Chocolate Eclair Cake

My aunt brings this every year to Thanksgiving dinner, and there is all but a fist fight to get the first, and last piece. One year, I killed my twin just for looking at the cake longingly. To this day we do not speak of him in my family, going so far as to claim I never had a twin and that I am making this story up. To those of you who claim that chocolate eclair cake is not worthy of grizzly siblicide using a pie server, it is obvious that you have never had this cake.

Another wonderful thing about this cake is that it is so easy to make. There is no baking, which is my kind of cake. My aunt gave me the recipe to this cake, and I decided to start making it with my favorite ingredient, heavy cream. The use of heavy cream makes the filling like pastry cream, and the ganache icing is actually much easier to make than normal icing. The recipe here is for a 8 1/2 inch square dish.

CHOCOLATE ECLAIR CAKE:

3 packets instant vanilla pudding ($0.49 each)
51.25 oz. heavy cream ($1.89 per 16 oz)
7.2 oz graham crackers ($1.49 per 14.4 oz. box)
3.5 oz dark chocolate ($1.89 per 4.5 oz)

Combine the instant pudding mix with 5 3/4 cups (47.75 oz) heavy cream. beat on low for a few minutes or until proper consistency is achieved. Set aside beater for licking (this is a very important step). This is more liquid than is suggested for a filing on the box, but when you beat the cream and pudding mix it will become firmer than if you use milk. When the pudding is ready, line the bottom of the dish with graham crackers. You may have to break some of them up for full coverage. Spread 1/3 of the pudding on the graham crackers. Alternate layers of pudding and graham crackers until you run out of pudding (your last layer should be pudding).

Place the cake in the fridge while you prepare the ganache. Break the chocolate up into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl (I used the dark chocolate bars, but you could use any chocolate you wanted, like chocolate chips). Heat the cream over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk to combine. Let the ganache cool at room temperature for a bit and then just pout it on the cake and spread. If you let the ganache cool too much it will become more difficult to spread. Set aside ganache bowl for licking.

There you have it. You have now made a dish that will both satiate your family's sweet tooth and inspire them to commit great acts of violence against one another. It's a win/win.