Boston Cream Pie

Boston Cream Pie

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

• 2 c. half-and-half
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1⁄2 c. (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1⁄4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
• 1 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

Cake

• 1 1⁄2 c. (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 3⁄4 teaspoon table salt
• 3⁄4 c. whole milk 
• 6 tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 c. (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

Glaze

• 1⁄2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tbs light corn syrup
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Cake: Step 12

Before you Begin

1. Chill the assembled cake for at least 3 hours to make it easy to cut and serve.
2. Refrigerate the cake before preparing the glaze.

Directions

Pastry Cream: 

1. Heat half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
2. Whisk sugar, salt, and yolks in a bowl until smooth. 
3. Add flour to yolk mixture and whisk until incorporated. 
4. Remove half-and-half from heat, add 1⁄2 cup to yolk mixture to temper. 
5. Return tempered yolk mixture to half-and-half in saucepan.
6. Return saucepan to heat and cook, whisking constantly until mixture thickens slightly [about 1 minute]
7.  Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, whisking constantly. [about 8 minutes]
8. Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until bubbles burst on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. 
9. Remove saucepan from heat; 
10. whisk in butter and vanilla until butter is melted and incorporated. 
11. Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. 
12. Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on the surface and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Cake: 

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line with parchment. 
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. 
4. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. 
5. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and cover to keep warm.
6. Whip eggs and sugar at high speed until light and airy, about 5 minutes. 
7. Remove mixer bowl from stand. 
8. Add hot milk mixture and whisk by hand until incorporated. 
9. Add dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated.
10. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. 
11. Bake until tops are light brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.
12. Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan, about 2 hours. 
13. Run a small plastic knife around the edge of pans, then invert cakes onto a wire rack. 
14. Carefully remove parchment, then reinvert cakes.

Glaze

1. Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer. 
2. Remove from heat and add chocolate. 
3. Whisk gently until smooth, 30 seconds. 
4. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

Assembly

1. Place one cake round on a large plate. 
2. Whisk pastry cream briefly, then spoon onto the center of the cake.
3. Spread evenly to the cake's edge. 
4. Place the second layer on the pastry cream, bottom side up.
5. Press lightly on top of the cake to level. 
6. Pour glaze onto the center of the cooled cake. 
7. Spread glaze to the edge of the cake, letting excess drip decoratively down the sides. 
8. Chill finished cake 3 hours before slicing. 

Source — Erika's Recipe Cabinet
Prepared by Erika Dortch
Louisiana Anthology
December 22, 2021