Cream Puff Cake

This one?  This one almost did me in!  I'd seen the recipe a while ago, and knew we'd have company staying with us this weekend...so I made it.  It's INCREDIBLE, and is more like eating a donut than a cake. Yum!

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs

4 c milk
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
1 small container whipped topping
chocolate syrup

Crust:

Preheat oven to 400°.

In large saucepan, heat butter and water to boiling over medium-high heat.  Add flour and reduce heat to low.  Cook and stir until it balls up and pulls away from the edges of the pan.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.  Beat in eggs, one at a time...beating well after each egg.

Spread into bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool completely.

Filling:

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese (alone) until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly add the milk, and beat until combined.  Add pudding mix and beat until thickened.  Spread over cooled shell.

Top with whipped topping.  Keep refrigerated until serving.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup right before serving.

Comments from the cook:  I'd never made this kind of "crust" before, and the end result reminded me of a German Pancake.  It puffs up a WHOLE BUNCH and looks a little bit like a science experiment instead of a dessert :) 


My cream cheese was a bit lumpy when beaten (I use the 1/3 less fat kind), so I had to whip my filling for a little longer than I thought it would need had it been the full-fat version.  


And it's up to you to choose...but two of my three puddings were sugar-free/fat-free (made with skim milk), and I used light whipped topping.  The result was fantastic...and I can only imagine how much better the full calorie versions of everything would make this taste!

Originally found here, which linked it back to here (most text taken from her site).