Step 1

To Prepare Eclair Dough:

Step 2

Combine water and butter in a 4 quart heavy saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Once the butter has completely melted, add the flour and stir well. Continue to stir over medium heat for 2 minutes - it is important to cook it the entire 2 minutes so that the flour will cook completely. The dough will stick to the sides of the pan and then form a ball keep stirring and cooking.

Step 3

After 2 minutes, remove from the heat and place dough in bowl of an electric mixer allow to cool about 5 minutes. Then, with the machine running on low, add the salt and eggs, one at a time with time in between each addition. The dough will change in appearance from looking like scrambled eggs to a shiny batter. Continue to beat for about 2 minutes until it pulls away from the bottom or sides of the bowl.

Step 4

It now can be used for the base of the clair Cake, or to make Cream Puffs or Eclairs.

Step 5

Filling:

Step 6

Make the pudding according to package directions and chill. May be used immediately or chilled, covered up to one day before assembling cake. Thaw whipped topping in the refrigerator for 4 hours before assembling cake.

Step 7

Chocolate Sauce Topping:

Step 8

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium high heat, combine milk, butter, and salt and bring it to a boil. Combine the sugar and cocoa powder and stir to avoid any lumps, then add to the pan and continue to stir with a whisk until it boils and is thickened, at least 2 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when thickened - it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Step 9

Remove to a small bowl and cover and chill 1 hour before using. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week - bring to room temperature and stir before using.

Step 10

To make Cream Puffs or Eclairs:

Step 11

Place dough into a pastry bag with a -inch tip, or into a zip-top bag and cut off -inch on one corner. Squeeze the bag of dough into mounds for cream puffs or into 4-inch long strips for eclairs.

Step 12

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake 12 15 minutes for cream puffs or eclairs (depending on size), or for 15-18 minutes for cake base. The tops should no longer look wet and they should look lightly golden brown.

Step 13

Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven off. Use a paring knife to prick a hole in each cream puff/eclair to allow steam to escape. *This step is not necessary for the cake base.

Step 14

Return the pan to the oven with the heat off, leave the door ajar and allow to cool to room temperature.

Step 15

Spoon vanilla pudding or a home-made pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a -inch plain or star tip. Insert the tip into the same hole you made with the knife when the puffs came out of the oven. Fill the puffs/eclairs and serve immediately, drizzled with chocolate sauce topping. If not serving immediately, keep puffs uncovered in the refrigerator up to 5 hours. (Covering tightly will cause them to soften).

Step 16

To Assemble the Eclair Cake:

Step 17

Spread the dough into a greased 9 x 13-inch bake dish, pushing it into the corners and up to the sides.

Step 18

After the base has cooled completely, spoon prepared pudding into the center, smoothing evenly and pushing to the edges. Top with the whipped topping, again smoothing evenly and swirling in a decorative pattern. Drizzle with about 1/3 cup of the chocolate sauce. Cover cake lightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour before serving.