BraveTart’s Boston Cream Pie
After a long day at work, why not relax with a nice slice of Boston Cream Pie to celebrate National Boston Cream Pie Day? Beloved by millions, this classic American dish is the official dessert of Massachusetts, and is sure to impress your guests at weddings, birthdays, and more. Stella Parks, senior editor at SeriousEats, has simplified the recipe in her New York Times bestselling cookbook, BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts.
With layers of custardy yellow cake filled with creamy vanilla pudding and dripping with chocolate ganache, Boston cream pie is cake’s answer to a hot fudge sundae. Like ice cream, my Tahitian Vanilla Pudding needs to be chilled, which makes this extravagant dessert easy to tackle in stages. Don’t be nervous if you’ve never made a sponge cake before; I’ve streamlined the recipe into a one-bowl affair, with a bit of baking powder for backup so it’s always tender, light, and fluffy.
YIELD: one 8-by-4-inch layer cake; 12 servings
Active time: 45 minutes | Downtime: 1 hour to cool, plus 2-hour refrigeration
1 recipe Tahitian Vanilla Pudding (See below), chilled
For the Cake:
2 cups | 8 ounces bleached cake flour, such as Swans Down
2 teaspoons baking powder
11/3 cups | 9 ounces sugar
1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup | 7 ounces egg yolks (from 12 large eggs), brought to about 70°F
4 tablespoons | 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
1 cup | 8 ounces milk (any percentage will do), brought to about 70°F
For the Ganache:
1/3 cup | 2 1/2 ounces heavy cream
1/2 cup | 2 1/2 ounces roughly chopped dark chocolate, about 62%
⦿ Key Point: The high pH and starch content of unbleached cake flour will cause this cake to collapse, as will traditional all-purpose flour.
Make the cake:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F at least 20 minutes in advance (the batter comes together faster than the preheat cycle). Line two 8-by-3-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease with pan spray. Sift flour into a medium bowl (if using cup measures, spoon into the cups and level with a knife before sifting) and whisk in baking powder.
Combine sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium-high and whip until thick and roughly doubled in volume, with a clear vortex pattern left by the whisk, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and drizzle in butter, followed by milk. Once you’ve added the last drop, shut off the mixer, detach the bowl, and gently incorporate the cake flour with a balloon whisk. Fold the thin batter with a flexible spatula once or twice from the bottom up, and divide between the prepared pans (about 16 ounces each).
Bake until the cakes are lightly browned and firm, though your fingertip will leave a slight impression in the crust, about 25 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes, then loosen from the pans with a knife and invert onto a wire rack. Leave the pans on top (to entrap steam) and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Assemble the cake:
Fold a 26-inch-long sheet of foil in thirds lengthwise to create a 4-inch-wide band. Trim top crust from the cakes with a serrated knife (this helps the pudding soak in; see pages 142–44 for details) and place one cut side up on a serving plate. Wrap the foil around the cake to form a snug collar and secure with tape. Stir chilled pudding until creamy, then spread over the cake in an even layer. Add the second cake cut side down, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 12 hours.
Make the ganache:
In a 1-quart stainless steel saucier, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Pour into a glass measuring cup and refrigerate until thickened but still quite warm, about 25 minutes (or 85°F). Alternatively, the ganache can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated, then microwaved in a few 5-second bursts until warmed to about 85°F.
Finish the cake:
Discard the foil. Stir the warm ganache and pour onto the dead center of the cake. Spiraling outward from the center with the back of a spoon, spread ganache toward the edges, nudging it over here and there so it drips down in a few places, but otherwise leaving the sides exposed. Let the cake stand at room temperature until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Cut into wedges with a chef’s knife, rocking from heel to tip (edge to center) to minimize squishing. If you like, serve with a handful of fresh raspberries.
Tightly covered in plastic, leftovers will keep for up to 24 hours at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge; let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Make ahead:
You can prepare the Tahitian Vanilla Pudding up to a week in advance; refrigerate the leftover egg yolks in an airtight container to use for the cake.
☞ Mix it up!
BOOZY BOSTON: To add another layer of flavor, prepare a batch of Mexican Vanilla Syrup and spike with 2 ounces (1/4 cup) dark rum or another liquor of your choosing. After cutting off the top crusts, brush each cake with a few tablespoons of the flavored syrup. Proceed as directed.
GLUTEN-FREE: Replace the cake flour with 2 ounces (1/2 cup) white rice flour, 2 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca flour or arrowroot, 3 ounces (2/3 cup) cornstarch, and 1 ounce (1/4 cup) oat flour.
Recipe and photo from BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks. Copyright © 2017 by Stella Parks. Reprinted with permission of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
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