Over the Moon Cake

Have you ever heard of moon cake? And no, not mooncake. (Red bean paste in dessert isn't really my forte.)

I’m talking about the inside-out eclair cake with a flattened cream puff shell for a crust, layered with an instant pudding and cream cheese combo, and topped with whipped topping and Hershey's Syrup swirlies? Well, it's good. And it's easy.

But, in my usual style, I opted for a little more work, to:

A) significantly improve the taste
and
B) cut the sugar in half!

So, a little more elbow grease and a little more time are totally worth it, right?

And why not swap the vanilla pudding for not-too-sweet homemade caramel pudding? And why use whipped hydrogenated oils, I mean whipped "topping" when you could use perfectly sweetened whipped cream? And why use Hershey's Syrup when you could use hot fudge sauce? (Really, though, in any circumstance?)

And while we're at it, why not fancy-it-up a bit with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a fairy dust sprinkling of toffee bits (to give it some fantastic textural interest)?

This is OVER the Moon Cake, after all.

Need to wow a crowd? This is the dessert for you. (It makes a whole cookie sheet-sized "cake" so there is plenty to share.)

Following the firm precedent I have set ;) you will find a full ingredient list immediately below, followed by a recipe (more of a guide) that includes the amount of each ingredient right where you need it! Don't be intimidated by the length, though. You just make a very simple crust, make some pudding, whip up some cream, and do some last-minute drizzling, and sprinkling. That's it!

Full Ingredient List:

10 TBS butter (1 cube plus 2 TBS)

8 oz cream cheese, softened (per usual)

4 C whole milk (divided into ½ C and 3 ½ C)

1 ½ C heavy whipping cream

5 eggs

1 ¼ C flour

6 TBS cornstarch

3 tsp pure vanilla extract (divided into 2 TBS and 1 TBS)

½ C + 2 TBS sugar (divided)

¼ tsp salt

about 3 TBS hot fudge sauce

about 3 TBS caramel sauce (Yummy Syrup is always my go-to caramel sauce)

about 3 TBS toffee bits (I found these in the baking aisle, but after reading this I think I will opt for a crushed Skor Bar in the future. That is, when I finally finish this bag!)

Crust:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.

Bring to a boil over high heat:

   1 ¼ C water

   10 TBS butter

Remove from heat and stir in:

   1 ¼ C flour

Then add, one at a time:

   5 eggs

Incorporating each one thoroughly before adding another. Spread fairly evenly onto the greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the pudding.

Caramel Pudding: (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

In a little bowl, whisk until smooth:

   1/2 C milk

   6 TBS cornstarch

   2 tsp vanilla extract

   ¼ tsp salt

And then just set it aside for a while.

In a large saucepan bring to a boil, over medium high heat:

   ½ C sugar

   6 TBS water

Leave it, undisturbed, about 8 minutes, until a deep amber caramel forms. (Fight the urge to stir!) Check it frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Remove from the heat. Very gradually whisk in:

   3 ½ C milk

Return saucepan to the stove and whisk constantly, over medium heat, until the caramel has dissolved again. (Watch it carefully so it doesn’t bubble over when it starts to boil.) Turn the burner down to low and let it simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Gradually whisk the milk/cornstarch mixture into the caramel. Turn the heat up to medium and stir it about 1 minute, or until it thickens. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap to avoid that pesky pudding skin from forming, and let cool for about 10 minutes. 

Using a handheld or stand mixer, whip until fluffy:
   8 oz softened cream cheese
and then add the slightly cooled pudding and whip until completely combined. If the crust is cool, spread the pudding/cream cheese goodness over the entire crust. 

Now whip up (with a handheld or stand mixer):

   1 ½ C heavy whipping cream

   2 TBS sugar

   1 tsp vanilla

until it forms soft peaks, and spread the whipped cream over the pudding. (If the pudding is still hot, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it is only slightly warm, about 15 minutes. Then spread whipped cream over the top.) Cover and refrigerate until fully cool (about 2 hours) and ready to serve.

Just before serving, heat up the needed fudge sauce and caramel sauce and drizzle over the whole cake. (You can use a knife to make fun designs, if it suits you. Also, you can do this drizzling earlier, but I prefer to wait so that the design doesn't get smudged by covering it.) As the finishing touch, sprinkle the toffee bits all over. Cut into squares and dig in, already!