Strawberry Cream Puff Cake

The wind is blowing and the temperature is still cold, but Spring is here--technically anyway. I want foods that remind me of fair weather days, full of sunshine and laughter, friends and family, and of course fair weather food.  When I saw that strawberries were on a fabulous sale this week I went hunting for a new strawberry dessert recipe.  This Strawberry Cream Puff Cake fit the bill perfectly.

The base is exactly like a cream puff or eclair.  Simple to prepare,  with a texture that is light and airy, and full of simple flavor.  It is perfect for the whipped topping infused with orange zest, then topped with fresh berries. I'm telling you this is like heaven in dessert form. I am a bit ashamed to admit that I ate three, yes three, servings two nights ago and also took some for breakfast the next morning.  My husband did the same and our poor sweet children didn't get a crumb.  So, being the good mother that I am, I made another one last night (I told you it was easy to make) and I was such a cool mom when I let them have some with their breakfast this morning.  If you are looking for a new strawberry dessert recipe you can stop right now because this is it!  I'm telling ya, perfect and heavenly. 

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake
Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe


Cream Puff Base:
5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs

Cream Cheese Mixture:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar

For the cream puff layer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is shiny with a satiny sheen. Don’t overbeat. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (or in a pinch, you could use a 9-inch circle cake pan). Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and one inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and prick pastry 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 mixture, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you want to ensure there are no lumps, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese) and beat with the cream cheese until mixture is smooth and light. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread onto the cooled cream puff shell.  Top with fresh fruit of choice.

Total Cost $2.43 for a beautiful dessert, another reason I think it is heaven!!
Butter $.50
Sugar $.03
Flour $.05
Cream Cheese $.50
Heavy Cream $.85
Strawberries $.50 (about)