Cream Filled Chocolate Eclairs, easy to make and great for a tea party! Freshly whipped cream inside soft choux pastry and coated in silky chocolate. These cream-filled Chocolate Eclairs are a pure delight to make and eat!
The eclairs themselves are made from a light choux pastry, the filling lovely vanilla flavored fresh whipped cream and the topping smooth and delicious chocolate.
Now, in some of the photos you'll notice I've made a caramel topping. So delicious! I also made some in round balls instead of finger shapes, so you can let your imagination fly and add any topping you like, and maybe even add some sprinkles on top if you want to make them festive for Christmas or a birthday party.
Is it hard to make eclairs?
The simple answer is no! The pastry used for eclairs is a traditional choux pastry. As you'll see from the instructions below, it's made in a saucepan, so there's no rolling out.
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The pastry is cooked in the oven and it puffs up and cooks and you're left with a very delicate pastry will a hollow space inside which is then perfect for filling with fresh whipped cream or a set custard or creme patisserie.
You can make these eclairs any size, sometimes it's nice to make them small, say finger size for tea parties, or longer for a full indulgence!
Whatever you decide, you won't be disappointed with these! They are very popular in the United Kingdom and often served during Afternoon tea with a variety of other goodies! So let's see the recipe.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Yield
12 Approx
Ingredients
The choux pastry
3 ½ Tablespoons or 50 g butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
⅔ cup or 150 ml water
⅔ cup or 75 g plain flour
2 large eggs, beaten
The filling
1 ¼ cups or 300 ml double or whipping cream
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 Teaspoons Powdered sugar
The topping
⅓ cup or 100 g plain dark chocolate, finely chopped or chocolate morsels
½ cup or 100 ml double/heavy cream
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C / 425° / Gas 7). Grease a large baking sheet.
The choux pastry mixture
2. Put the butter in a heavy-based pan with water and heat until the butter melts.
3. Bring to the boil, add the flour, then remove from the heat. Stir vigorously.
4. When a smooth paste develops, return the pan to the heat, stirring. The mixture will dry out a little and form a soft ball that comes away from the sides of the pan.
5. Remove the pan from the heat again, leave the mixture to cool slightly, then gradually add the eggs, beating really well between each egg until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
6. Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ in) plain nozzle.
7. Sprinkle the baking sheet with water (a water spray with a fine nozzle is good for this).
8. Pipe the mixture onto the baking sheet into 7.5cm (3in) lengths, leaving room between each éclair for them to spread a bit.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190°C (fan 170°C / 375°F / Gas 5) and bake for a further 20 minutes.
10. Split each éclair in half lengthways and transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
You can watch a great video here how to make the pastry. 5 minutes long.
Make the chocolate topping
1. Put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth and shiny.
2. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave the chocolate at room temperature for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is cool and thick enough to coat the éclairs without dripping off them.
Make the Cream Filling
Once the éclairs have cooled, whip the cream adding vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff then and spoon or pipe it into the bottom half of the éclairs.
Dip the top half of each éclair in the chocolate, then place on top of the whipped cream.
TOP TIP!
Wrap the unfilled choux fingers in a freezer bag, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months. Refresh them in a hot oven to crisp them up after defrosting, and then leave them to cool before filling. They are not suitable for freezing with the filling and topping.
Here I made Caramel Eclairs. First I dipped the tops of the eclairs in a simple powdered sugar & water mix, leave to set, then piped a layer of Dulce De Leche in the filling and then a layer of fresh vanilla whipped cream. Dusted off with sieved powdered sugar for a festive feel! They were delicious with the caramel inside!
Alternatively, you could make the eclairs into round balls and bake. Then to fill them, add the whipped cream, set on a wire rack and drizzle some caramel sauce over the tops as you can see in the photo below.
Here Frances made Cream puffs, by placing a Tablespoon of the mixture on the baking tray, cooking as normal, then when you remove them from the oven, pierce a hole in the puffs to let the air out and allow to cool on a rack. Then make a larger hole and pipe whipped cream in them, or cut them in half and spread the cream, and make sandwiches.
This is some I made for a 70th Birthday. Everyone really enjoyed it and thought it was a fun idea!
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Chocolate Eclairs
Cream Filled Chocolate or Caramel Eclairs, easy to make and great for a tea party!
Ingredients
The choux pastry
- 3 ½ Tablespoons or 50 g butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
- ⅔ cup or 150 ml water
- ⅔ cup or 75 g plain flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
The filling
- 1 ¼ cups or 300 ml double or whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Teaspoons Powdered sugar
The topping
- ⅓ cup or 100 g plain dark chocolate, finely chopped or chocolate morsels
- ½ cup or 100 ml double / heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C / 425° / Gas 7). Grease a large baking sheet.
The choux pastry mixture
- Put the butter in a heavy-based pan with water and heat until the butter melts.
- Bring to the boil, add the flour, then remove from the heat. Stir vigorously.
- When a smooth paste develops, return the pan to the heat, stirring. The mixture will dry out a little and form a soft ball that comes away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat again, leave the mixture to cool slightly, then gradually add the eggs, beating really well between each egg until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ in) plain nozzle.
- Sprinkle the baking sheet with water (a water spray with a fine nozzle is good for this).
- Pipe the mixture onto the baking sheet into 7.5cm (3in) lengths, leaving room between each éclair for them to spread a bit.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190°C (fan 170°C / 375°F / Gas 5) and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Split each éclair in half lengthways and transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
- You can watch a great video here how to make the pastry. 5 minutes long.
Make the chocolate topping
- Put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth and shiny.
- Remove the bowl from the pan and leave the icing at room temperature for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is cool and thick enough to coat the éclairs without dripping off them.
Make the Cream FIlling
- Once the éclairs have cooled, whip the cream adding vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff then and spoon or pipe it into the bottom half of the éclairs.
- Dip the top half of each éclair in the icing, then place on top of the whipped cream.
TOP TIP!
- Wrap the unfilled choux fingers in a freezer bag, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months. Refresh them in a hot oven to crisp them up after defrosting, and then leave them to cool before filling. They are not suitable for freezing with the filling and topping.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g
English Afternoon Tea Ideas
Here's a selection of delicious recipes you can make for an English Afternoon Tea
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Tiffin is a delicious American twist on the classic British Tiffin chocolate snack, made up of peanut butter, jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate and raisins. An easy no bake sweet chocolate bar recipe.
Strawberry and Lemon Loaf Cake.
A deliciously soft and fluffy strawberry loaf cake bursting with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Flavourful, with a tender, soft texture. An easy, popular cake recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is a delicious dessert with fresh blueberries and a tangy, creamy lemon cheesecake filling on a crunchy cookie base. An easy no bake dessert.
Mini Almond Pastries.
These Mini Almond Pastries have a deliciously smooth, sweet, almond paste filling and are wrapped in crispy, light puff pastry. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a tea time treat.
Classic English Cherry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
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Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
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Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.
Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Hearts, a creamy no bake fruity cheesecake recipe using fresh strawberries in the filling and topping. A great dessert for Valentine's Day or a Summer party.
Strawberry and Lemon Angel Food Cake. Strawberry and lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy sponge type cake, sandwiched with lemon whipped cream and fresh strawberries. An easy recipe for a no fat cake. The best homemade angel cake recipe, perfect for dessert
Easy Vanilla Slices. Creamy custard sandwiched between sheets of crispy puff pastry make for a nice chilled treat perfect for any occasion.
Sausage and Red Onion Chutney Rolls are so delicious! Easy to make, freezer friendly and great for snacks, lunchboxes and parties!
Spinach and Feta Galette, a delicious open pastry savory pie filled with Greek feta cheese creamy spinach and tomatoes, then baked until set. Great served warm or chilled.
Delicious Shrimp or Salmon Vol Au Vents, Mini Puff Pastry Cups. These are very easy to make and great for parties as canapes, appetizers, and snacks. Perfect to make ahead too!
Classic Lemon Tart, Tarte Au Citron.
A delicious tangy lemon tart, made from scratch using buttery pastry and filled with a creamy rich fresh lemon filling
Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Traditional English Tea Loaf
Delicious tea-soaked dried fruits fill this soft, moist, sweet bread. Traditionally served with a spread of butter alongside afternoon tea.
Coconut Tarts! These are a wonderful little tart, filled with a moist coconut egg custard filling. Great for the family and if you're making these for a party, be sure to make plenty! Freezer friendly too!
Classic English Scones.
Quick and Easy to make moist, light, and fluffy! Step by step instructions to make perfect scones. Serve for High Tea or Afternoon Tea
How To Make Orange Or Clementine Curd. Orange or clementine curd is a sweet, thick condiment, easy to make from scratch. Using just four ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly on your stovetop. Use it anything from scones for breakfast to desserts.
Classic English Rhubarb Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Classic English Strawberry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Lana Janoski
says:Since when are eclairs made with whipped cream? That should be custard!
lovefoodies
says:Hi Lana, you can add whatever filling you wish in eclairs! I am from England and have had fresh whipped cream in eclairs in many afternoon tea shops, as well are creme patisserie. Personally I prefer fresh cream in the filling, just like when you have a cream tea in an English Tea room! I think you will find many recipes and interpretations will vary depending on where in the world you live or are from! Please don’t let the fact that these have whipped cream put you off from trying them. the sky’s the limit with how you wish to serve these!
Happy Baking! Here is a link which should help clarify the filling options for you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89clair