Boston Cream Pie

This has always been my favorite cake. My sister's too. Now it is in the "top 5" of my son's. It was his birthday this week, so to celebrate, his family came over for a fun game night. We topped off the evening with a little (or big) slice of heaven. This cake has A LOT of steps. But each step is not complicated. And, if you want to save some time, you can make the pastry cream ahead of time. I also have a cake roll version on my blog if you would rather try something a little different. Either way, enjoy.

Serves 10-12

Recipe courtesy of browneyedbaker.com

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Ingredients for Pastry Cream

2 cups half and half

½ cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

5 large egg yolks, room temperature

3 TBSP cornstarch

4 TBSP cold, unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1½ tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Cake

2¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1¼ cup buttermilk

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

¾ cup heavy cream

2 TBSP corn syrup

Directions

Make the Pastry Cream: Heat the half and half, 6 TBSP of the sugar and the salt in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 TBSP sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 20 seconds.

When the half and half mixture comes to a full simmer, gradually whisk the half and half into the yolk mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan and return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill until cold and set, about 3 hours (or up to two days).

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of your pans with non-stick spray and then line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Then spray the parchment paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixture, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute between each egg.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the buttermilk and beat on low for one minute, then increase speed to medium and beat for an additional three minutes.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans, turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Make the Ganache:

Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place cream and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to boil, stirring constantly. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for two minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, yet still pourable.

Assemble the Cake:

Place one of the cake layers on your serving plate, then spread the pastry cream evenly over the top.Place the second layer on top (with the flat bottom side facing up) and pour the ganache into the center of the cake.Let the ganache run over the sides (or if your ganache is firmer, use an offset spatula and spread to the outer edges of the cake).Refrigerate until ready to serve.Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.Can be made up to one day in advance