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chocolate éclair cake
Carli Christiansen

Chocolate Éclair Icebox Cake

This simple, no bake dessert with layers of graham crackers, creamy filling, and chocolate ganache is perfect for gatherings with family and friends.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
chilling time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups milk I would use either 2% or whole milk
  • 1 5.1 oz box vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 1 8 oz brick cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 and ½ cups cold heavy cream see notes
  • 28 graham crackers see notes
For the ganache
  • 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 cup heavy cream if using whipping cream, reduce to ¾ cup.

Equipment

  • 1 9x13 baking pan
  • either a stand or hand mixer

Method
 

For the Filling
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), combine 3 cups cold milk with the instant pudding mix. Mix on low or medium until very smooth. Place bowl in the fridge for 3-5 minutes for the pudding to set up a little bit.
  2. Take the bowl out of the fridge, put back on to the stand mixer (obviously you won't have to do this for a hand mixer).
  3. Add 8 oz room temperature cream cheese to the pudding, and mix on low or medium speed until mostly combined. The cream cheese will incorporate more when the cream is whipped.
  4. To your pudding and cream cheese mixture, add 1 and ½ cups of heavy cream. Whip on medium to high speed for about 5 minutes, or until cream has thickened considerably, and you have a thick, smooth filling.
For the Ganache
  1. Chop or break 8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking chocolate, but whatever you have will be fine) into small pieces and place in a small mixing bowl.
  2. On the stove, heat 1 cup heavy cream until you see steam and just a few tiny bubbles, stirring occasionally. I do not recommend heating the cream in the microwave. The ganache always comes out thinner when I use the microwave.
  3. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate, and let it stand for 5 minutes, or as long as it takes you to assemble the cake. Whisk until smooth.
Assembly
  1. Place 1 layer of graham crackers on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. You will need to break a graham cracker and use the pieces to fill in a gap on one of the short ends of the dish.
  2. Spread half of the filling on top of the first layer of graham crackers. I recommend spreading it with an offset spatula, but anything will work.
  3. Add a second layer of graham crackers on top of the first layer of filling.
  4. Spread the remainder of the filling on top of the second layer of graham crackers.
  5. Add a third layer of graham crackers.
  6. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top, and spread all over the top with an offset spatula.
  7. Place the cake uncovered in the fridge until the chocolate cools completely, then cover with plastic wrap or tin foil and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  1. Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  2. You should be able to freeze the completely assembled cake (wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and tin foil), and thaw it in the fridge before serving. I have not tested this, but it should work.
  3. Heavy cream is very thick. I like the Kroger brand best, personally. If you are using a thinner cream (whipping cream or heavy whipping cream), reduce the amount in the ganache to ¾ cup. Do not change the amount for the filling.
  4. It is really important that the cream cheese be at room temperature. Otherwise the cream cheese will not incorporate very well into the filling.
  5. Not all 9x13 pans have the same volume. I need more graham crackers when I use my metal pan vs my glass one.