A few weekends ago, Blair and I decided to take a walk over to a nearby bakery which apparently is famous for their cream donuts. I wasn’t completely sold on the idea since I am really not much of a donut lover, but I figured we needed to check out what all the hype was about. The bakery was adorable inside and we were completely overwhelmed by all the treats they had to offer. We concentrated solely on our mission of trying the cream donuts. We got a powdered sugar cream-filled donut and a Boston cream one. Being the chocoholic that I am, the only donut I have really ever eaten is a chocolate glazed donut covered in chocolate jimmies. Other than that cinnamon sugar donuts pop up in the Fall months. Well, I can tell you that I have been missing out! Both of these donuts that we shared were amazing. Knowing that Boston cream donuts are Blair’s favorite, I promised him a Boston Cream Pie for dessert on Valentine’s Day.
I am not going to lie, but this dessert definitely takes some time, but when you break down all the components they are really not that bad. I loved the texture of the cake, it was light and airy just like one of my favorites: Tres Leches. The pastry cream is heavenly and when sandwiched between the cake layers it makes the perfect treat. Top it all off with a chocolate glaze and you have one delightful mouthful. Blair has now requested this as his next birthday cake which I will happily oblige and make.
Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the pudding:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- pinch of salt
For the glaze:
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla over medium heat, do not boil. In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the cornstarch and salt, whisk until no lumps remain. Whisk about 1/4 of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and pudding-like, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl using a spatula to push the pudding through. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Using a stand mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar on high speed until mixture is pale and has doubled in size, about 15 minutes. Gently fold in the flour mixture in two additions using a spatula. Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla, beat with the mixer until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for ten minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, invert again, and allow to cool completely.
Once cake is cooled, slice the cake into two even layers horizontally with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the cake cut-side up on a plate. Top with pudding spreading it to about 1/4 of an inch from the edge. Carefully place the other cake half on top, cut-side down, pressing gently.
Finally, make the glaze. Heat the chocolate, cream, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until mixture is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then pour over cake smoothing with an offset spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
