Best Boston Cream Pie
Boston Cream Pie with two layers of sponge cake, a creamy vanilla pastry cream filling, and then topped with a rich chocolate ganache! This made from scratch cake is easier to bake than it looks!
Boston Cream Pie From Scratch
This is my first attempt at making a Boston Cream Pie and I nailed it!
That doesn’t aways happen, so excuse me while I brag for a moment. I was certain that this would take a couple of attempts.
If you remember when I shared this Sausage Gravy and Biscuit recipe, I took that day off from my day job so that I would have time to cook some of Alan’s favorite meals for his birthday.
There wasn’t a lot of time to make adjustments, so I’m super glad the baking angels were by my side when I replicated his favorite cake!
I’ve always been too intimidated to make Boston Cream Pie from scratch. It just got in my head that this cake is complicated, so if it happened to be available at our bakery then I would buy it.
Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines also carried (not sure if it’s still available) a boxed cake mix kit that I have made as well, but the cream filling always left me with an aftertaste that I didn’t care for.
Perfect Sponge Cake For Boston Cream Pie
I put on my reading glasses (yes, I’ve succumbed!) and did my research in advance.
As I started to break down the details and look closer at the elements that make this cake.
I learned that I was confident with the ganache and filling, but the sponge cake was what I needed guidance on.
After looking at a bazillion recipes and settled on this Three Ingredient Italian Sponge Cake. What a baking score!
This cake uses only three ingredients just as the title says and it’s fabulous as well as SUPER easy to make!!
The cake came out light and airy and pairs perfectly with the vanilla cream and ganache.
I’ll be making this again and again!
Next time I may substitute the chocolate for strawberries and whipped cream!
Now can anyone tell me why this popular dessert is called a pie?!!
Best Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
- Cake
- 6 large eggs at room temperature and separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup cake flour
- Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean split
- Ganache
- 8 ounces chocolate I mixed semi-sweet and bittersweet
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut two round circles of parchment paper to fit on the bottom of two 9″ cake pans. set aside.
- Cake
- Using two mixer bowls (one large, one small), separate the eggs by putting the egg whiles in the large bowl and the yolks in the small bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the egg whites and beat until very stiff and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup of sugar to yolks and beat until very light yellow in color and thick. Folk egg yolks into egg whites. Two tablespoons at a time add flour and gently and quickly fold into mixture (don’t over mix or beat). Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry.
- Cool for about 5 minutes, remove from pan and remove parchment paper. Cool completely on baking racks.
- Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Bring half and half to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl whisk together sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour to blend. Add warm half and half whisking into egg mixture. Return to saucepan and whisk over medium heat. Add split vanilla bean. Cook for about 5 minutes and let mixture get to a boiling point and let boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a small bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream. Chill in the refrigerator.
- Ganache
- In a medium bowl break apart chocolate into small pieces and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat bring heavy whipping cream and butter to a boil. Pour over chocolate and mix until melted and smooth.
- To Assemble Cake
- Place one sponge cake on a cake plate, remove vanilla bean from custard and add to top of cake. Place second cake on top and pour ganache over top of cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
Hi Sandra,
I have been looking for a simple Boston Cream to make for my dinner party. I would like to make it as two somewhat thinnish sheet cakes and just put one on top of the other instead of trying to slice the cake in half. about
Do you think a doubling of the ingredients would be enough for one sheet pan and then doubling again for the second pan? I would then proceed with the recipe as directed. Thanks.
Hi Marie! I’m not sure how many you will serve, the two round cakes will give you 64 inches. This post from Food52 shows us how to fit to your pan size. So perhaps you only need to double one time? Let me know how it comes out. I love the idea of a sheet pan to serve guests.
The vanilla extract made my filling a bit brown. Any tips on how to prevent that and keep the filling brights? (Without ridding it of vanilla flavor that is)
Hmmm, I know there are clear vanilla extracts that you can purchase. My vanilla extract is homemade. That might make a difference. There is also a powdered vanilla for baking that I’ve used before, but I stopped using it when I noticed that it has fillers added to it. If you are ok with using food colorings a drop or two of yellow will help brighten up the filing. Hope it tasted delicious!
This looks amazing! Congrats on nailing it on the first try, you definitely deserve to enjoy that little victory! 🙂
Doing the happy baking dance for sure 🙂 Thanks, Kristin!!
Oh my! This cake is my absolute favorite. I just adore your version.
Thank you, Christie! Light and fluffy cake with a bit of decadence. You know how good the combination is!
Is it terrible to admit I didn’t know what a Boston Cream Pie was before now? And that I need need NEED this in my life RIGHT NOW??!
Not terrible at all and actually glad I introduced you to this cake! Yes, you do need a slice pronto!
Great job on your first attempt! Fantastic recipe!
Thank you, Sheena! I’m super proud of this cake 🙂
This looks amazing! I love this dessert….
Thank you, Mary Ellen! I am so happy with the way it came out!
Back in the mid nineteenth century this was likely baked in pie tins, hence the pie! Leave it to a new Englander to have the answer
Ahhh-ha! Thank you! Now it’s making more sense 🙂
If I lived at your house I would look like the Goodyear Blimp. I have zero self-control when it comes to chocolate anything.
haha! I’m a chocoholic too, but I’m a taster. One taste (or two!) and I’m good!
Wow! this is a lovely dessert! I’m going to have to try this recipe!
I hope you do give this recipe a try, Rachel! It’s definitely a great dessert for a special occasion.
I used to work at Marie Callender’s and I was always in awe of this dessert, I still haven’t attempted to make one. Your recipe makes it look very doable!
I surprised myself, Sarah! I love to bake, but this one just always kept being put in the “one day” pile. Time is all you need 🙂