Boston Cream Pie (II)
This Boston Cream Pie recipe features a simple vanilla cake filled with homemade pastry cream and topped with a chocolate ganache.
Six years ago, I made my grandma a Boston cream pie for her 91st birthday when she requested something that involved “white cake and pudding”. It was the first time I had made Boston cream pie from scratch, and as it turned out, that was the last birthday that we were able to celebrate with her, so the pie-that-is-really-a-cake holds a special place in my heart. You can see my rendition of that original cake here (please excuse the absurdly awful pictures!); it was a sponge cake filled with homemade pastry cream and covered in a silky chocolate glaze.
It was good, but in retrospect I thought it could be better. I wanted the best Boston cream pie recipe I could muster. So, when I asked my husband if there was anything in particular he’d like for dessert on Easter and he said “Boston cream pie”, it was my chance to make a new and improved version. Here it is!
So, total disclaimer (that I’m sure I’ve mentioned before) – I’m really not much of a white/vanilla cake person. I’m not a huge cake fan in general, so if I DO eat it, I really, really prefer that it be chocolate. However, there is an exception. I don’t need much convincing when it comes to Boston cream anything because.. I mean, pastry cream and chocolate? DONE!
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Alright, here’s the rundown of how I put this cake together…
Sponge cake does absolutely nothing for me, so I nixed that in favor of my favorite yellow cake recipe. I used the same pastry cream filling from the original recipe because I’ve made it countless times for a ton of different things, and it’s always perfect. If it’s not broke, right? As for the chocolate, I prefer Boston cream pies that have exposed sides and just chocolate on top for more of a casual/rustic look. I ditched the glaze in favor of my favorite ganache (used on my peanut butter cup cake) and let it thicken up a little more than usual, although you could totally pour it on and let it slide down the sides – it would be equally gorgeous!
I served this alongside my fresh strawberry pie for dessert on Easter and it was a huge hit. A couple of other cake-averse family members loved it, which sealed the deal for me!
(Psssst, if you prefer cupcakes, check out the Boston cream cupcakes I made awhile back. Next, I need to tackle Boston cream donuts!)
One year ago: Baking Basics: High Altitude Baking Tips
Five years ago: Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Six years ago: Deviled Eggs
Seven years ago: Dark Chocolate Truffles
Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
- 2 cups (473.18 ml) half-and-half
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Cake
- 2¼ cups (281.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ (1.5) cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Make the Pastry Cream: Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed 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 tablespoons 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 reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; 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 on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the buttermilk and beat on low for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 additional minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely before assembling.
- Make the Ganache: While the cake cools, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 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 a pourable consistency.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter, then spread the pastry cream evenly over top. Place the second cake layer on top and pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cake layer. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the ganache into an even layer over the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- This cake can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and should be kept in the refrigerator.
- Half and half is a common dairy product in the U.S. but can be replaced with 50% whole milk and 50% heavy cream.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I’ve made this Boston Cream Pie 3 times now, and 2 of the 3 it turned out GREAT! The reason for my one failed attempt was that I was extremely rushed. This is not a quick recipe so you need to make sure you take your time working with it, and it will come out wonderfully. It is a favorite of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who both have birthdays around Thanksgiving, and they request this Boston Cream Pie. I have gotten RAVE reviews every time I’ve made it (even when I messed up the consistency by being rushed). Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe. I’m anxious to try some of your other recipes!
Must try this. Like you, I am not a cake enthusiast unless it’s chocolate. However my husband loves, loves Boston Cream Pie.
Can’t wait to try it !
followed directions exactly. pastry cream running out of cake down sides. horrible presentation.
The recipe looks great but I really wanted to compare it to the one you made for your grandma. Unfortunately the link takes you right back to this page.
I followed this recipe to the “T” and the cake turned out dense and heavy (and in my opinion too big). The custard was not strong enough to withstand the weight of the cake and it started pouring out from the sides and the cake on top started shifting. The ganache was too runny, but i made it cool off for a couple of hours and put it in the fridge to thicken it up.
The tastes are great however the cake was a total disaster.
I’ve been looking for a Boston Cream Pie Cake for a while. Your recipes are great and I can always rely on them. Does AP flour yield the best results for this cake or can I use a blend of AP flour and cake flour in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I think both will work!
Made it yesterday for company as one of the guests always says Boston Cream his favorite. It was sensational! Not difficult to make and looks picture perfect. Definitely goes to the top of my baking list.
I made this cake ***sorry no picture. I cut the sugar in the cake recipe in half because the cream is very sweet. It really was delicious. No one really liked the chocalate ganache on top, it was too hard and made it difficult to cut the cake. When I make it again I will use a different chocalate topping that stays soft. But the cream and cake after cutting the sugar was definitely a big hit.
it seems the pastry cream could have made 2 cakes since it started sliding off due to the huge amount of custard. My cake was so messy! custard falling out of the sides, I had to continually wipe it off which ended in wasted product. Maybe I will not make this one next time. I made it for my senior clients so they are the taste testers, I cant eat rich recipes, so I will find out today how it all tastes.
I’m glad I’m not the only one! It was horrible…I was so embarrassed. I’ve made countless desserts over the last 25 years so I’m not a beginner. I guess I’ll have to keep looking or figure out if there is something I could have done to make the cream more stiff???
I made your Boston Cream Pie for a family event, and it was delightful. My question is whether you could freeze leftovers? I know, I know: what are leftovers when it comes to Boston Cream Pie? But, depending on the size of the event and the number of desserts, there are times when leftover cake comes home with me. When that happens, I typically slice the cake and wrap the individual slices in wax paper and keep them in a container in the freezer (perfect for evening snacks). I wasn’t sure how Boston Cream Pie would fair? I guess my main concern was whether the pastry cream would turn into a runny mess once thawed? I appreciate your guidance. And as I re-read the post, there was a mention of trying out Boston Cream doughnuts. Mmmmmm, doughnuts!
Hi Vanessa, I do the same thing with extra slices in the freezer! I have NOT tried freezing slices of this, though, however I *think* it would be okay.
I made this for my family when my mother requested a Boston Creme Pie for her birthday, and it came out great!! Based on the other reviews, I made sure to let the pastry cream really thicken before taking it off the heat. And it turned out perfectly; I actually expected it to smoosh out the sides a little bit when the cake was assembled but it didn’t at all. I also loved the cake recipe; and I’m generally not a yellow cake person, but this was light and delicious!
The only issue I had was with the ganache. I let it thicken enough so that it would still pour down the sides a bit, which it did nicely. I refrigerated the finished cake for a few hours, and then let it sit out for about half an hour before serving. But when I was cutting it, it was like the ganache was so dense than it pushed down the light and fluffy cake. So it was a bit of a struggle to cut pieces that stayed together nicely. Do you have any recommendations for how to avoid this issue in the future? If nothing else, I guess I could just leave it out at room temperature instead of refrigerated so the ganache stays softened. Other than that it was wonderful!
Hi Callie, I’m so glad you enjoyed this!! As for the ganache, yes sitting at room temperature longer would help, but you could also add a little more heavy cream, which will keep it a bit softer even when refrigerated. Hope that helps! :)
I would like some recipes for diabetics
I would also enjoy some diabetic recipes for my hubby! Tnx
I made this cake for my son’s birthday a few weeks ago. It was amazing! It looked exactly like the picture!! I read some comments and followed your advice to those comments. I made the cream the day before assembling the cake. I, also, refrigerated the ganache a bit before using it. I, then, refrigerated the cake until we were ready to serve it.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Fantastic recipe!
I’m a Very NOVICE baker, having only used cake mixes etc in the past.
This recipe was delicious, easy to follow, and has given me confidence to try other homemade recipes.
I did read through ALL THE PREVIOUS comments and questions prior to making to be aware of any potential pitfalls.
I made it for my Dads 65th Birthday.
He send me a message stating it was definitely as good as the best if not even better than the yummiest Boston Cream Pie he’s ever had.
I made this cake this weekend and I found the pastry cream set up perfectly. It was delicious and received rave reviews from my family. I’ve never made pastry cream before, or anything similar, so the trick for me was that I let it thicken until I thought it was thick enough and then let it go just a little bit longer. I didn’t pay attention to the recipe times (i.e. beat for 20 seconds) but to the recipe descriptions (whisk until creamy; whisk until thickened and glossy; etc.) and had no problems at all. I will definitely make this recipe again and now going to find other recipes to use the pastry cream because it was delicious!!
I made this cake on 6/23/18 for my husband’s birthday. Boston Creme Pie is one of his favorites. I did not have the soupy custard filling problem as mentioned by several reviewers, but the ganache icing was too runny, and I ended up adding melted chocolate chips and confectioner’s sugar to get it to the desired consistency. The custard filling was delicious, but the yellow cake turned out too dense for my taste. My husband liked it though, and appreciated my efforts to bake a cake from scratch!
I was looking for something different for my kids and I to make together. I decided we should attempt a Boston Cream Pie, and found this recipe. Top Notch! The cake turned out great, the pastry cream was a hit, and the ganache was awesome! Altogether it was a really fun experience for us!
Followed recipe to a T and will have to say that both the pastry cream and chocolate ganache came out PERFECT, in fact, I am bookmarking this pastry cream recipe because it is by far the best results I have ever seen making it at home, and it is the perfect amount for the cake. That said, I have two problems with the cake recipe, 1-my cake came out dry :( this is actually easily fixed by adding a little less flour or maybe an extra egg yolk. The second problem I have, however, is that the cake to filling ratio just seems way off. Like, I used 9in cake pans and the batter didn’t seem to rise overmuch, but once assembled, there was simply too much cake to the amount of filling and icing, it was impossible to eat without completely deconstructing the cake slice. No idea how to solve that problem except maybe to bake off some of the extra batter in another pan :-/
Same here on the pastry cream! It is an awesome recipe!
I made this today. Love the flavours. The filling is perfect! But I’m not a fan of the cake’s texture- what is it supposed to be like? It felt dense/heavy/chewy – but because of the pastry cream filling wasn’t that difficult to go down. Maybe I did something wrong with the cake though. My ganache was too thick but that’s easy to figure out- will use less chocolate. Thanks for the recipe- I’d like to try it again with a lighter / fluffier cake hopefully.
Hi Haseena, I’m glad you enjoyed it! As for the cake, it should a soft cake, not dense or heavy.
I tried making thing recipe for the first time and it unfortunately didn’t turn out very pretty. All the components tasted great, but the cream layer just kind of seeped out. It just ran out of the cake and puddled over the edge. Do you have suggestions on how to make it thicker or hold it’s structure better so it just doesn’t run out of the cake?
Wonderful recipe! I know this comment is a little late, but I just wanted to go on record as having had NO problem with the pastry cream thickening. In fact, it thickened so fast after tempering the yolks that I couldn’t possibly have run it through a sieve. Nobody noticed the few tiny lumps and it tasted amazing! I was actually afraid that it wouldn’t spread after chilling (I made the cake and cream at night and assembled the next day) and that I would end up with a solid jell-o like blob. Didn’t happen and I couldn’t be happier. I did save my 1/2 and 1/2 for my coffee and used some very thick heavy cream and whole milk, so that may have contributed to the texture.
I’m certain to use the pastry cream recipe as often as I can think of something to put it on, so I will pop back in to report if I have a disaster.
I made this a while back, and it was absolutely terrific. I seriously crave boston cream pie… but not that stuff they sell at all of the stores, with the fake pudding in it (yuk!); There is absolutely nothing like chocolate ganashe and pastry cream, in one dessert. Unfortunately, I want this right now, and have none of the things I would need to make it… but I figured I would look at it, just to torture myself a bit. Thank you for a great recipe!
I recently began baking cakes from scratch. I made this one for XMas Eve with all the family, and it was tied for first place as THE BEST CAKE! I left the following morning, so froze the little remaining, and it was even better frozen.
I made the cake again last week and for some reason my creme was runny and was a total disaster. When the creme wouldn’t stay on top of the first cake, I scraped it off and put the creme back in the refrigerator (after covering it again w plastic wrap). I tried it again a few hours later–same results.
I really believe I measured the ingredients correctly. Do you have any idea if I over cooked the creme or if 3 hours was not sufficient refrigeration? I’m now afraid to try this recipe again, but did I mention my family loved this cake????
Thanks for your help!
Hi Kathryn, I’m so thrilled your family loved this cake! If it turned out fine the first time, I’m thinking the second time perhaps there was an error or the pastry cream wasn’t cooked long enough to thicken appropriately.
In the photo of the cake it appears there was something wrapped around the cake to keep the pastry cream from oozing out. Yet in the recipe that part of the assembly process is missing. Pareses can you explain what you used to wrap around the side of the cake? Presumably it was after assembling and before refrigerating? Thanks.
I actually didn’t wrap anything, I just used an offset spatula to spread the pastry cream flush with the sides of the cake.
Baked this amazing “pie” and received many compliments! Mine was a little messy with so much pastry cream, but wasn’t going to waste any! Everyone LOVED this dessert and I will keep it in my arsenal!
This recipe as executed made the best Boston Cream I’ve had let alone done. Filling is firm enough to hold up and the cake was just right, with perfectly chewy crumb. The ganache would classy as “stupid easy”. Capped off the St Patty’s day meal just right.
Looks fabulous. I have to make it a couple of days ahead, ok to refrigerate 2 days or freeze?
Hi Debra, Yes you can refrigerate for 2 days. I would just keep it airtight and then let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
What are the main differences between this cake recipe and the recipe you used to make the Boston Cream Cupcakes? Can I use this cake recipe to make cupcakes? Is the cupcake version more of a sponge cake? I am making the cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday this weekend, but have been trying to decide if I should make the cake or cupcakes. Also, any major differences in the pastry cream? The recipe for the pastry cream in the cupcakes is slightly different than this one as well. Thank you!
Hi Erica, This is more of a fluffy, traditional yellow cake while the cupcakes are slightly more dense, as they need to be to support the pastry cream filling. The pastry cream for this cake is the one I use all the time, so I definitely recommend it!
Do you think this recipe would be ok to fill a 3 layer 8″ cake? It does not need to be overly stuffed since it will be a frosted cake, but I don’t want it to be skimpy either!
Hi Natasha, I assume you mean the pastry cream? If so, yes, I think that would work if you don’t need massive layers of pastry cream!
Made this recipe and it is for sure tasty. The ganache came out perfect but the pastry cream was almost too sweet and almost gritty. I followed the recipe exactly and strained well. Any ideas? Less cornstarch?
Hi Hope, I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! As for the pastry cream being gritty, I would be sure you whisk until the sugar is dissolved in both steps, the saucepan, and when whisking with the egg yolks.