Boston Cream Pie
Boston cream pie is, despite its name, a layered cake rather than a pie. Two rounds of tender sponge cake sandwich a thick vanilla pastry cream, and the top is cloaked in a glossy dark chocolate glaze. The sponge is baked from cake flour and eggs to achieve a fine, pillowy crumb that compresses gently under a fork. The pastry cream - cooked from milk, cornstarch, and egg yolks - sets into a thick, silky custard that holds its shape when sliced but melts smoothly on the tongue. The chocolate glaze cools into a thin, shiny shell that cracks when pressed, mingling with the cream beneath. Each forkful delivers the sequence of bitter chocolate, sweet vanilla custard, and plain sponge in quick succession.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 175C and prepare an 18 cm pan.
- 2
Whip eggs and sugar, fold in flour, bake the sponge, and cool.
- 3
Cook milk, sugar, cornstarch, and yolks into pastry cream, then cool.
- 4
Split the cake and fill generously with pastry cream.
- 5
Melt chocolate with butter for glaze and pour over the top.
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