Join us in Massachusetts for some Boston Cream Pie. Not surprisingly, this is the Official Dessert of The Bay State. This dessert was created by Chef Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel back in 1856. It is not actually a pie, but a sponge cake filled with cream and topped with a chocolate glaze. The reference to it being a pie seems to follow the trend of desserts of that era being named for the vessel they were baked in and no distinction was made between a cake and a pie.
No matter the name, it is delicious indeed!
Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
Cream Filling:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 C Milk
1/3 C Sugar
2 T Cornstarch
1/4 t Salt
1 T Vanilla
Cake:
1 1/4 C Flour
1 C Sugar
1/3 C Butter, at room temperature
3/4 C Milk
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
2 t Vanilla
1/2 t Salt
1 Egg
Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 C Cream
2 T Corn Syrup
4 Oz Bittersweet Chocolate
Directions
There are several steps, but none of them are too hard. Just allow time for chilling the cream and cooling the cake. It takes about 3 hours start to finish for the whole process.
Make the Cream:
In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Combine the egg yolks and milk and then add slowly to the pan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Boil 1 minute and then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Make the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-inch cake pan. Combine all cake ingredients and mix gently until combined. Beat the mixture on high speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes and then on a cooling rack for at least one hour.
Make the Glaze:
Heat cream and corn syrup until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the mixture. Put chocolate into bowl and pour cream mixture over it. Stir gently until all chocolate is melted.
Assembly:
Split cake in half to make two layers. The easiest way to do this is to place toothpicks halfway up the sides at several places around the cake. These toothpick locations can then be used as a guide for the knife. Go slowly and it will all work out fine!
Place one half of the cak cut side up on a cake plate. Give the cream a quick stir to loosen a little and then spread it over the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top, with the cut side on the bottom. Pour the glaze over the entire cake, letting some drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes before serving.