Have you heard about éclair cake? I didn’t until I came across with America’s Test Kitchen‘s new cookbook Cooking at home with Bridget and Julia. And oh my! How I missed such a wonderful dessert!
My lovely friend, America’s Test Kitchen, released a new cookbook written by its masters Bridget and Julia. They share their favorite recipes that they cook at home time and time again. “The process of choosing and writing about these recipes has led us on an interesting journey because the recipes we love are connected to how and where we were raised, where we have traveled, and what we like to cook for our husbands and children,” said Bridget and Julia.
For a mother who cooks and bakes every day, I will have to say this cookbook is very close to my heart. What I love about this book is like what Bridget and Julia said, “Cooking for us is about feeding family and friends.”
And I’m also very happy that the ladies have a sweet tooth, and introduced me to éclair cake, a trifle made with vanilla pudding, graham crackers and top with a layer of chocolate ganache. This is such a spectacular no-bake dessert – no oven required and no baking skills required. Just mix, layer and chill! Such a straightforward and easy-peasy dessert recipe! And look at how pretty it is. Perfect for holiday celebrations and casual entertaining.
Bridget and Julia have been teaching their television fans how to cook for 17 years. In their very first book, these down-to-earth experts share their all-time favorite test kitchen recipes, from weeknight meals to celebration dishes. I’m excited to give away a copy of this inspiring cookbook to one lucky reader, thanks to America’s Test Kitchen. Simply leave me a comment below telling me one of your family’s favorite dishes before November 18, 2017 (Saturday) midnight PST. You can also tag a friend, follow Oh Sweet Day! and follow America’s Test Kitchen on Instagram for extra entries. One lucky winner will be selected at random and announced on this post.
*** Congratulations to Lydia Schuster , the winner of Cooking at Home with Bridget & Julia by America’s Test Kitchen. Thank you all for participating! ***
Ingredients (one loaf cake):
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
16 graham crackers, divided
50 grams dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
Directions:
Line a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all sides.
To prepare vanilla pudding, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk milk into sugar mixture until smooth and bring to boil, scraping bottom of pan with heat-resistant rubber spatula, over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and cook, continuing to scrape bottom, until thickened and large bubbles appear on surface, 4 to 6 minutes.
Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla.
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip 1 cup cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Add gelatin mixture and whip until stiff peaks from, about 1 minute.
Whisk half whipped cream into chilled pudding, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream, until combined.
To assemble, place a single layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the prepare pan, breaking as needed to fit in. Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding mixture. Finish with a final layer of graham crackers.
Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Microwave chocolate and the remaining cream on high power for 10 seconds. Stir until smooth. Let glaze cool slightly.
Using the plastic overhang to unmold the cake. Pour the ganache over the chilled cake. Use a spatula to quickly push the ganache over the edges of the cake and let it drip down to create the drip effect.
43 comments
I have one in my fridge now. But I go the easy way and use French vanilla instant pudding and cool whip. So much faster. I have been making this for years. It’s the only dessert I don’t do from scratch
I have been makingng this for years too. Iam about to make a lemon eclair cake…YMMMM!
Who needs to waste so much paper for a recipe? I am delighted to have a lovely photo (one is really enough) but why can’t you provide only the recipe and not the entire article?
Trying to print this recipe resulted in 15 pages of address/title line and nothing else. A print button would be nice. Won’t use this sight again.
The print button is just right at the bottom of the recipe, in between the email and more buttons. Just printed out the recipe to test, everything looks good. :)
Videos would be great.
Looks like a typo for the salt amount
Pretty sure you’re correct. The Chocolate Eclair Cake recipe (June/July 2011) calls for 5 cups of milk and 2 3/4 cups of heavy cream with only 1 teaspoon of salt.
Oops! It should be 1/2 teaspoon. Thanks!
What a beautiful cake! I am looking forward to making it. Should the recipe be 5 cups milk, 2 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 tsp salt or 2 1/2 cups milk, 11/4 cups of whipping cream and 1/2 tsp salt, Thanks!
Hi Filomena, you are right. That’s the portion from the cookbook. I simply halved everything to make a smaller cake. :)
Do you serve it frozen?
I believe it’s another typo. The Chocolate Eclair Cake recipe (June/July 2011) directs that the cake be refrigerated for “6 to 24 hours. (Éclair cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)”
I’d also point out that the “Why This Recipe Works” section of the Chocolate Eclair Cake recipe states: [w]ith a couple of easy techniques (a quick stovetop pudding, whipped cream, and a microwave-and-stir glaze) and very little active time, we produced a from-scratch version that easily trumped its inspiration. This exact statement is also used in the initial page that links to this recipe. The recipe also says to pour the ganache over the chilled cake.
That said, in looking at the pictures again, it very well have been frozen based upon how the clean the slices are and the creases along the dessert caused by the plastic wrap. If so, it seems to me that one wouldn’t need to use gelatin to help it retain it shape.
Yes Kay! If you decide to make a cake that I did, it’s better to serve frozen to keep its shape. Otherwise it’s wise to just keep it in the fridge if you make it in a pan like the cookbook. :)
I made it for Mother’s Day and served it frozen, as suggested. It tasted flavorless and had ice crystals. I recommend serving chilled, but not frozen. Although it’s a beautiful presentation, we were disappointed with the taste.
Love how beautiful and festive this cake looks!
Stunning! This cake looks so beautiful! I love Test Kitchen! I would love to have this cookbook. My family’s favorite dish is my dad’s beef stew!
Beautiful cake! Our favorite dish is home-made cinnamon rolls!
The pomegranate seeds are a brilliant touch!
Quiche!
We love eclair cake! we make the less sophisticated version in lieu of a birthday cake. :)
One of my family’s all-time favourite dishes is an apple crumble.
What a stunning dessert! So beautiful! I need this cookbook to make this cake! My family’s favorite dessert is tiramisu!
Our family loves the Victoria sponge cake and it has become the whole neighborhood’s favorite as well. Thank you for the amazing recipes and presentations that fuels my baking.
I have made a similar version of this dessert, but your presentation elevates it to a ***** level. I watch America’s Test Kitchen regularly and admire these two ladies – I would love a copy of their book. One of our favourite family meals is a meat crepe torte – a tribute to my husband’s late aunt.
I have made a similar version of this, but your presentation elevates this simps delicious dessert to a ***** level. One of our favourite meals is a meat crepe torte – a tribute to my husband’s late aunt. (I watch America’s Test Kitchen regularly and would love these ladies’ book).
My mom used to make the fluffiest pancakes. I love AmericanTest Kitchen’s recipes! Need this book!
Our family loves my mother’s pumpkin cheesecake!
My family’s favorite is probably my chilies rellenos – they are a labor of love, but worth it.
We have some Thanksgiving recipes that we enjoy every year, and that is probably my family’s favorite meal of the year.
My family love broccoli beef served over rice! And that, that is a gorgeous cake!!!
Chinese hotpot with family and friends!
One of my family’s favorite dishes is my granny’s lasangna!
Meatballs!
I ate kofteh berenzi (Persian rice meatball) for the first time about 12 years ago when I marry to my husband, I learn how to make that myself .. and since than kofteh always become popular food among friends and relative when we throw party
My favorite recipe is Hungarian stuffed cabbage.i could not imagine the holidays without it!
My mom makes some amazing cabbage rolls. I’m the baker of the family. So excited Christmas is coming!
This is the season to celebrate and this cake is simply perfect! This beautiful cake reminds me of one of my family’s favorite cakes – tiramisu.