Boston Cream Pie

Boston Cream Pie is an all-American classic that boasts two layers of moist vanilla sponge cake with a silky smooth pastry cream filling sandwiched in between, and it’s all topped with a decadent chocolate ganache. Contrary to it’s name, it’s actually not a pie, but a cake that dates back to the 1800s! It’s one sweet treat that’s both elegant and bursting with flavor!

If you love this recipe, you’ll also enjoy making some of my other cakes like Chocolate Bundt Cake, Chocolate Orange Cake and Flourless Chocolate Cake.

Boston Cream Pie Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there’s anything quite like sinking your fork into a rich slice of Boston Cream Pie. With it’s layers of fluffy sponge cake, pastry cream, and chocolate ganache, it’s one of those desserts that can instantly satisfy your sweet tooth. You can’t go wrong with this perfect combination of textures and flavors!

Now, here’s a little bit of fun history for you! The Boston Cream Pie recipe was born in the 1800s at Boston’s Parker House Hotel. It was originally named a “pie” because “pie” was a common term for any kind of dessert that involved a crust or a round shape, including cakes. Pie pans were also more readily available, so this cake was often baked in a pie pan. Overtime, the name just stuck! This unique treat is surprisingly easy to make at home, so now you can impress your friends and family with Massachusetts’ official state dessert!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to Make: This recipe may sound intimidating, but I break it down into easy steps. With a little bit of planning, you can totally conquer this dessert!
• Fun Texture and Flavor: With fluffy sponge cake, rich vanilla, pastry cream, and a decadent chocolate glaze, this cake is loaded with texture and flavor!
• Crowd Pleaser: This recipe for Boston Cream Pie is every bit as delicious as it is impressive! Your friends and family are guaranteed to love it.

How to Make Boston Cream Pie

This recipe for Boston Cream Pie has three parts to it: pasty cream, sponge cake, and chocolate ganache. I know it sounds like a lot, but I walk you through each step of the process so it’s easier than it sounds! As always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Pastry Cream

1. Whisk together granulated sugar, salt and cornstarch. 
2. Whisk in the 6 egg yolks and ¼ cup of the whole milk.
3. Heat remaining milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer, remove from heat. 
4. Temper the egg yolk mixture and then add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and bubbles, approximately 5 minutes. 
6. Remove from heat and stir in unsalted butter and vanilla extract.
7. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface and place in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.

Cake

1. Whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
2. Beat eggs with granulated sugar for 4 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. 
3. Gradually add flour mixture until combined.
4. Combine milk with butter and microwave on high until the butter is melted. Gradually mix into the batter.
5. Pour batter into prepared cake pans, dividing evenly.
6. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, approximately 28-33 minutes. 
7. Cool in the pans for 20 min then turn out onto a wire rack to complete cooling (at least one hour).

Assembling the Cake

1. Place one of the cakes on a cake platter or serving plate. 
2. Spoon pastry cream onto the cake to within about ½” from the edges.
3. Place the other cake (bottom side up) on top of pastry cream.
4. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

1. Combine heavy cream and corn syrup in a bowl and heat on high until the cream is steaming, about 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds.
2. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes and then stir to combine until smooth.
3. Pour the chocolate glaze onto the center of the cake and spread it evenly over the cake with an offset spatula. 
4. Chill in the refrigerator to set for at least two hours before serving.

Storage and Make Ahead Information

• Refrigerator: Due to the layer of pastry cream, this cake must be stored in the fridge, and brought to room temperature before serving. Store the cake in a cake storage container or tent loosely with plastic wrap, and store for up to three days.
• Make Ahead: The sponge cake can be made a day ahead of assembly. It can also be frozen for up to two months ahead of time and thawed before assembling. I recommend you make the pastry cream and chocolate ganache the same day of assembly.
• Note: This cake does not freeze well. The cornstarch used to thicken the pastry cream takes on an unpleasant texture upon thawing.

Variations to Try

The classic Boston Cream Pie is delicious, but there’s always room for a twist! Here are some fun variations to try out!

• Fold in some fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries into your pastry cream for a burst of berry flavor!
• Infuse the cake batter with cocoa powder to create a chocolate cake instead of vanilla.
• For a touch of warm flavor, add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to your cake batter or pastry cream.
• Ditch the pie pan and create Boston Cream Pie cupcakes! Use a muffin tin lined with cupcake wrappers and bake the cake as cupcakes. Fill with pastry cream and top with chocolate ganache for a fun bite-sized version of the classic dessert.

Is there an alternative to using corn syrup? 

Corn syrup sometimes gets a bad rap because it is confused with its cousin “high fructose corn syrup” which is a further processed version of corn syrup that is often found in processed foods.  But you can omit the corn syrup if you like, it provides a nice sheen on the glaze and a bit of sweetness which isn’t mandatory.

Trish’s Tips

• When making the pastry cream, using room temperature eggs reduces the possible heat shock when tempering your eggs which could lead to scrambled eggs.
• When cooling the pastry cream, the cling wrap pressed directly against the surface of the pastry cream will prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
• For the cake, room temperature eggs beat to a lighter and fluffier consistency than their cold counterparts which will lead to a lighter fluffier cake.
• Don’t confuse bittersweet chocolate with unsweetened chocolate.  Unsweetened chocolate contains no added sugar, whereas bittersweet chocolate can contain up to 50% added sugar.

More Layered Cake Recipes to Try

1. Chocolate Raspberry Cake
2. Red Velvet Cake
3. Caramel Apple Cake
4. Strawberry Shortcake Cake
5. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake