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This Cream Puff Cake turns everything you love about a cream puff into an easy 9×13 dessert, with a tender choux pastry crust, a creamy vanilla pudding filling, and a fluffy whipped topping finished with chocolate and caramel. I make it for potlucks and birthdays because it feeds a crowd and disappears fast. It is just as crowd-pleasing as our key lime eclair cake.
Bake the pastry base, layer on the cream, and chill for a bakery-worthy dessert that feeds a crowd.
Cream Puff Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 296kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy, light, vanilla, and chocolatey
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Woolworth icebox cake
Quick Answer
To make cream puff cake, first make a choux pastry crust by boiling butter, water, sugar, and salt, stirring in flour until a ball forms, then beating in eggs one at a time. Spread the dough in a 9×13 pan and bake at 400 degrees until golden, then cool completely. Whip cream cheese until smooth, beat in milk and instant vanilla pudding, fold in mini chocolate chips, and spread it over the crust. Top with whipped topping, chill for at least two hours, then drizzle with chocolate and caramel before serving.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- An easy choux pastry crust. The same dough used for cream puffs bakes into a light, golden base right in a 9×13 pan, no piping required.
- A no-cook creamy filling. Cream cheese, milk, and instant pudding whip into a thick, smooth filling with no stovetop custard to make.
- Layers of texture. Crisp-tender pastry, creamy pudding, and airy whipped topping give every bite contrast.
- Feeds a crowd. Made in a 9×13 dish, it serves 15, making it perfect for parties, potlucks, and holidays.
- Make-ahead friendly. It needs to chill anyway, so you can assemble it hours ahead and just add the drizzle before serving.
- That chocolate-caramel finish. Mini chocolate chips in the filling plus a chocolate and caramel drizzle on top make it feel extra special.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It has all the flavor of a cream puff in an easy, sliceable 9×13 cake.
- The choux crust bakes right in the pan, with a no-cook creamy pudding filling on top.
- It is a crowd-pleasing layered dessert, like our banana icebox cake.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples and a box of instant pudding come together into this impressive layered cake.
- Butter, water, flour, and eggs: The four ingredients that make the light, golden choux pastry crust.
- Cream cheese: Whipped smooth, it gives the filling a rich, tangy base that holds its shape.
- Instant vanilla pudding and milk: They thicken the filling quickly with no cooking required.
- Mini chocolate chips: Folded into the filling for little bursts of chocolate in every bite.
- Whipped topping and drizzles: Fluffy whipped topping plus chocolate syrup and caramel sauce finish the cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this cream puff cake your own with a few easy twists.
- Change the pudding: Use chocolate, cheesecake, or banana cream pudding in place of vanilla.
- Add fruit: Layer sliced strawberries or bananas over the filling, like in our dirt cake cups.
- Switch the drizzle: Use only chocolate, only caramel, or add a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Make it nutty: Sprinkle toasted almonds or chopped pecans over the top.
- Use homemade whipped cream: Swap the whipped topping for sweetened homemade whipped cream if you prefer.
How to Make Cream Puff Cake
- Boil the butter, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir off the heat until a smooth dough ball forms.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time with a hand mixer until fully incorporated and glossy.
- Spread the dough into a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 32 to 35 minutes until golden, then cool completely.
- Whip the cream cheese until smooth, beat in the milk and vanilla pudding until thick, then stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- Spread the cream filling evenly over the cooled choux pastry crust.
- Top with the whipped topping, chill for at least two hours, then drizzle with chocolate and caramel and garnish with chocolate chips before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cool the crust completely before adding the filling, or the whipped layers will melt and slide.
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully mixing each in before the next so the dough stays smooth and glossy.
- Use cold milk with the instant pudding so the filling sets up thick and creamy.
- Chill for at least two hours so the layers firm up and slice cleanly.
- Drizzle just before serving so the chocolate and caramel look fresh, like the topping on our tiramisu.
- Wipe your knife between cuts for the neatest squares when serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This cream puff cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at potlucks, birthday parties, holidays, and barbecues. Slice it into squares and serve it chilled, straight from the pan, with extra chocolate and caramel drizzle on top. It pairs perfectly with coffee or a cold glass of milk, and looks beautiful on a dessert table next to our key lime eclair cake.
Because it feeds 15, it is ideal for a hungry crowd, and the make-ahead nature means one less thing to do the day of your party. Garnish each plate with a few mini chocolate chips or fresh berries for a pretty finish.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, keeping the drizzle fresh by adding more as needed. For another easy, layered crowd dessert, try our pistachio pudding dessert next.
Cream Puff Cake FAQs
Cream puff cake has three main layers. The bottom is a baked choux pastry crust made from butter, water, flour, and eggs, the same dough used for cream puffs and eclairs. The middle is a creamy filling of whipped cream cheese, milk, and instant vanilla pudding with mini chocolate chips. The top is fluffy whipped topping finished with a chocolate and caramel drizzle.
Yes, and it actually needs to chill for at least two hours, so making it ahead is ideal. Assemble the cake through the whipped topping layer, cover it, and refrigerate for up to a day. Add the chocolate and caramel drizzle and any garnishes just before serving so they look fresh and the layers stay neat.
Store cream puff cake covered in the refrigerator, where it keeps well for up to 3 days. Because of the cream cheese and pudding filling, it should always stay chilled and not sit at room temperature for more than about two hours. The choux crust softens slightly over time but the cake stays delicious.
Choux pastry relies on eggs and steam to puff, so make sure you boil the butter and water fully, cook the flour into a smooth ball, and beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy. For this cake, the crust is meant to be spread flat in a pan, so it bakes into a tender golden base rather than a tall puff. Cool it completely before adding the filling so it does not get soggy.
Freezing is not recommended because the pudding and whipped topping layers can become watery and separate once thawed, and the choux crust loses its texture. Cream puff cake is best made fresh and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you want to prep ahead, bake and freeze just the crust, then assemble the rest when ready.
Instant vanilla pudding is the classic choice and gives the filling a smooth, sweet, vanilla flavor that lets the chocolate chips and drizzle shine. You can swap in cheesecake, white chocolate, or banana cream pudding for a different twist. Just be sure to use instant pudding, not the cook-and-serve kind, so the filling sets up quickly with cold milk.
Love an easy crowd-pleasing dessert? Try our key lime eclair cake next for another no-fuss layered treat.
For more easy cake, try our caramel apple dump cake.
Add our oatmeal cream pie ice cream bars to your summer dessert table.
Add our funfetti earthquake cake to your dessert table.
Cream Puff Cake
Ingredients
For the dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
For the filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 3.4 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips divided
For the topping
- 8 ounces whipped topping thawed
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray, set aside.
- Place the butter, water, sugar, and salt into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the flour, take off the heat and stir until a ball forms, about 2-3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Place the mixture into a large bowl, add the eggs one at a time and mix it in using a hand mixer, make sure it’s fully incorporated until adding the next egg.4 large eggs
- Add the dough to the baking dish and smooth it out on the bottom of the dish. I found lightly moistening my fingers and pressing it down into the pan makes it easier to spread.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the crust cools, make the filling by whipping the cream cheese in the body of a stand mixer until smooth with the paddle attachment.8 ounces cream cheese
- Slowly add in the milk until combined.2 1/2 cups whole milk
- Add the vanilla pudding, stir in until just combined. Scrape the sides. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.2 3.4 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- Pour this into the crust and smooth it out.
- Top with the whipped topping and smooth the top.8 ounces whipped topping
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least two hours to set. Add chocolate sauce, caramel syrup, and remaining chocolate chips for garnish.¼ cup chocolate syrup, ¼ cup caramel sauce
Notes
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you stir in the flour, just keep going until a smooth ball forms. Overmixing can lead to a dense crust.
- Add the Eggs One at a Time: This helps the dough absorb each egg fully, giving your crust that airy, puffy result.
- Chill the Filling: Let your pudding mixture cool a bit (or at least stay at room temperature) before spreading it over the crust, so it sets evenly.
- Use Cold Milk: When making the pudding, cold milk helps set it faster, leading to a firmer filling.
- Wait for the Crust to Cool: If the crust is still warm, your creamy filling can melt and become runny. Patience, my friend, is key!
- Slice with a Sharp Knife: A clean, sharp knife helps you cut neat squares without squishing the layers together.
Nutrition
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