The Foodie Affair

Best Boston Cream Pie

Published on , Last Updated on by

Jump to Recipe

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!

Best Boston Cream Pie On A Black Cake Platter

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.

Best Boston cream pie on a blue plate with red raspberries

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?!!

Slice of best Boston cream pie on a blue plate
Slice of Boston cream pie on a blue plate

Best Boston Cream Pie

Yield: 12 Servings

Boston Cream Pie made from scratch with two layers of sponge cake, a creamy custard filling, and then topped with a rich chocolate ganache!

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

    The vanilla pastry cream needs to be chilled for at least four hours before assembling the cake. Make this first or can me made a day ahead.

    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 150mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 1gSugar: 41gProtein: 9g

    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.

    Did you make this recipe?

    If you like this recipe, don't forget to leave a review on the blog or share a photo and tag on @thefoodieaffair on Instagram

    © Sandra Shaffer
    Category: Dessert
    The best Boston cream pie with mint and raspberries
    Hugs Sandra Signature

     

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. marie

      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.

      Reply

    2. edlira

      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)

      Reply

      • Sandra Shaffer

        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!

        Reply

    11. Sarah

      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!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Skip to Recipe
    Asparagus Risotto Recipe with Lemon Sugar Free Irish Cream (Easy Copycat Baileys Liqueur) Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Individual Brownie Cherry Trifle Chocolate Bag Dessert for Valentine’s Day How to Make Rose Water Using Fresh Flowers Easy Chocolate Truffle Recipe for Valentine’s Day Keto Tuna Salad