Chocolate Cream Puff Cake

1.Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

2.In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

3.Once boiling, remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

4.Let the dough cool for about 5 minutes, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.

5.Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 2-inch rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

6.Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and have risen. Do not open the oven door during baking.

7.Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

8.While the puffs are cooling, prepare the chocolate cream filling. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

9.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually add a small amount of the warm chocolate mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them. Then, pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate mixture.

10.Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature.

11.In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the whipped cream until well combined.

12.Once the cream puffs are completely cool, use a sharp knife to cut a small slit in the side of each puff. Fill a piping bag with the chocolate cream filling and pipe it into each puff until filled.

13.Arrange the filled cream puffs on a serving platter. Optionally, dust with additional powdered sugar before serving.