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Boston Cream Cake

The Boston cream pie that is really a cake: tender vanilla butter cake layers, a thick layer of vanilla pastry cream, and a dark chocolate ganache poured over the top. Make the pastry cream first so it has time to chill.

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Boston Cream Cake

What it's made of

Cake layersVanilla Butter Cake Layers Filling between the layersVanilla Pastry Cream FrostingDark Chocolate Whipped Ganache Frosting
Makes 12 servings Active 1 hr 45 minChill or rest 3 hr 0 minParts 3
Contains milk, egg, wheat, soy (check labels)

Each part is a full recipe as written; the Dessert Builder scales them to fit this layer cake and merges the shopping list. Open it with the button above to adjust servings or swap any part.

Ingredients

Vanilla Butter Cake LayersCake layers · makes 12 slices

  • 2.5 cupscake flour (285.0 g)
  • 1.5 cupsgranulated sugar (300.0 g)
  • 1.0 tbspbaking powder (12.0 g)
  • 0.5 tspfine sea salt (3.0 g)
  • 0.75 cupunsalted butter, softened (170.0 g)
  • 1.0 cupwhole milk, room temperature (240.0 ml)
  • 3.0 large eggs (150.0 g)
  • 2.0 large egg whites (66.0 g)
  • 1.0 tbsppure vanilla extract (15.0 ml)

Vanilla Pastry CreamFilling between the layers · makes 12 servings

  • 2.5 cupswhole milk (568.0 g)
  • 0.667 cupgranulated sugar (132.0 g)
  • 0.25 cupcornstarch (28.0 g)
  • 6.0 large egg yolks (108.0 g)
  • 0.25 tspfine sea salt (1.5 g)
  • 0.5 cupunsalted butter, cold and cubed (113.0 g)
  • 0.5 VanillaGoods vanilla bean, split and scraped (2.0 g)

Dark Chocolate Whipped Ganache FrostingFrosting · makes 12 cupcakes

  • 8.0 ozdark chocolate, finely chopped (227.0 g)
  • 1.0 cupheavy cream (240.0 ml)
  • 2.0 tbspconfectioners' sugar (15.0 g)
  • 0.125 tspfine sea salt
  • 1.0 tspVanillaGoods pure vanilla extract (5.0 ml)

Method

1. Vanilla Butter Cake Layersfull recipe

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
  2. Whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and 1/2 cup of the milk and beat on low until the flour is moistened, then on medium 1 1/2 minutes until light.
  3. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, vanilla and remaining milk. Add in three additions, beating 20 seconds after each and scraping the bowl.
  4. Divide between the pans (about 560 g each) and smooth the tops. Bake 28 to 32 minutes until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

2. Vanilla Pastry Creamfull recipe

  1. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean heatproof bowl and keep it beside the stove.
  2. Warm the milk with the split and scraped vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat until it is steaming and small bubbles appear around the edge. Do not let it boil hard. The milk should be hot enough to steam steadily but not scorch on the bottom.
  3. While the milk heats, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and slightly lighter in color. There should be no visible pockets of dry cornstarch.
  4. Slowly whisk about half of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, then pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan while whisking. Adding the hot milk gradually keeps the eggs from scrambling.
  5. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens and bubbles break through the center. Continue cooking for 1 minute, still whisking; if you check with a thermometer, the cream should reach at least 165°F (74°C). The pastry cream should look glossy, thick, and hold the tracks of the whisk for a moment.
  6. Press the hot pastry cream through the sieve, removing the vanilla pod if present. Add the cold butter a few pieces at a time and stir until the cream is smooth. The finished cream should be glossy with no visible lumps.
  7. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean shallow heatproof container. Press parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate promptly until thoroughly cold, at least 3 hours. Whisk briefly before piping or spreading if the chilled cream feels very firm.

3. Dark Chocolate Whipped Ganache Frostingfull recipe

  1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it just simmers, pour it over the chocolate, and let stand for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir gently until smooth and glossy.
  3. Cover and refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  4. Whip on medium-high speed until lighter in color and spreadable, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop as soon as it holds soft peaks; overwhipped ganache turns grainy.

4. Put it together

  1. Bake the Vanilla Butter Cake Layers and cool the layers completely, at least 1 hour. Level the tops with a serrated knife if they domed.
  2. While the layers cool, make the Vanilla Pastry Cream and chill it until it holds its shape.
  3. Make the Dark Chocolate Whipped Ganache Frosting.
  4. Set one layer on the plate. Pipe a ring of frosting around the top edge as a dam, spread the Vanilla Pastry Cream inside it, then set the second layer on top, bottom side up.
  5. Spread a thin coat of frosting over the whole cake and chill 20 minutes, then frost with the rest.
  6. Chill until the frosting is firm, then let the cake sit at room temperature 30 minutes before slicing.