Classic Boston Cream Pie (Printable)
Tender sponge cake filled with creamy vanilla custard and topped with glossy chocolate ganache.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sponge Cake
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1/4 cup whole milk
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Pastry Cream
09 - 2 cups whole milk
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
→ Chocolate Ganache
16 - 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
17 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
18 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper.
02 - Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
04 - Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined.
05 - Mix milk and melted butter together, then fold into the batter until smooth.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
07 - Heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering.
08 - Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl.
09 - Slowly pour hot milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking until thick and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface and chill until cold.
10 - Place chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Heat cream to a simmer, pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread cooled pastry cream evenly over the cake. Top with second cake layer.
12 - Pour chocolate ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That moment when you slice through chocolate, cream, and cake all at once is pure theater
- The pastry cream is velvety and rich without being cloying, the kind of dessert that makes people go quiet after the first bite
02 -
- The pastry cream must be completely cold before you assemble the cake or it will melt into the sponge and you will lose that distinct cream layer
- Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion here, cold eggs will not whip properly and your cake will be dense instead of tender
03 -
- If your ganache is too thick to pour, warm it gently for 5 to 10 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring between each interval
- Leftovers can sit at room temperature for a couple hours but should be refrigerated for longer storage, covered loosely so the ganache does not sweat