Boston Cream Pie

This Boston Cream Pie recipe features a light vanilla sponge cake filled with a rich scratch-made pastry cream and topped with a warm chocolate ganache. It’s a cake, not a pie, and worth every ounce of effort it takes to recreate it!

Where Was Boston Cream Pie Originally Made

Boston Cream Pie is an iconic dessert that’s popular nationwide. It was first made by Chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856. The hotel is now known as the Omni Parker House. Although it takes several steps to make from scratch, it’s worth it.

Ingredients to Make Boston Cream Pie Recipe

This classic American dessert isn’t an actual a pie at all, but a gorgeous sponge-like cake. It features a soft, fluffy and light vanilla cake sandwiches together with a layer of velvety pastry cream and topped with a decadent chocolate ganache. The result is an absolutely addictive dessert that is “wicked good”. Ingredients to make homemade Boston Cream Pie: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Pastry Cream: Large egg yolks whisked with granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the pastry cream.
• Liquid: Whole milk works perfectly, there’s no need to use half and half.
• Vanilla Beans: Vanilla beans or one teaspoon vanilla bean paste adds creamy floral notes.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter for richness.
• Cake: All purpose flour sifted with baking powder and salt forms the base of the cake batter.
• Whole Eggs: Whole eggs bind the cake batter.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Liquid: Scalded milk mixed with vanilla extract gives the cake a tender crumb.
• Butter: Softened butter adds richness to the flavor of the cake batter.
• Chocolate Ganache: Two ingredients, heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate.

How to Make the BEST Boston Cream Pie Recipe

• Make Pastry Cream Filling: Combine egg yolks, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Combine with warm milk, cooking until thickened. Add vanilla bean paste and butter for a smooth and creamy finish. Mix until melted then cover and cool completely in the refrigerator. You can do this one day in advance to save time!
• Make the Cake Batter: Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
• Dry Ingredients: Use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 
• Cream Eggs and Sugar: Use a mixer with the whisk attachment to beat together the eggs and sugar.
• Add Dry Mixture: Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed beating until combined.
• Heat Milk and Butter: Heat butter and milk in the microwave until milk is steaming. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the milk mixture on low speed.
• Transfer to Prepared Pans: Divide and pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake per the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• Assemble: Place one cake layer onto a platter or cake stand, spread with the pastry cream. Top with the second cake layer, press gently. Chill thoroughly.
• Melt Chocolate: Melt chocolate with heavy cream, then pour the ganache over the top of the chilled cake.

Tips for Making Easy Boston Cream Pie Recipe

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: Large mixing bowl, medium saucepan,medium mixing bowl, stand mixer with the whisk attachment, microwave safe measuring cup or mixing bowl, 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan, parchment paper, cooking spray and serrated knife or cake slicer.
• Why Use Scalded Milk in Baking? Warm milk enhances the flavor, gives rise to the cake batter and it gives it light texture and a tender crumb to the cake.
• How to Fix Lumpy Pastry Cream: If the pastry cream gets a little lumpy, simply push it through a fine mesh sieve to remove large lumps then whisk smooth.
• Use a Quality Chocolate: Chocolate chips have a stabilizer added to help them maintain their integrity while baking. Some brands melt more smoothly than others. I used Ghiradelli.
• How to Melt Smooth Chocolate: If the chocolate ganache has lumps in it, microwave it for 30 seconds at 50% power then stop and stir. Continue the process melting in 30 second increments at 50% power until it is smooth.
• When to Serve Boston Cream Pie: Serve this for dessert when entertaining, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, birthday’s, picnics and tea parties.

Recipe Variations

• Vanilla Beans: If you don’t have vanilla beans, substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract per bean.
• Light Corn Syrup: One tablespoon of clear corn syrup added to the chocolate mixture makes it extra shiny on top. You can omit or replace it with coconut oil or vegetable shortening.
• Chocolate: You can use semi-sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate for the chocolate glaze.
• Cake: If you prefer, you can bake the cake in a single layer and after cooling, cut it thru the middle using a serrated knife to create two layers. A single layer cake will take around 35 minutes to bake.
• Shortcut: Want to make life easier? Use a quality boxed yellow cake mix for the cake layers and custard powder or cooked vanilla pudding made per the directions for the filling. While the taste isn’t the same as homemade, you can shave some time off the recipe.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store leftover Boston Cream Pie covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container well chilled in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze this cake for up to 2 months. Cool the cake first to make sure that the chocolate and pastry cream is set.  Place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the cake to keep the chocolate from sticking to the plastic wrap. Once the parchment is in place, wrap the entire cake in plastic wrap. Then wrap it in tin foil before placing flat in the freezer. 
• Freeze and Assemble to Save Time: You can also freeze the cakes and the pastry cream separately and assemble the cake a couple of hours before you need it. Thaw both in the fridge.

More Dessert Recipes to Make

• This Tiramisu Layer Cake is a showstopper.
• Texas Trash Pie is sweet, gooey and irresistible.
• Enjoy these Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts as a treat anytime of day.
• Maple Cookies drizzled with a creamy maple glaze.
• Individual size Mini Cheesecakes can be topped with a variety of pie fillings.
• This Fluffy Pecan Cream Pie is a luscious dessert to make.
• The kiddos will love these Ice Cream Cupcakes.
• Serve Banana Fritters dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of caramel.
• Cake Pops Recipe from Food Network.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• 9-inch Cake Pans
• Stand Mixer
• Glass Measuring Cups
• Cake Stand

Print

Boston Cream Pie Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword best-boston-cream-pie-recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 37 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 22 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 440kcal

Ingredients

• Pastry Cream:
• 6 large egg yolks room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 7 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 medium vanilla beans, scraped OR 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup salted or unsalted butter
• Cake:
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chopped) or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Pastry Cream Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until smooth and a little fluffy.
• Add the cornstarch to the bowl and continue whisking until there are no lumps in the mixture. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and the vanilla beans paste over medium heat, whisking occasionally. As soon as bubbles break on the surface of the milk, remove it from the heat.
• Slowly add the hot milk into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly.  This will temper the eggs and keep the eggs from “scrambling”.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly while you bring it to a boil. The custard will thicken as it begins to boil. Once boiling, allow to simmer gently for an additional 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Add the butter and whisk until the butter has melted and the custard is combined and smooth.
• Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and cover the top of the custard with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the custard in the fridge to chill completely. (Tip: The custard can be made one day in advance to save time.)
• Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• In a medium mixing bowl use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat together the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and thickened. This will take 3-4 minutes.
• Add the flour mixture, slowly, to the stand mixer bowl and beat on low speed until fully incorporated.
• Use a glass measuring cup to combine the milk and butter. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute or until the butter is melted and the milk is steaming. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat the hot milk mixture into the bowl on low speed beating just until fully combined.
• Divide and pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cake layers for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes back clean and the cakes are lightly golden brown.
• Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then invert and flip the cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Assemble: Once the cakes and pastry cream have cooled, Place one cake onto a platter or cake stand. Whisk the pastry cream. Spread the chilled cream over the bottom of the cake leaving about 3/4-1 inch rim around the edge.
• Top with second cake layer. Gently press down until the filling reaches the edge of the cake. Place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours.
• Melt Chocolate: Place the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute or just until steaming. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate. Let the chocolate stand for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth.
• Pour the ganache over the top of the chilled cake. Spread to the edge of the cake using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, allowing it to drip down the sides.    
• Chill for at least 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set, then slice and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 811IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 1mg

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