberries would lose their texture and the banana would be discolored. It would still taste amazing though.
        Another alternative is to leave the cake in the tin and place it in a cooling food-carrying bag. I did it a couple of times and the cake was still ok after 2.5 hours of traveling.
        Hope that helps.
        Ayla x

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

    More about me →

    Soup Recipes

    • Greek Chicken Lemon Soup - Avgolemono
    • Arpa Şehriye Çorbası - Turkish Orzo Soup
    • Turkish Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Çorbası
    • Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe
    • Moroccan Harira Lamb and Chickpeas Soup
    • chicken and dumpling soup served in a bowl
      Easy Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • FAQs

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Cooking Gorgeous

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.