When I was little one of my dad and I’s favorite things was to bake. We used to make cookies, pies, donuts, etc. but our go-to was cakes. I was going through an old cookbook the other day and I found this recipe for an eclair cake that we used to make for special occasions. For those of you who are not familiar with eclairs, they are a pastry filled with white pastry cream and topped with a chocolate ganache. This cake takes all the very best parts of that pastry and turns it into a cake. This cake uses a graham cracker base, a vanilla pudding filling and is topped with chocolate frosting which are all things you can buy at the store. 

  This is a no-bake cake, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning the oven or burning yourself. It is very easy to substitute the vanilla and chocolate flavors with a multitude of different combinations such as raspberry and chocolate or chocolate hazelnut. This recipe calls for dairy milk, but if you don’t like lactose feel free to use dairy-free milk. One of the dairy-free options is the Almond Breeze Almond Milk with a Hint of Honey. This dessert does not take long to prepare but it definitely needs lots of time to set. Make this the night before or the morning you actually need to serve it. Typically I’m incredibly impatient, so I usually only let the cake sit for about four to six hours. 

{What you’ll need}

• 2 (3.5 oz.) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 8 oz. container of whipped topping
• 3 c. milk 
• 16 oz. graham cracker squares
• 16 oz. chocolate frosting

{Directions}

• Stir pudding mix, whipped topping, and milk together in a medium bowl until well blended.
• Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
• Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving