Chocolate éclair cake

Yield: 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

11/4 cups (83/4 ounces) sugar 6tablespoons cornstarch 1teaspoon salt 5cups whole milk 4tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces 5teaspoons vanilla extract 11/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 2tablespoons water 23/4 cups heavy cream, chilled, divided use 14ounces graham crackers 1cup (6ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 5tablespoons light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in large saucepan. Whisk milk into sugar mixture until smooth, and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan with heatproof rubber spatula. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and cook, continuing to scrape bottom, until thickened and large bubbles appear on surface, 4-6minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer pudding to large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate until cool, about 2hours.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over water in bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, 15-30seconds. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 2cups cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1-3minutes. Add gelatin mixture and whip until stiff peaks form, about 1minute.

3. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chilled pudding, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream, 1scoop at a time, until combined. Cover bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking dish with a layer of graham crackers, breaking crackers as necessary to line bottom of pan. Top with half of pudding-whipped cream mixture (about 51/2 cups) and another layer of graham crackers. Repeat with remaining pudding-whipped cream mixture and remaining graham crackers to cover top.

4. Combine chocolate chips, corn syrup and remaining 3/4 cup cream in bowl and microwave at 50% power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 1-2minutes. Let glaze cool completely, about 10minutes. Spread glaze evenly over graham crackers and refrigerate cake for at least 6hours or up to 2days before serving.