This cream puff cake is elegant, so simple, and is absolutely delicious. The base of the cake is exactly like a cream puff shell. It is tender and light and you don’t have to worry about individual cream puff shells that may or may not turn out. You top it off with a creamy cream cheese filling and sweetened strawberries.
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2/3 cup (3.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup (2.75 ounces) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 cups sliced, fresh strawberries
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
For the cream puff base, in a medium saucepan, bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl or into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let cool for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat with a handheld electric mixer (or with the stand mixer) until the mixture is shiny, 1-2 minutes. Don’t overbeat.
Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and 1-2 inches up the sides of the prepared pan. If it’s difficult to spread, use your fingers (wetting them with cool water lightly may help) to evenly portion the mixture into the pan and then spread with the spatula.
Bake the cream puff shell for 20-25 minutes, until just golden. Remove from the oven and prick the bottom and sides with a toothpick 10-12 times. Return to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown but not overbaked (you can insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with sticky dough, it still needs longer in the oven).
Cool completely.
For the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until mixture is smooth, another 1-2 minutes. Add the orange zest, vanilla, and whipping cream. Whip with the mixer until the mixture is thick and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
Spread the filling over the cooled cream puff shell, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Combine the strawberries and sugar and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes (or up to several hours) before serving.
To serve, pile the strawberries on top of the cake. Remove the sides of the springform pan, slice into pieces and serve. Alternately, you can slice the cake before adding strawberries and add them to each individual serving.
