Home › Recipe List › Cake › Easy Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe
Posted by Aimee 66 comments
Published: May 31, 2024 Last Updated: May 31, 2024
Jump to Recipe
This recipe for Chocolate Eclair Cake is a classic no-bake dessert made with graham crackers, pudding, and chocolate frosting. Everyone loves this no-bake simple dessert recipe!
If you love no bake desserts, be sure to try this easy S’mores Icebox Cake. Also, my no bake cheesecake recipe is always a hit!
Why This Eclair Cake Recipe is Best
On this website, you’ll find desserts I’ve made over the years and some childhood favorites from my family.
I ate cinnamon swirl zucchini bread as a kid and have shared many other types of zucchini bread recipes.
And these Pecan Tassies were at every holiday gathering. You’ll love their buttery crust with pecan pie filling!
Today’s Eclair Cake though is the one dessert that I knew how to make at a young age. Easy enough for the kids to help make, and it tastes incredible.
Similar to our family’s dirt cake recipes, you’ll love the pudding filling!
A chocolate eclair cake is an easy, no bake dessert the resembles chocolate eclairs. Similar to a Boston Cream pie. Slightly different than my cream puff cake and cream puff desserts!
Ingredient Notes
Today’s recipe has layers of graham cracker with pudding and whipped cream filling. Topped off with a homemade chocolate frosting!
- Graham Crackers– you’ll need a whole box for this recipe!
- Pudding Mix– be sure to choose INSTANT pudding. I like french vanilla, but regular vanilla works great too!
- Milk– any variety
- Cool Whip– Use store bought whipped topping or homemade whipped cream
- Frosting- you can use canned frosting, chocolate ganache, or follow my homemade frosting recipe below!
How to Make Chocolate Eclair Cake
If you’re wondering how to make chocolate eclair cake, it is crazy easy. No messy pastry cream with this easy recipe!
Make the filling. Layer the graham crackers, pudding mixture, crackers, remaining pudding layer, and final layer of crackers. Top it with frosting.
Refrigerate cake for at least 8 hours. This is NON-negotiable. Refrigerating the cake allows the graham cracker layers to soften, which gives this dessert it’s signature flavor and texture.
Homemade Eclair Cake Frosting
STEP 1: In a small saucepan, with double boiler, combine the baking chocolate with corn syrup. Heat on medium heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
STEP 2: Add vanilla, butter, milk and powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.
STEP 3: Frost the top layer of graham crackers. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
PRO TIP: heat up a can of chocolate frosting and pour over the top of the cake! Either way works! Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips if you like!
Storage
- Store leftover cake covered in refrigerator for up to 4 days. The graham crackers will get incredibly soft, but they still taste amazing.
- Freeze eclair cake by assembling the cake in a freezer safe container (I like to use disposable foil pans). Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Instructions
I love making this cake ahead of time. Meaning you can enjoy your holiday or party stress free.
Assemble the cake up to 24 hours ahead of time. This allows you to have a delicious dessert without the mess on the day of your party!
Flavor Substitutions
- ThisStrawberry Eclair Cakecontains Cheesecake JELL-O in the filling. Plus there’s no oven needed which means it’s perfect for the warmer weather!
- This easy Banana Eclair Cake is a favorite summer treat.It consists of layers of cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla pudding, and fresh banana. The best part is, you don’t even have to bake it! To top it off, I literally topped it off a cinnamon glaze!
- I made a simple No Bake Pistachio Eclair Cake with pistachio pudding mix and chocolate frosting. You’ll enjoy this tasty dessert!
- Too hot to turn on the oven? Make a No Bake Peanut Butter Eclair cake with Reese’s and peanut butter for a delicious chocolate treat.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe
4.71 from 119 votes
By: Aimee
This Chocolate Eclair Cake recipe is an old fashioned icebox cake with layers of graham crackers, pudding, and chocolate frosting. An easy no bake dessert recipe!
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box honey graham crackers 14.4 ounce
- 2 packages instant french vanilla pudding 3.4 ounce each
- 2½ cups milk
- 12 ounce cool whip thawed
For the Frosting:
- 2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Mix pudding with milk in a medium size bowl. Fold in thawed cool whip.
Layer in a 13×9 dish: graham crackers, pudding, graham crackers, pudding, graham crackers.
For the homemade frosting, mix the baking chocolate with corn syrup in a double boiler over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla, butter, milk and powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Frost the top layer of graham crackers. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours until serving.
Notes
- You can swap out homemade frosting for one can of milk chocolate frosting. Remove lid and foil cover. Microwave 20 seconds, stir, and spread over graham crackers.
- If you can’t find french vanilla pudding mix, swap it out for instant vanilla pudding mix.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 46mg, Sugar: 12g
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
This Eclair Cake recipe is an old fashioned icebox cake with layers of graham crackers, pudding, and chocolate frosting. An easy no bake dessert recipe!
