Boston Cream Pie | Life, Love and Sugar

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This basic Boston cream pie is made with two layers of sunshine vanilla sponge cake full of wealthy vanilla pastry cream and topped with shiny, wealthy chocolate ganache. Opposite to the identify, it’s a cake and never a pie! Straightforward to make and utterly scrumptious, you’ll adore it!

Why You’ll Love This Boston Cream Pie Recipe

Fluffy cake, pastry cream, and chocolate!? What’s to not love? This dessert is each mild in texture and wealthy. The perfected mixture. Let me fill you in on a number of the issues that make this Boston cream pie probably the greatest.

• Texture. I really like the textural distinction of the layers of sunshine, fluffy cake subsequent to the graceful, luscious pastry cream. Who may say no to that?
• Style. This can be a vanilla and chocolate mixture that’s basic, easy and so excellent collectively. The sunshine vanilla cake, wealthy vanilla pastry cream and chocolatey glaze marry collectively fantastically.
• Presentation. Elegant but approachable, there’s little question that Boston cream pie is good to take a look at. The best way the shiny chocolate ganache drapes over the fluffy yellow cake layers and pastry cream makes for one inviting edible artwork piece.
• Surprisingly straightforward. It might sound intimidating to make pastry cream, cake, and chocolate ganache however, actually, every of those parts is definitely tremendous easy to throw collectively. You are able to do it!

What Is Boston Cream Pie?

Much less of a pie and extra of a cake, this basic American dessert originated within the 1800s in – you guessed it – Boston! It’s comprised of layers of vanilla sponge cake divided by a easy vanilla pastry cream. The dessert is topped with a luscious chocolate ganache and served chilly. Why is it referred to as a “pie”? As a result of way back, muffins had been truly baked in pie tins.

Recipe Substances

Right here’s what you’ll have to make this straightforward Boston cream pie recipe and few notable ideas. Make sure you scroll to the recipe card under for exact measurements.

• Egg yolks – Begin with room-temperature eggs. Chilly eggs may have a tough time mixing easily and simply into the opposite substances. Make sure you use massive eggs, not medium or additional massive.
• Cornstarch – This helps to thicken the pastry cream, together with the eggs.
• Milk – Milk kinds the bottom of the pastry cream. The next fats content material provides you with the creamiest texture. I like to recommend entire milk.
• Vanilla extract – For taste. I like to recommend a very good high quality extract, since loads of the flavour of your cream and general cake comes from the vanilla.
• All-purpose flour – Make sure you measure it correctly. An excessive amount of flour provides you with a dry cake. I like to recommend a meals scale, however you too can use the spoon and stage technique.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Milk or darkish chocolate chips would additionally work, however will change the consistency of your glaze. Milk chocolate will make it somewhat thinner and darkish chocolate will make it somewhat thicker
• Corn syrup – This lends a prettier shiny end to the chocolate glaze, however you possibly can go away it out, in order for you.
• Heavy whipping cream – Don’t exchange this within the glaze with one thing else, like milk. It should skinny out your glaze.

How you can Make Boston Cream Pie

Right here’s a fast overview of learn how to make Boston cream pie. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card under for extra detailed directions.

To make the pastry cream

• Beat. Beat the egg yolks collectively gently.
• Prepare dinner. Whisk collectively the sugar and cornstarch in a big saucepan after which whisk within the milk. Prepare dinner over medium warmth till the combination begins to thicken and simmer.
• Mood. Whisk somewhat little bit of the milk combination into the egg yolks. Add the egg combination to exploit combination.
• Prepare dinner. Convey the pastry cream to a lightweight boil and prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring repeatedly.
• End it off. Take away the saucepan from the warmth and stir within the butter and vanilla extract.
• Chill. Pour the pastry cream right into a bowl, cowl with clear wrap pressed towards the highest, and chill within the fridge for 1-2 hours.

To make the cake layers

• Prep. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, grease the edges, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Mix the dry substances. Whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Whip. Whip the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract on excessive pace till pale and fluffy.
• Warmth. Warmth the milk and butter till the butter is melted and the combination may be very scorching.
• Add dry substances. Fold half of the dry substances into the whipped egg combination after which fold within the remaining dry substances.

• Add scorching milk. Gently whisk within the scorching milk combination.
• Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 20-23 minutes.
• Cool. Enable the muffins to chill of their pans for 2-3 minutes earlier than turning them out onto cooling racks to chill utterly.

To complete off the cake

• Make the chocolate glaze. Mix the chocolate chips and corn syrup in a bowl. Warmth the heavy cream till simply boiling and pour it over the chocolate chip combination. Enable to sit down for 1-2 minutes, then whisk till easy.
• Easy. Give the pastry cream a stir to easy it out.

• Assemble. Take away the domes from the tops of the muffins and place one cake on a serving platter. Unfold the pastry cream over the cake layer and high it with the second cake layer. Pour the chocolate excessive of the cake, then unfold out in direction of the sides.
• Chill. Refrigerate the cake till able to serve.

Making the Pastry Cream

Pastry cream isn’t laborious to make, but it surely should be thickened correctly to have success. The eggs should be tempered correctly so that you simply don’t get scramble eggs and a lumpy cream. It additionally must be thickened sufficient, however not a lot that the cornstarch and eggs break down. Maintain the following pointers in thoughts for one of the best outcomes.

• Cautious with warmth. Resist the temptation to show up the warmth with a purpose to prepare dinner the pastry cream extra rapidly. Convey it to a boil slowly in order that it will get an opportunity to thicken correctly.
• Get the timing proper. You wish to prepare dinner the pastry cream lengthy sufficient for the egg yolks to prepare dinner and work their thickening magic however not so lengthy that the cornstarch begins to interrupt down. Don’t boil it for too lengthy.
• Mood. Pour a little bit of the new milk combination into the egg yolks whereas whisking them collectively earlier than folding the egg combination into the majority of the new milk. It will hold the eggs from scrambling.
• Pressure it. If you happen to discover your cream seems somewhat lumpy, you possibly can pressure it to take away the lumps previous to chilling it.
• Chill. The pastry cream will thicken whereas cooking, however nonetheless could appear a bit skinny and never but thick sufficient for the cake. It should agency up within the fridge. Let it chill for not less than an hour or two, or till it develops an virtually gelatin-like, thick texture.

Suggestions for Success

This straightforward recipe for Boston cream pie is fairly foolproof however you’ll wish to pay shut consideration to those easy ideas and tips in case your objective is to get it proper the primary time.

• Room temperature eggs. When making the pastry cream and the cake, you’ll want to begin with room-temperature eggs. Chilly eggs is not going to combine easily and simply into the pastry cream, making it harder to realize the specified, easy outcome. With regards to the cake batter, room-temperature eggs will maintain quantity higher than chilly ones, permitting you to realize a lighter, fluffier cake.
• Whip whip whip. When whipping collectively the eggs, sugar, and vanilla for the cake batter, accomplish that till the combination has considerably lightened in colour and has develop into fluffy. This course of incorporates air into the combination, supplying you with a splendidly mild and fluffy cake.
• Don’t over-mix. When combing the moist and dry substances for the cake batter, watch out to not over-mix. This may trigger the glutens within the flour to overdevelop leading to a dense, powerful cake.
• Sizzling milk. It might sound superfluous to warmth the milk and butter earlier than including them to the cake batter however don’t skip this step. It should assist stop the glutens from overdeveloping and you’ll, consequently, end up with a way more tender, fluffy cake.
• Cool. Enable the muffins to chill utterly earlier than assembling. In any other case, the pastry cream and the ganache will soften.
• Stir. Earlier than filling the cake, give the pastry cream a radical stirring to easy it out.

How you can Retailer Boston Cream Pie

• Fridge. Seal the cake in an hermetic cake provider or one thing related. If you happen to don’t have one, pop the cake within the fridge for just a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. It’s also possible to prepare slices of Boston cream in a single layer in an hermetic container. Nonetheless you select to do it, you possibly can retailer your leftovers within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
• Freezer/Prepping forward. I don’t advocate freezing a full Boston Cream Pie. The pastry cream can break up when it thaws, leaving you with a large number. If you happen to’d prefer to freeze issues for prepping forward, you can also make the cake layers forward and freeze these, then thaw them within the fridge earlier than utilizing. It’s also possible to make the pastry cream a day or so forward after which layer every little thing collectively previous to serving it.

Extra Boston Cream Desserts

If you happen to like this basic Boston cream pie, you’ll love a few of my different variations. Right here they’re.

Watch How you can Make Boston Cream Pie

Learn Transcript

This recipe was up to date 11/27/2023. For the unique recipe from 2018, obtain this PDF.

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Recipe

Boston Cream Pie

• 
  Writer: Life Love and Sugar
• 
  Prep Time: 45 minutes
• 
  Chill Time: 1 hour
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  Prepare dinner Time: 35 minutes
• 
  Whole Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• 
  Yield: 12-14 servings
• 
  Class: Dessert
• 
  Methodology: Oven
• 
  Delicacies: American

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Description

This basic Boston cream pie is made with two layers of sunshine vanilla sponge cake full of wealthy vanilla pastry cream and topped with shiny, wealthy chocolate ganache. Opposite to the identify, it’s a cake and never a pie! Straightforward to make and utterly scrumptious, you’ll adore it!

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Substances

Pastry Cream

• 4 massive egg yolks, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (155g) sugar
• 4 tbsp (32g) cornstarch
• 2 cups (480ml) entire milk, room temperature
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Sponge Cake

• 1 3/4 cups (228g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 massive eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (180ml) entire milk
• 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter

Chocolate Glaze

• 6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream

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Directions

To make the pastry cream:

1. Put the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and gently beat them collectively. Put aside.
2. Add the sugar and cornstarch to a big saucepan and whisk collectively till no extra lumps of cornstarch stay, then add the milk.
3. Prepare dinner, stirring repeatedly, over medium warmth till combination simply begins to thicken and simmer. Watch out to not boil it.
4. Add somewhat little bit of the milk combination to the egg yolks and rapidly whisk collectively, then add the egg combination to exploit combination, placing all of it again within the pan. This course of ensures that you simply don’t prepare dinner the egg yolks too rapidly and get scrambled eggs.
5. Place the pan again on the warmth and produce to a lightweight boil. It is best to see massive bubbles popping on high. Enable to boil for 1 minute, stirring repeatedly. Don’t boil for too lengthy, or you possibly can overcook it and it’ll truly break down, quite than get thicker.
6. Take away from warmth and add the butter and vanilla extract. Stir till easy, then pour right into a bowl and canopy with clear wrap pressed towards the highest in order that it doesn’t get a movie on high. If you happen to discover your cream is lump, you possibly can pressure it. Set within the fridge to chill utterly, 1-2 hours.

To make the cake layers:

1. Put together two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles within the backside and grease the edges. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Put aside.
3. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract to a big mixer bowl and whip on excessive pace till pale, fluffy and thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Whereas the eggs are whipping, warmth the milk and butter till the butter is melted and the combination may be very scorching. It doesn’t should be boiling, but it surely must be very popular.
5. Add half of the dry substances to the whipped egg combination and gently fold collectively till largely mixed. Add the remaining dry substances to the egg combination and gently fold collectively till simply nicely mixed.
6. Add the new milk combination to the batter and gently whisk collectively till nicely mixed.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the ready cake pans and bake for 20-23 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in the course of the muffins comes out clear.
8. Take away the muffins from the oven and permit to chill for 2-3 minutes, then take away to a cooling rack to complete cooling.

To complete off the cake:

1. When the pastry cream and muffins have cooled utterly, make the chocolate glaze. Add the chocolate chips and corn syrup to a medium dimension bowl.
2. Warmth the heavy whipping cream simply till it begins to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips and corn syrup. Enable to sit down for 1-2 minutes, then whisk till easy.
3. Pour the chocolate excessive of the cake, then unfold out in direction of the sides, letting a number of the chocolate drip down the edges.
4. Refrigerate cake till able to serve. Retailer in an air-tight provider, if doable. The cake is finest if eaten inside 3-4 days.

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Notes

• • Fridge storage. Seal the cake in an hermetic cake provider or one thing related. If you happen to don’t have one, pop the cake within the fridge for just a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. It’s also possible to prepare slices of Boston cream in a single layer in an hermetic container. Nonetheless you select to do it, you possibly can retailer your leftovers within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
  • Freezing/Prepping forward. I don’t advocate freezing a full Boston Cream Pie. The pastry cream can break up when it thaws, leaving you with a large number. If you happen to’d prefer to freeze issues for prepping forward, you can also make the cake layers forward and freeze these, then thaw them within the fridge earlier than utilizing. It’s also possible to make the pastry cream a day or so forward after which layer every little thing collectively previous to serving it.

Diet

• Serving Measurement: 1 Slice
• Energy: 479
• Sugar: 39.1 g
• Sodium: 132 mg
• Fats: 23.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 57.7 g
• Protein: 10.6 g
• Ldl cholesterol: 135.2 mg

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