Eclair Cake

5 from 5 votes

Eclair Cake has all the classic flavors with none of the hassle—layers of graham crackers, vanilla cream, and chocolate ganache. No baking, easy to make ahead, and totally delicious!

Prep Time25

Chilling Time8

Total Time8 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Eclair Cake

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $5.72

Equipment

9 x 13-inch baking pan

Ingredients

Eclair Cake

2 (3.4-ounce) boxes French vanilla instant pudding or regular vanilla flavor
3-1/2 cups whole milk 1% or 2% will also work
1 (8-ounce) package frozen whipped topping completely thawed (like Cool Whip)
1 (14.4-ounce) package honey graham crackers see note 1

Chocolate Topping

1-1/4 cups milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

US - Metric

Instructions

Pour the milk into a large bowl. Add in both packages of pudding mix and whisk to combine. Briskly whisk until completely smooth and no lumps remain, about 2–3 minutes. A hand mixer can be used instead of a whisk, if desired. With a spatula, gently fold in the completely thawed whipped topping until well incorporated.
Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Add a layer of whole graham crackers on the bottom of the pan. (You will likely need to break some graham crackers in half to cover the entire bottom of the pan.) Add half the pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers. I like to add big spoonfuls all over the graham crackers, then use the back of a spoon or spatula to gently spread into an even layer. This takes some patience to keep graham crackers from sliding.
Add another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding. Add the rest of the pudding mixture and again, smooth into an even layer. Add the last layer of graham crackers on top, making sure to cover all the pudding. Place cake in the fridge while preparing the ganache.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir for at least 20 seconds. Return to the microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring after each burst for 15–20 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes to slightly cool. Pour over the cake and gently spread over the graham cracker layer.
Cover bars and chill 8 hours or overnight in the fridge. This allows the pudding to thicken and to soften the graham crackers into a cake-like consistency. Let cake stand for 5 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving. Use a hot, sharp knife (run it under hot water, dry with a towel) to make cuts into the bars. Use a metal spatula to pull out bars. Serve and return any leftovers (covered tightly) to the fridge.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I usually buy 2 boxes of graham crackers since there will usually be a few graham crackers crushed up or broken to the point of not being useable in the cake.

Storage: Store leftover Eclair Cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The graham crackers will get softer over time. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this cake.

Nutrition