ECLER CAKE, KARPATKA, CREAM PUFF CAKE, CARPATHIAN CAKE, CHOUX A LA CREME CAKE – A delight 😋

Are you dreaming of Paris and craving a delicious French pastry? Boy, do I have a recipe for you! This cake is basically a huge ECLER filled with delicious CRÈME MOUSSELINE. What makes this cream so delicious and a reminiscence of a pastry from the streets of Paris is not only the many egg yolks added, but also a special essence: FIORI DI SICILIA. This aroma is SUCH a delight! It’s vanilla and light citrus flavor. You can order it from the King Arthur website. It’s kind of expensive, but it will keep for a LONG time. It’s quite potent, and even if it’s a MUST, at least in MY desserts, you need just a bit, or it can get too overwhelming.
Ok, so here it is:
Are you dreaming of a Paris and craving a delicious French pastry? Boy, do I have a recipe for you! This cake is basically a huge ECLER filled with delicious CRÈME MOUSSELINE. What makes this cream so delicious and a reminiscence of a pastry from the streets of Paris is not only the many egg yolks added, but also a special essence: FIORI DI SICILIA. This aroma is SUCH a delight! It’s vanilla and light citrus flavor. You can order it from the King Arthur website. It’s kind of expensive, but it will keep for a LONG time. It’s quite potent, and even if it’s a MUST, at least in MY desserts, you need just a bit, or it can get too overwhelming.

p.s. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments section.

Ok, so here it is:

EGG YOLKS: 7
SUGAR: 1 CUP
CORN STARCH: 10 Tbsp /~100 g
MILK: 3 Cups/750 ml ( ½ cup/100ml cold- the rest heated up)
Boil on SUPER LOW HEAT for 2-3 min, until thick
Remove from heat,
Add immediately:
VANILLA 1 TBSP
FIORI DI SICILIA ¼ tsp
BUTTER: 8TBSP /115g (I used salted) Cold & cut into cubes.

Optionally, for a smooth cream, you can pass the cream through a sifter/colander.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

CHOUX DOUGH
Bring to a seamer:
WATER: 1 Cup/250 ml
BUTTER: 100g /3.6 oz (7-8 Tbsp) I use salted. If you use unsalted, please use 1/8 tsp SALT, or it will taste very bland.
ZEST FROM 1 ORANGE (or LEMON)- You can skip this, but I highly recommend it! It adds a nice flavor to the dough.
ADD all at once the flour.
FLOUR: 1 Cup /150 g (Preferable hard bread flour, but AP works too)
Turn the oven off if electric, or keep it on very low if gas, and firmly mix the dough until separates from the pan into kind of a ball.
Remove from heat and continue mixing until cools down (for about 5 min)
+
EGGS: 5
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one until incorporated.
Do not overmix after the last egg.

Divide the dough between 2 pans:
2 x 8 Inch (20 cm) Lined with parchment paper and lightly buttered under the paper- mainly for stabilizing the paper)
BAKE @ 375 for 30 min. Turn the oven off, but let it rest in the oven another 10-15 min- with door ajar)- This helps deflate and dry the baked choux.

Use a pan with removable bottom that’s the same 8in size.
Beat the cold cream until fluffy ( a few seconds)
Put the cream between the 2 layers and put the cake in the fridge for a few hours.
Dust with powder sugar right before serving and serve with a chocolate sauce or melted chocolate sauce.

ENJOY!