Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 1 sheet (about 275 g) all-butter puff pastry
- 75 g unsalted butter, plus 45 g for creams and glaze
- 250 ml whole milk for choux and 500 ml for pastry cream
- 5 large egg yolks + 4 large whole eggs, plus 1 egg for egg wash
- 150 g all-purpose flour, 40 g cornstarch
- 120 g granulated sugar + 40 g powdered sugar
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 195 g dark chocolate (for cream and glaze)
- 480 ml heavy cream (for Chantilly and glaze)
- Vanilla extract, fine salt, light corn syrup (optional), chocolate curls for garnish
Do This
- 1. Roll puff pastry into a 26–27 cm round, prick with a fork, chill on a tray. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- 2. Cook choux dough (water, milk, butter, flour), beat in 4 eggs. Pipe a choux ring on the puff base and 12–16 small puffs on a second tray; egg wash.
- 3. Bake base and puffs 15 minutes at 200°C / 400°F, then 20–25 minutes at 180°C / 350°F until deep golden. Pierce puffs and dry 10 minutes in switched-off oven.
- 4. Make chocolate pastry cream with milk, cocoa, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and dark chocolate. Chill until cold.
- 5. Whip Chantilly cream, then fold some into the chocolate pastry cream to lighten. Fill the baked choux puffs with this chocolate cream.
- 6. Make a simple chocolate glaze, dip the tops of filled puffs, and let set slightly.
- 7. Pipe remaining chocolate cream and Chantilly into the center of the puff base, arrange glazed choux puffs on top, garnish with chocolate curls, and chill briefly before serving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A modern twist on a classic French showstopper, with rich chocolate pastry cream and glossy chocolate-glazed choux puffs.
- Uses store-bought puff pastry for ease, so you can focus on the fun parts: choux, creams, and decorating.
- The contrast of flaky base, airy choux, silky chocolate cream, and soft whipped Chantilly is incredibly satisfying.
- Perfect for celebrations: elegant enough for a dinner party, but fully achievable in a home kitchen.
Grocery List
- Produce: None needed.
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, whole milk, heavy cream, large eggs.
- Pantry: All-butter puff pastry, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate (60–70%), vanilla extract or vanilla bean, fine sea salt, light corn syrup or liquid glucose (optional), chocolate bar for curls/shavings, cocoa nibs (optional).
Full Ingredients
For the Puff Pastry Base and Choux
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry (about 275 g / 10 oz), thawed if frozen
- 75 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 125 ml water
- 125 ml whole milk
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 150 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature (about 200 g without shells)
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
For the Chocolate Pastry Cream
- 500 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 120 g granulated sugar, divided
- 5 large egg yolks
- 40 g cornstarch
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder (ideally Dutch-processed)
- 75 g dark chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
- 30 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
- 1 small pinch fine sea salt
For the Chantilly (Whipped Cream)
- 400 ml heavy cream or whipping cream (minimum 35% fat), very cold
- 40 g powdered sugar (icing sugar), sifted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
For the Chocolate Glaze (for Choux Puffs)
- 120 g dark chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
- 80 ml heavy cream
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp light corn syrup or liquid glucose (optional, for shine)
For Assembly and Garnish
- Chocolate curls or shavings (made from a dark chocolate bar)
- Cocoa nibs (optional)
- Extra powdered sugar, for a light dusting (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Puff Pastry Base
Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a round about 26–27 cm (10–10.5 inches) in diameter and 3–4 mm thick. Use a plate or cake pan as a guide and trim the edges neatly with a sharp knife.
Place the pastry round on one of the lined baking sheets. Prick the entire surface of the pastry all over with a fork (this prevents it from puffing too much in the center). Transfer the tray to the fridge to chill while you prepare the choux dough.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (conventional, not fan). Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Step 2: Make the Choux Pastry Dough
In a medium saucepan, combine the 75 g butter, 125 ml water, 125 ml whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp sugar. Place over medium heat and bring just to a full boil, stirring occasionally so the butter melts evenly.
As soon as the mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the 150 g flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until no dry flour remains and a thick paste forms.
Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring and pressing the dough against the sides and bottom of the pan, for 2–3 minutes. A thin film should form on the bottom and the dough will look smooth and slightly shiny. This step dries the dough so it can hold more egg.
Transfer the hot dough to a mixing bowl (stand mixer fitted with paddle, or a large bowl with a wooden spoon). Let it cool for about 5 minutes so it is warm but not steaming hot.
Beat the eggs in a small jug. With the mixer on low (or stirring vigorously by hand), add the beaten eggs in 3–4 additions, mixing well between each. At first, the dough will look curdled; keep mixing and it will come together. You may not need the very last spoonful of egg: stop when the dough is smooth, thick, and falls from the spoon in a smooth, V-shaped ribbon that slowly breaks. This is your choux paste.
Step 3: Pipe and Bake the Base and Choux Puffs
Transfer the choux paste to a piping bag fitted with a plain 10–12 mm (about 1/2 inch) round tip. Take the chilled puff pastry base from the fridge.
Pipe a thick choux ring around the outer edge of the puff pastry round, about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) in from the rim. The ring should be about 2–2.5 cm (1 inch) wide and even all the way around. If you have extra dough, you can pipe a second ring just inside the first for extra height.
On the second lined baking sheet, pipe 12–16 small mounds of choux (for the individual puffs), each about 3 cm (1.25 inches) in diameter and 2.5 cm (1 inch) high. Leave a few centimeters between them to allow for expansion.
Lightly brush the choux ring and the puffs with beaten egg, smoothing down any points of dough with the tip of the brush so they do not burn.
Bake the puff pastry base with its choux ring and the separate puffs at 200°C / 400°F for 15 minutes without opening the oven. Then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C / 350°F and bake for a further 20–25 minutes, until all the choux are deeply golden brown and feel light and hollow when lifted.
Turn off the oven. Using a skewer or the tip of a small knife, poke a tiny hole in each choux puff to let steam escape, and also 3–4 small holes around the choux ring. Return the trays to the still-warm oven with the door slightly ajar for about 10 minutes to dry out the interiors. Then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
Step 4: Prepare the Chocolate Pastry Cream
While the choux bake, make the chocolate pastry cream. In a medium saucepan, combine the 500 ml milk, vanilla bean and seeds (if using; if using extract, add later), and half of the sugar (60 g). Heat over medium until the milk is steaming and just starting to bubble around the edges.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 60 g sugar until slightly thickened and paler. Whisk in the 40 g cornstarch and 25 g cocoa powder until smooth and lump-free.
Slowly pour about one-third of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Then pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk, whisking constantly.
Return the pan to medium heat and cook, whisking steadily, until the cream thickens and just comes to a boil. Let it bubble gently for 30–60 seconds to cook out the starch, still whisking to prevent scorching.
Remove from the heat. Immediately add the 75 g chopped dark chocolate, 30 g butter, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract if using. Whisk until the chocolate and butter have fully melted and the cream is smooth and glossy.
Pour the hot pastry cream into a shallow dish. Press cling film (plastic wrap) directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. Chill in the fridge until completely cold, at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days in advance).
Step 5: Whip the Chantilly and Lighten the Chocolate Cream
When the pastry cream is cold and the choux shells are at room temperature, prepare the Chantilly. In a large, cold bowl, combine the 400 ml heavy cream, 40 g powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whip with an electric mixer (or by hand) to medium-firm peaks: the cream should be smooth and hold its shape, but still look soft and billowy, not grainy.
Remove the chilled chocolate pastry cream from the fridge and whisk it briefly to loosen it and make it smooth again.
Fold about one-third of the whipped Chantilly into the chocolate pastry cream. Use a spatula and gentle folding motions so you do not deflate the cream. This creates a lighter, mousse-like chocolate cream that is easier to pipe and more delicate in texture. Set aside the remaining Chantilly in the fridge for finishing the cake.
Step 6: Fill and Glaze the Choux Puffs
Transfer the lightened chocolate pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (about 5–8 mm), or simply snip a small opening in a disposable piping bag.
Take the cooled choux puffs. If you have already made a small hole in the side or bottom, use that; otherwise, poke a small hole with a skewer or the tip of a knife. Insert the piping tip and gently fill each puff with chocolate cream until you feel it become slightly heavy and full. Set the filled puffs upright on a tray.
For the chocolate glaze, place the 120 g chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the 80 ml cream with the 15 g butter and 1 tsp light corn syrup (if using) just until it comes to a gentle simmer. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute, then whisk slowly from the center outward until smooth and shiny.
Let the glaze cool for a few minutes until slightly thickened but still fluid. Dip the rounded tops of each filled choux puff into the glaze, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place the glazed puffs back on the tray, glazed side up, to set at cool room temperature or in the fridge for 10–15 minutes.
Step 7: Assemble the Chocolate Saint-Honoré
Place the baked puff pastry base with its choux ring onto a serving platter or cake stand.
Transfer the remaining chocolate cream (if any is left after filling the puffs) to a piping bag fitted with a star or round tip. Pipe a generous layer of chocolate cream inside the choux ring, leaving the crisp ring visible on the outside edge.
Now transfer the reserved Chantilly cream to a clean piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe rosettes or swirls of Chantilly on top of and around the chocolate cream in the center, building a slightly domed shape. You can also pipe small rosettes around the top of the choux ring; these will help anchor the glazed choux puffs.
Arrange the chocolate-glazed choux puffs on top of the gateau: either set them around the outer edge like a crown, or stack some toward the center for a more dramatic look, gently pressing them into the Chantilly so they adhere.
Finish with chocolate curls or shavings, a sprinkle of cocoa nibs if using, and a very light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving. Chill for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly, then slice with a sharp, long knife and serve.
Pro Tips
- Weigh ingredients for choux and pastry cream. Choux pastry is more reliable when made with precise weights rather than volume measurements.
- Dry the choux shells properly. Letting them dry out in the switched-off oven with the door ajar keeps them crisp and prevents sogginess once filled.
- Cool the pastry cream fully. If it is even slightly warm when you add whipped cream, it can melt and turn runny. Cold cream plus cold Chantilly equals stable, mousse-like filling.
- Adjust glaze texture if needed. If the chocolate glaze is too thick for dipping, warm it for a few seconds. If it is too thin, let it sit at room temperature a bit longer before using.
- Use very cold cream for whipping. Chill the bowl and beaters for the Chantilly; cold tools make thicker, fluffier whipped cream.
Variations
- Mocha Saint-Honoré: Dissolve 2 tsp instant espresso powder in the milk for the pastry cream and add 1 tsp coffee extract to the Chantilly for a coffee-and-chocolate twist.
- Hazelnut-Chocolate: Fold 2–3 tbsp of smooth hazelnut spread into the finished chocolate pastry cream, and sprinkle the top with toasted chopped hazelnuts instead of cocoa nibs.
- Black-and-White: Dip half of the filled choux puffs in dark chocolate glaze and the other half in white chocolate glaze for a striking contrast on top of the cake.
Storage & Make-Ahead
The components of this Gâteau Saint-Honoré store better separately than fully assembled:
Make-ahead options: The chocolate pastry cream can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap touching the surface. The baked, unfilled choux shells and puff pastry base can be baked the day before; once completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature. The Chantilly and chocolate glaze are best made on the day of serving.
Once assembled: The finished gateau is best enjoyed within 4–6 hours, as the pastry will gradually soften from the cream. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. The texture of the choux and puff pastry will be softer, but the flavors will still be delicious.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values per serving (1/10 of the cake): about 740 kcal, 54 g fat (of which around 33 g saturated), 65 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein, and approximately 250 mg sodium. These numbers are estimates and will vary based on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use.
