Boston Cream Pie
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 19, 2024
This Boston Cream Pie boasts a creamy, rich custard and a sponge cake that’s moist and tender. The dark chocolate ganache is amazing!
In This Article
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Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
I made this Wicked Good Boston Cream Pie, dubbed by Cook’s Illustrated, for a dear friend’s birthday. Everyone grabbed big slices and ate their plates clean. Here’s why we love this recipe:
- Soft, Tender Sponge Cake: The major downfall of some Boston Cream Pie recipes is a dry, crumbly sponge cake. Not this one! You’ll want to tear right into this uber soft, spongy, tender, moist round cake.
- Creamy Vanilla Custard: The custard alone is worthy of eating by the bowlful. It’s extra creamy and just the right amount of sweet.
- Rich, Chocolatey Ganache: The rich, decadent ganache truly takes any cake to the next level, just check out this Chocolate Kahlua Cake!
- Can Be Made in Advance: If you like easy make-ahead recipes, you’re in luck. The cake and custard filling can be made in advance and easily assembled the day of.
Key Recipe Ingredients
For the Custard
- Half and Half – Half and half has the perfect amount of fat to make our custard creamy and silky.
- Egg Yolks – Egg yolks add a beautiful golden color to the custard and a rich depth of flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – Plain sugar works wonderfully here to sweeten without overpowering the vanilla flavor.
- Flour – We add some all-purpose flour to the custard to thicken it, so it holds its form like a pudding.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla makes this cake taste and smell heavenly!
For the Sponge Cake
- Flour – There’s no need for cake flour for this recipe. It turns out exceptional with regular all-purpose flour.
- Whole Milk – Don’t be afraid to go with whole milk for this recipe. The high fat content is essential for creating a tender-crumb.
- Eggs – Eggs hold our cake together and make the layers spongy.
- Butter – Aside from imparting amazing flavor, butter keeps the sponge cake super moist.
For the Ganache
- Bittersweet Chocolate – Reach for high-quality, bittersweet chocolate for the richest ganache possible.
- Corn Syrup – Light corn syrup sweetens the ganache to perfection.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is essential for an ultra-rich, silky ganache.
Substitutions And Variations
Check out these simple variations to Boston Cream Pie:
- Transform into Cupcakes: Make Boston Cream Pie into a bite-sized treat by baking it into cupcakes. Check out our recipe for Boston Cream Cupcakes for measurements and baking times.
- Up the Chocolate Content: If you’re a chocoholic like us, try swapping the sponge cake in this recipe for chocolate cake like in this Chocolate Strawberry Cake.
- Add Whipped Cream: This cake already has it all, but who would complain about a generous dollop of whipped cream? Top Boston Cream Pie with some of this extra-fluffy Stabilized Whipped Cream.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Whisk yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl until smooth; whisk in flour. Add 1/2 cup of heated half and half to temper the eggs.
- Simmer custard mixture, whisking continuously, until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until melted.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until melted. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and cover to keep warm.
- In a stand mixer, whip the eggs and sugar until light and airy. Whisk in hot milk mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk just until incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly between two 9″ cake pans. Bake for 20-27 min.
- Let cakes cool completely before removing from pans. Place one cake round on a serving plate, and spread chilled custard onto cake evenly. Top with second cake round and chill.
- Bring heavy cream and corn syrup to simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate chunks until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Pour ganache on top of cake, and spread evenly. Cover and chill cake at least 3 hours before slicing. Enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
As we mentioned earlier, Boston Cream Pie can be prepared in advance and assembled later. Here’s how:
- Make Custard Filling: Feel free to make the custard up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble. Give the custard a good whisk before spreading.
- Measure Dry Ingredients: For the sponge cake, feel free to mix and measure the dry ingredients far in advance.
- Let Eggs Warm: Try taking your eggs out an hour early to let them come to room temp. This will make everything mix much smoother and quicker.
- Bake Cake in Advance: We almost always make the sponge cake for this recipe the night before, so it has ample time to completely cool. Store cake rounds airtight in the fridge before adding the custard and ganache.
Commonly Asked Questions
Is Boston Cream Pie actually pie?
No, Boston Cream Pie, despite the name, is actually cake. Boston Cream Pie was developed as a dessert in the 1800s when pies and cakes were cooked in the same tins, and cakes were often just referred to as pies. Even though we don’t use the two interchangeably anymore, the name ended up sticking.
How long does Boston Cream Pie last?
After your cake is fully assembled, it will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you choose to make the custard a couple days in advance, it’s best to enjoy the entire cake the day of, rather than saving it.
Can I keep Boston Cream Pie at room temperature?
Because of the rich, creamy custard, you’ll definitely want to store your cake in the fridge. It will only stay fresh for about 2 hours at room temp.
What causes sponge cake to turn out dry?
One culprit for dry sponge cake is too much flour. We include the flour measurement in ounces for the most accurate measurement. If you use a measuring cup, make sure not to pack the flour in. Just scoop it into the cup and level with the back of a butter knife. The other reason for dry cake is over baking it. Your cakes should just be slightly golden on top, and a toothpick should come out mostly clean with a few tender crumbs attached.
How do I keep my chocolate from seizing while making the ganache?
Chocolate seizes when it changes heat too fast and turns out clumpy instead of smooth and silky. Make sure to remove the cream and corn syrup mixture from the heat before whisking in the chocolate chunks. If you’re grabbing your chocolate from the fridge, make sure to take it out an hour in advance and let it come to room temperature before making the ganache. Here are some more tips for avoiding seized chocolate.
Did you make this?
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Boston Cream Pie
This Boston Cream Pie is the best of the best. Each layer is delicious all on its own. The custard is rich, creamy, and smooth. The sponge cake layers are moist and tender. The ganache is amazing.
Ingredients
For the Custard:
- 2 cups half and half
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 3.5 ounces
- pinch of table salt
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 TB salted butter, cold, cut into pieces
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Sponge Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 7.5 ounces
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp table salt
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 6 TB salted butter
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 TB light corn syrup
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, high quality, chopped
Instructions
For the Custard
- Heat half and half in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
- Add flour to yolk mixture and whisk until combined. Remove half and half from heat and – whisking constantly – very slowly add 1/2 cup of half and half to the yolk mixture, to temper.
- Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to the remaining half and half in the saucepan.
- Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens(about 1 min). Reduce to med-low and keep simmering, whisking constantly for 8 minutes. (It will slowly go from pale yellow to a deep yellow and become thicker.)
- Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until bubbles burst on surface, 1-2 min. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until melted. It should be pudding-like, thick, and smooth – not clumpy. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
For the Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 325F with rack on middle position. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment over the grease.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter over low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and cover to keep warm.
- In a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar at high speed until light and airy, 5 min. Add hot milk mixture and whisk by hand until combined. Add dry ingredients and whisk just until incorporated; don’t overmix.
- Quickly divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with small tender crumbs attached, about 20-27 min.
- Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan at room temp. Run thin sharp knife around edge of pans and invert cakes onto rack. You might need to give the pans a good slap on the back. Slowly and gently peel off the parchment paper.
- Place one round cake on a serving plate, top side up. Stir chilled custard briefly and spread onto cake evenly. Place second round cake, bottom side up, on top of the custard. Cover and chill while you make the ganache.
For the Ganache
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream and corn syrup to simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate chunks. Whisk until smooth. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened (5-10 min).
- Whisk again and pour onto top of cake, using rubber spatula to spread evenly and letting it drip slowly down the sides. Cover and chill cake at least 3 hours before slicing. A fully chilled cake will be easier to slice.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the half and half, milk, and heavy cream while they’re on the stove, whisking constantly. Dairy burns quickly.
- Be sure not to overmix the wet and dry ingredients for the sponge cake. Mix just until there are no more streaks of flour.
- For an extra-silky ganache, be sure to remove the cream from the heat before adding in room-temperature chocolate. High quality chocolate also really helps with this.
- Plan for ample cooling time between each step. We like making the custard filling and sponge cake a day in advance.
- This recipe is part of our delicious Cake and Cupcakes Recipe Collection.
- Try serving Boston Cream Pie with a dollop of this light and fluffy Stabilized Whipped Cream!
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 2mg
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