Gluten Free Cream Puff Cake

Cream Puffs were one of my Grandma Wood's signature desserts.  They were our family favorite.   Before I was born, she would make them and bring them to my parent's house on Sunday evenings.  They would have family home evening with my family and then they would have cream puffs for a treat.  I never got one of these treasured cream puffs.  I was born the year before she passed away.  However, I did get my mother's cream puffs and they were heavenly.  She taught me how to make them when I was about 12 and it was my job to make them after that.  When we had to go gluten free for my daughters, I didn't think I would get to have these treats again.  Well... I was very wrong.  Gluten free flour works very well for making them.  I had seen cream puff cake pop up in Pinterest several times.  So, I thought we would give it a try and they are amazing.  It saves a lot of time in the preparation because you don't have to make individual puffs and you don't have to fill individual puffs.  Win Win.  And it still tastes just as good.  So here is our quick and dirty, Gluten Free, Cream Puff Cake using my grandmother's recipe that she started making back in the 1910's.  We use corn starch in the pudding which was a change my mom made back in the 1980's.   I added ganache to the recipe and my daughter added the gluten free flour change.  That makes it a 4 generation cake.  I like that. 

4 Generation Gluten Free Cream Puff Cake

Pastry
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 C gluten free flour
4 eggs
Boil the butter, salt and water together.
When it reaches a boil, add flour and stir.  It will thicken up quickly.  Remove from heat and cool a bit.  It looks a lot like playdough at this stage.
Add the eggs one at a time.  Stir quickly so you don't cook the egg.  Stir till egg is completely incorporated.  Add the next egg.  Repeat with remaining eggs.
Spread the egg mixture in a buttered or parchment paper lined 9X13 cake pan.
Bake at 450* F for 15 minutes.  Turn the temperature down and continue to bake for 25 minutes.   The pastry will have puffed up and lightly browned. 

Cream Filling

1/4 cup corn starch
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Butter
2 C milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the milk, corn starch, and sugar together.  Heat over medium heat until it starts to steam and it begins to thicken.  (about 180* F).  Stir constantly or it will be lumpy.  Beat the egg yolks with the salt.  Temper the eggs by adding some of the hot milk mixture a little at a time.  Pour this mixture into the rest of the milk and mix well.  Continue to heat until thickened.  Add the butter and vanilla and stir.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool. 
Spread over the top of the pastry in the pan.  I actually double this cream filling recipe because we like a lot of it.

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup cream
1 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk or a combination)
Bring the cream to almost a boil in a saucepan.  Add the chocolate and remove from heat.  Stir and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated. 

Drizzle on top of the cream layer. 

Now you are done.  Cut and enjoy.  It can be completely cooled... but who is really going to wait that long.