Boston Cream Pie Recipe

Recipe: Boston Cream Pie Recipe »

Boston Cream Pie is a classic American cake (yes, not a pie) made with a sponge cake base filled with rich vanilla custard and a chocolate ganache coating on top. This is a classic flavor combination for a reason. The butter cake is light and fluffy and pairs perfectly with the creamy custard and rich chocolate glaze. If you love classic custard and chocolate together, then please give this a try.

Boston Cream Pie is said to have been invented by Armenian-French chef Mossburg Sanzian in 1856. It made its debut at the grand opening of Boston's Parker House, which is now Omni Parker House, located in downtown Boston, MA in America. The chef was said to have been lured by a $5,000 annual salary which at that time was more than 10 times the average pay for similar positions.

Why is a Boston Cream Pie called a pie and not a cake? It's clearly a cake. Apparently, it came from a time when cakes were baked in the same pans. Other similar names were cream pie or custard cake.

There are three parts to a Boston Cream Pie: the cake, the custard, and the chocolate ganache.

The Cake: This is a butter sponge, the same one that I use in this strawberry cake because of its versatility, classic flavor, and lightness. My secret ingredient for this is the zest of 1 lemon. It really lifts the sponge flavor so much.

The Custard: This can be the trickiest part. You want the custard to be silky but also hold its shape. Adding fine cornstarch helps it keep its shape, but you don't want to add too much as it will negatively affect the mouthfeel. The best thing for the custard to set is time and using full-fat heavy cream. Also, make sure to chill it in the fridge for the specified times. Cutting these times may mean that your custard won't set completely (believe me, I was impatient and it messed the whole thing up!).

The Chocolate Topping: The chocolate ganache is the easiest part. Just heat the cream, add the dark or bittersweet chocolate and corn syrup (for shine), and then pour it over. Et voilà! Your Boston Cream Pie is ready.

Boston Cream Pie

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 2.5 hours cooling time

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Vanilla Sponge Cake

• 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz) whole milk
• 1 stick (4 oz) butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups (12.4 oz) superfine sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 2 cups (10.6 oz) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

For Custard Filling

• 3.5 oz egg yolks (around 6)
• 4 oz superfine sugar
• 1.2 oz fine cornstarch
• 8.5 fl oz cream
• 8.5 fl oz whole milk
• 0.7 oz butter
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

For Cake

• 2 tablespoons sugar syrup
• 1 tablespoon rum (sub with more syrup if you don't want to use alcohol)
• 3.5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 fl oz cream
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup

Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup (5.2 oz) of cake flour, replace 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour with fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes, as it produces a softer texture.

Pro-tip: Place your mixing bowl and whisk or stand mixer bowl in the fridge 1 hour before whipping the cream, and make sure that the cream is very cold. This will help the cream whip up better.

Step 1 - Make the custard first as it needs to chill for 2 hours. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and fine cornstarch together and heat the cream and milk in a medium saucepan until almost boiling. Take off the heat and stir in the egg mixture, butter, rum, and vanilla, and cook on low to medium heat, making sure that it doesn't catch at the bottom (just stir it occasionally). Cook it until the texture can coat the back of a spoon (it will thicken further upon cooling). Place in a bowl and cover the top directly with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours in the fridge.

Troubleshooting: If your custard splits, add a couple of ice cubes and stir rapidly.

Step 2 - Line a 15.7 x 11.1 x 2 inch Swiss roll pan on the base and sides with parchment. Preheat the oven to 320°F. In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted, then stir in the salt (do not boil, just scald the milk). Set aside in a jug. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest for 5 minutes until syrupy thick and very pale yellow (almost white). Add the hot milk butter mixture and whisk for 15 seconds or until incorporated. Then sift in the flour mixture and whisk on low speed in two additions until smooth (do not overmix). It will be a very liquid batter.

Step 3 - Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the center springs back when gently pressed. Cool on a wire rack. Cut out 2 round cakes, each 8 inches in diameter.

Step 4 - Place one half of the cake onto a cake stand. Mix the syrup with the rum and brush half onto the base. Whisk the custard until it becomes smooth. Spread over the cake half, leaving about 1/2 cup for later. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then take the other cake half, brush with the remaining syrup, and place on top, using the domed side up. Use the extra custard to fill in the top gap by piping it in. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Scrape the sides with a dough scraper or angled spatula so that the custard sits smoothly on the side.

Step 5 - Make the ganache - place the chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until almost boiling and then pour it over the chocolate. Place a plate on top and leave for 5 minutes. Then stir until smooth and there are no lumps left. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Then pour into the center of the top of the cake and, using an angled spatula, spread out allowing some to drip down the sides.

Storing and serving: Store the cake in the fridge in an airtight container. When serving, bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

I made this cake so many times, three to be exact, but I wanted it to be just right. It's not a small cake and it involves using lots of eggs, milk, cream, and chocolate. The first one was made in a bit of a hurry and while the sponge was perfect, the custard had not set properly as I didn't leave it the required time.

The second time, I was too busy chatting to my cleaner Fernanda while making the sponge and I accidentally placed the sugar in with the hot milk, which caused it not to rise properly and not have the right crumb!

The third time is a charm, or so they say, and I made it, and it worked perfectly. I was so happy with it that I cut it up and shared it with my neighbors and left two big slices in the fridge for Yuki, who was house sitting for us while we were away. We were so lucky to have found her; she was great with the dogs and a very gentle person, so we knew that the dogs were in good hands. That morning she arrived and made herself at home. She had some clothes with her, and I was running around packing the last items. "I always forget one thing," said Yuki, smiling, and I said that I was the same, but I thought that I had everything.

She waved us goodbye with Teddy and Milo, and we drove off into the heavy traffic towards the South Coast. We were about 20 minutes into our drive when I said with a start, "Did you leave her keys?" to Mr. NQN. "Bugger no," he said grimacing. We tried calling Yuki and giving her instructions on how to find the spare set of keys, but she wasn't able to find them. So we turned around and made our way back. By the time we dropped the keys off, we were running 50 minutes late. And that thing that you always forget? Well, it might not be leaving your keys behind!

So tell me, Dear Reader, have you ever tried Boston Cream Pie? Do you always leave something behind?