I can't give you history, or ease in preparation, but I can post a recipe & you can decide. The metric measurements are in ().

Gateau Saint-Honore

Pastry:
6 T. (80 g) butter, cut in small pieces
3 T (40 g) sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 C (160 g) all purpose flour, sifted

Cream Puff Paste:
4 T (60 g) butter
1 C (250 ml) water
pinch of salt
1 3/4 C (200 g) all purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs, beaten

Filling & Glaze:
1 quantity Custard Butter Cream or French Butter Cream
(to follow)
1/4 C (75 g) apricot jam

To make pastry: knead butter, sugar, salt, egg yolk & flour to make a dough. cover & refrigerate 30 min. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 10 in.(25-cm) round. Place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 deg F. (205 deg C).

To make cream puff paste: put butter, water & salt into a medium saucepan; melt butter over los heat. Quickly bring to boil. Remove from heat & beat in flour, all at once. Return to heat & cook 1 min., stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Gradually beat in eggs, making sure they are thoroughly mixed. Put cream puff paste into a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted nozzle. Pipe a thick ring over the edge of the dough round. Pipe 8-10
individual puffs separately on a baking sheet. Bake 25 to 35 min. or until firm & golden. Cool on rack.

To fill & glaze: make Custard Butter Cream, or French
Buttercream and use to fill cooled cream puff ring. Arrange
puffs around edge of filling. Warm jam; press through a strainer to obtain jelly. Brush warm jelly over ring & puffs.

Custard Butter Cream

1 C (225 g) butter, softened
Generous 1 C (140 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 C (350 ml) milk
1/4 C (25 g) imported custard powder (ck w/www.kingarthurflour.com)
2 egg yolks

In a large bowl, cream the butter & powdered sugar until light & fluffy.

In a medium bowl, blend 1/3 C (100 ml) milk, custard powder & egg yolks. Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir the hot milk into the custard mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan & gring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Remove the custard from the heat & let it cool, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. A skin can also be avoided by placing sheet of dampened wax paper over the custard.

When the custard has cooled to the temperature of the butter mixture, beat it gradually into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon.

French Butter Cream

1 C plus 2 T (250 g) butter
4 eggs
generous pinch of salt
3/4 C (160 g) sugar
few drops of vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the butter until pale & fluffy. Beat the eggs, salt & sugar in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of hot water until quite warm. Remove the egg mixture fromt he heat & beat until cool. Gradually beat the cooled egg mixture into the butter, using a wooden spoon. Beat in vanilla.