Serve it with coffee.
Boston Cream Pie
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Cakes cupcakes
Vanilla: Extract
Medium
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Two tender vanilla butter cake layers sandwiched with thick vanilla pastry cream and topped with a shiny chocolate ganache. Despite the name it is a cake, not a pie. Makes 1 8-inch cake in about 4 hr 20 min.
Prep
45 min
Cook
35 min
Cooling
3 hr
Total
4 hr 20 min
Yield
1 8-inch cake
Ingredients
Adjust yield
8-inch cake
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
- 1 ½ cups (190 g)all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8 g)baking powder
- ¼ tsp (2 g)fine salt, for the cake
- ½ cup (115 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the cake
- 1 cup (200 g)granulated sugar, for the cake
- 3 (150 g)eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract, for the cake
- ¾ cup (180 ml)whole milk, room temperature, for the cake
- 2 cups (480 ml)whole milk, for the pastry cream
- 4 (72 g)egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar, for the pastry cream
- 3 ½ tbsp (30 g)cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (28 g)unsalted butter, for the pastry cream
- 2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract, for the pastry cream
- 1 pinch (1 g)fine salt, for the pastry cream
- 5 ½ oz (150 g)semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml)heavy cream
Baking tools for this recipe
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and line two 8-inch round pans with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, mixing only until smooth. Divide between the pans.
- Bake 22 to 26 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool fully.
- For the pastry cream, heat 400 ml of the milk until steaming. Whisk the remaining milk, yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot milk.
- Return to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles. Let it bubble 1 minute so it reaches at least 160 F (71 C), then stir in the butter and vanilla.
- Press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill at least 2 hours until firm.
- Place one cake layer on a plate, spread with the cold pastry cream to within half an inch of the edge, and top with the second layer.
- Heat the cream until it just steams, add it to the chopped chocolate, wait 2 minutes and stir smooth. Cool 10 minutes until slightly thick, spread over the top letting some run down the sides, and chill 30 minutes.
Tips
- Cook the pastry cream until it actually bubbles, or the cornstarch will not set it.
- Do not use warm pastry cream; it will soak into the cake.
- Slice with a hot, dry knife for clean layers.
- Cook the egg-thickened pastry cream until it bubbles and reaches at least 160 F (71 C), and keep the finished cake refrigerated.
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Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make boston cream pie?
Plan on 45 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours to chill. The recipe makes 1 8-inch cake.
How should I store boston cream pie?
Refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days. Serve at cool room temperature.
Can I make boston cream pie ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp vanilla extract, for the cake (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Made with VanillaGoods
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