The Boston Cream Pie Recipe Although its name says “pie,” Boston cream pie is actually more of a cake, with its two layers of yellow sponge cake filled with a thick vanilla custard and topped off with a chocolate ganache. Still, it’s one of the most requested items at Michele’s Pies. Be sure to plan ahead a bit when making this pie because the sponge cake and cream will need to cool completely before pie assembly can begin (the cooling process will take at least 2 hours).
level: moderate Makes one 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 slices
Sponge Cake
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Vanilla Cream Filling:
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups whole milk
¾ cup water
3 large egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup pure vanilla extract
Ganache:
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
Garnish (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Dollop of Whipped Cream
1 Maraschino cherry
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To prepare the sponge cake, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer on low speed, add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and egg yolks and beat for about 1 minute.
Increase the speed to high and continue mixing for approximately 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth, with no lumps. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Pour the egg whites into the batter and fold them together until they are fully incorporated. To bake, pour the batter into a 9-inch greased pie plate. Bake it for approximately 25 minutes, or until you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool completely. As the cake is cooling, prepare the vanilla cream filling.
To prepare the vanilla cream filling, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, and flour. Mix in the milk and water. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and cook until the mixture begins to simmer and the cream thickens to the point where you can insert a spoon into the mixture and the cream sticks to the spoon when removed (with none of the actual spoon visible).
Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and stir in ¼ cup of the heated mixture. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the cream, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla, and whisk until it is evenly combined throughout the cream.
Pour the cream into a large bowl to cool for at least 2 hours. Note that the vanilla cream filling can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Once the cream and cake are cooled, you can begin assembling the pie.
To assemble the pie, pop the sponge cake out of the pie plate and carefully cut it in half horizontally, so that you now essentially have two layers of cake. Place the bottom layer of the cake back into the pie plate.
Pour the vanilla cream filling over the bottom cake, and then place the top layer of sponge cake over the cream filling. Allow it to set for at least 1 hour before adding the ganache.
To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl and set aside. Boil the heavy cream in a small saucepan over high heat. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and mix vigorously, until the chocolate chips are melted into the cream.
Pour the ganache over the sponge cake, making sure that it covers the pie completely. For extra crunch, you may also want to add mini chocolate chips along the edges of the pie.
For best results, place the pie in the refrigerator and allow it to set for at least 2 hours. To serve, garnish the pie with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top, if desired. Boston Cream Pie should be served cold. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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| Boston Cream Pie Recipe |