Boston Cream Pie is always the birthday treat request in our house!
Its hard to believe I’ve been blogging for a whole year. Its even harder to believe I’ve eaten all the wonderful things I see when I scroll through the recipes on the site. What a wonderful culinary year it has been.
Before we celebrate with cake, can we talk favorites for a moment?
I hope you were here for Chocolate Cake and Butters Sauce.
My Waffle Window Party churned out some of the best waffles I’ve ever experienced.
Its impossible to get through summer without Homemade Lemonade.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars are what you make if you want to gain weight and friends.
Crispy Butternut Squash Ravioli hits so many senses.
Cajun Roasted Chickpeas can be a snack or a meal.
I made a lot of sandwiches, including this BBQ Pork Sandwich.
Have you tried the Serious Chocolate Chip Cookies yet? Seriously.
In honor of my one year blogiversary I’m excited to bring you a true family favorite today. For years my grandmother would turn this cake out, cigarette in hand, for the most special of occasions. I don’t think we realized until she was gone how critical the cigarette smell was to our enjoyment of the cake (gross, right?!). We tried everything to recreate it from waving a cigarette over the finished cake to actually smoking one. I won’t say who smoked it but it was, in a word, hilarious.
As time has passed I think we’ve come to accept the clean, sweet taste of smoke-less cake. Perhaps it was the nicotine that had us so addicted to it in the first place. Still this cake makes an appearance at several birthdays a year. I’m always surprised when I find friends who have never had a Boston Cream Pie. Its actually not a pie at all, but a cake filled with a sweet pudding-like cream and topped with a dark chocolate glaze.
Finally I would just like to say thank you for being here. I love interacting with all of you and sharing my favorite recipes and stories. I hope you’ll keep coming back. I hope you’ll make this cake. And I hope you’ll be inspired to live a delicious life of your own.
Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 egg yolks,, slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- 4 ½ tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- About 2 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a round layer pan, 9 x 1 ½ inches.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. Continue to beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the cream
- Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. In a glass measuring cup, mix milk and egg yolks. Pour and stir the milk mixture gradually into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for one minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and cool completely.
For the chocolate glaze
- Heat butter and chocolate in a 2 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in water, one teaspoon at a time, until smooth and of spreading consistency. The glaze should be just slightly runny but still solid.
Assemble the cake
- Split the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a cake stand or plate. Spread cream evenly on top to within ½ inch of the sides. Place the top of the cake on top of the cream. Spread the top of the cake with chocolate glaze, letting it run slightly over the sides.
- The cake will keep, refrigerated and covered with plastic wrap, for about as long as you can keep people away from it.
Mother says
Hi Lindsay…I laughed out loud at the cigarette part. Love that Boston Cream Pie. I don’t think I could eat a store one. Grandma sure made some great treats. We should make one of these soon…should I bring the cigarette or do you have one? 🙂 Have a great day! Say hello to the kids.
Becca from It's Yummilicious says
Happy blogiversary, Lindsay! It looks like you’ve had an exciting first year! Wishing you lots of success in the future!
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
Happy blogiversary! The cake looks and sounds delicious!