Boston Cream Pie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch round cake pan
• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Medium saucepan for pastry cream
• •Whisk
• •Long serrated knife for splitting cake
• •Offset spatula
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your pans

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 350°F. Butter a nine-inch round cake pan generously, dust with flour, and tap out the excess. Line the bottom with a parchment round for insurance. This cake has a tender crumb that sticks when given the chance.

   You can also bake in two eight-inch pans for thinner layers. Reduce baking time by five minutes and watch carefully.
2. 2

   Combine dry ingredients

   Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Sift if your flour has been sitting a while and looks lumpy. This takes thirty seconds and prevents dense pockets in your finished cake.

3. 3

   Cream butter and sugar

   Beat the softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for four to five minutes. The mixture should turn pale yellow and fluffy, nearly doubled in volume. Scrape down the bowl twice during creaming. This step builds the structure that makes your cake tender.

   Butter should be cool room temperature, around 65°F. It should yield easily to finger pressure but not feel greasy or look shiny.
4. 4

   Add eggs and vanilla

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating for thirty seconds after each addition. The batter may look slightly curdled after the first egg. This is fine. Add the vanilla with the second egg and beat until the mixture looks smooth and creamy again.

5. 5

   Alternate flour and milk

   Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until each addition disappears before adding the next. The batter should be smooth and thick, falling in ribbons from the paddle.

   Alternating dry and wet ingredients keeps the batter emulsified. Adding all the milk at once would overwhelm the structure and create a heavy cake.
6. 6

   Bake the cake

   Pour batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake twenty-two to twenty-five minutes, until the top springs back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. The cake will pull slightly from the pan's edges and turn a deep golden color.

7. 7

   Cool the cake

   Let the cake rest in its pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges, then invert onto the rack. Peel away the parchment and let cool completely, at least one hour. A warm cake will melt your pastry cream into a puddle.

8. 8

   Make the pastry cream base

   Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Add half the sugar (1/4 cup) and set over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the milk steams and small bubbles appear at the edges. Do not boil. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining sugar with the cornstarch in a medium bowl until no lumps remain. Add the egg yolks and whisk vigorously until pale and thick, about one minute.

9. 9

   Temper the eggs

   When the milk steams, remove from heat. Pour about half the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs, raising their temperature gradually so they don't scramble. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking to combine.

   Tempering is the only tricky moment in pastry cream. Go slowly. If you see any bits of cooked egg, strain the finished cream through a fine-mesh sieve.
10. 10

    Cook the pastry cream

    Return the saucepan to medium heat. Whisk constantly, reaching into the corners where the cream likes to catch and scorch. The mixture will seem thin at first, then suddenly thicken. When it reaches a boil, thick bubbles will plop lazily on the surface. Continue whisking for one full minute after it boils to cook out the starchy taste.

11. 11

    Finish the pastry cream

    Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter pieces until melted and incorporated. Add the vanilla and salt, stirring to combine. The pastry cream should be thick, glossy, and smell deeply of vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours.

12. 12

    Split the cake

    Using a long serrated knife, cut the cooled cake horizontally into two even layers. Place one hand flat on top of the cake to hold it steady. Use a gentle sawing motion, rotating the cake as you cut rather than forcing the knife through. Set the top layer aside.

13. 13

    Fill with pastry cream

    Place the bottom cake layer, cut side up, on your serving plate. Tuck strips of parchment under the edges to keep the plate clean while you work. Give the chilled pastry cream a vigorous stir to loosen it. Spread all the pastry cream over the bottom layer in an even thickness, leaving a half-inch border at the edges. The cream will spread when you add the top layer.

14. 14

    Add the top layer

    Carefully place the second cake layer on top, cut side down, pressing gently to settle it. The pastry cream should spread just to the edges but not ooze out. Refrigerate the assembled cake while you make the ganache.

15. 15

    Make the chocolate ganache

    Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for two minutes without stirring. The heat needs time to melt the chocolate evenly.

    The corn syrup adds sheen and keeps the ganache from cracking as it sets. A tablespoon is all you need for a perfectly glossy finish.
16. 16

    Finish the ganache

    Starting in the center, stir the ganache with a spatula in slow, small circles, gradually working outward. This technique creates an emulsion and keeps the ganache smooth. When fully combined, the ganache will look glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool for five minutes at room temperature; it should be pourable but not hot.

17. 17

    Glaze the cake

    Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pour all the ganache onto the center of the cake. Using an offset spatula, gently spread it toward the edges, letting some cascade down the sides in thick drips. Work quickly but don't fuss. The ganache should look casually elegant, not rigidly perfect. Pull out the parchment strips.

    If your ganache thickens too much while you work, warm it briefly over a pan of hot water and stir until pourable again.
18. 18

    Set and serve

    Refrigerate the finished cake uncovered for at least thirty minutes to set the ganache. It will firm but remain slightly soft to the touch. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts. The pastry cream should bulge invitingly at the edges of each slice.

Chef Tips

• •Room temperature ingredients matter here more than in most recipes. Cold eggs won't emulsify properly with butter. Cold milk shocks the batter. Set everything out an hour before you begin.
• •The pastry cream must be truly cold before filling or it will soak into the cake and turn everything soggy. Plan to make it the night before if you're serving the cake for an afternoon party.
• •For the cleanest slices, chill the filled cake for at least four hours before serving. Use a thin, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped between each cut.
• •The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature before filling. This lets you do the baking on a day when you have time.
• •If you prefer a more dramatic presentation, use eight ounces of chocolate and one cup of cream for a thicker ganache that drapes heavily down the sides.

Advance Preparation

• •The pastry cream can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• •The cake layers can be baked, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for two days or frozen for one month.
• •The ganache can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to one week. Reheat gently over a pan of simmering water, stirring until pourable.
• •The fully assembled cake keeps refrigerated for three days. Bring to cool room temperature thirty minutes before serving for the best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 130g)