Boston Cream Pie

Want a dessert that speaks to your inner child? Then, you need this Boston Cream Pie recipe. It’s the perfect solution when your sweet tooth comes knocking. 

Looking for the best Boston cream pie recipe?

This easy Boston Cream Pie recipe is calling your name! Flaky pie crust and fluffy cake layers meet rich vanilla pastry cream, all under a silky chocolate glaze – it’s the perfect sweet treat that’s both familiar and sophisticated.

Sometimes a slice of childhood comfort food is exactly what the doctor ordered. But who says a classic can’t be a touch more, well, sophisticated? Enter the Boston Cream Pie. This recipe takes everything you love about a Boston cream donut, and elevates it to a whole new level. Think silky smooth pastry cream filling nestled between layers of fluffy cake, all cloaked in a rich, decadent chocolate glaze. It’s the perfect dessert for those days when you want something sweet, satisfying, and with a touch of nostalgic flair.

What Is Boston Cream Pie?

This original Boston cream pie boasts a rich history dating back to the mid-1800s. It all began at the grand opening of Boston’s Parker House Hotel (now known as the Omni Parker House). Today, Boston Cream Pie reigns supreme as the official dessert of Massachusetts, beating out other contenders like cookies and fig bars.

But here’s the twist: it’s not actually a pie! This two-layered golden cake is filled with a creamy custard and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. Back in the day, chocolate was a more unusual treat, mostly enjoyed as a drink or in puddings. So, the use of chocolate icing on this dessert was quite innovative! Originally called “Chocolate Cream Pie,” the name eventually evolved into the familiar “Boston Cream Pie.” By the 1950s, this dessert had become so popular that it was even featured in a boxed cake mix recipe.

This recipe is our take on the original recipe. We made a basic yellow cake with rich pastry cream similar to that of a Boston cream donut or this banana cream pie recipe. We even made Boston cream pie minis for a fun-size version of this rich treat. 

How to Make Boston Cream Pie

Make the Pie

• Heat your oven to 350ºF.
• You can use a store-bought pie crust for this recipe (no shame in that game!). If you do make your own crust from scratch, follow your favorite simple tart dough recipe and pre-bake it for 15 minutes according to the recipe’s instructions. Let it cool completely while you make the cake.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.
• Once your butter and sugar are combined, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk (pour a bit of dry ingredients, then some buttermilk, repeat). Mix until just combined – don’t overmix!
• Pour the batter into your pie crust (or store-bought crust). Bake it for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

Whip Up the Custard Filling

• In a clean bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until it’s nice and fluffy.
• In a saucepan, heat up the milk and cream over medium heat until it starts to simmer around the edges.
• With your stand mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Then turn the mixer up to high and beat for a few seconds until smooth.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens up and becomes the consistency of mayonnaise.
• Take the custard filling off the heat and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Let it cool completely in the fridge.

Make the Glaze

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, cream, and corn syrup. Heat it until everything is melted and just starting to simmer.
• Take the pan off the heat and add your chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring. Then, whisk it all together until it’s smooth and shiny. Let it cool slightly.

Assemble the Pie

• Spoon the cooled custard filling over the top of the cooled cake. Spread it into an even layer.
• Pour the chocolate glaze over the custard filling and smooth it out with a spatula. Let the whole pie set in the fridge before slicing and serving.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover Boston Cream Pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This Boston Cream Pie is the answer to your sweet tooth’s prayers – a dessert that’s both familiar and refreshingly sophisticated. A taste of pure nostalgia, a touch of grown-up indulgence, and a whole lot of deliciousness. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!

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Boston Cream Pie

From: Pie it Forward

No really. It’s a pie. With a cake inside. With pastry cream. And chocolate ganache. Oh snap.

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

• 1/2 batch simple tart dough 

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg

• 1 teas vanilla extract

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teas salt
• 1 teas baking powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the Cream Filling:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teas vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Glaze:

• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs corn syrup
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9″ pie plate with the dough (don’t worry about making this one pretty. We removed all the extra crust before serving the pie anyway. We would say even try a deep tart pan) and freeze it for 20 minutes. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes; Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, to the sugar in three additions. Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pie crust and bake for 1 hour, until cake springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the cream filling. In your clean mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and vanilla with the whisk attachment until fluffy.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, simmer the milk and cream until the edges just start to bubble. With the mixer running on low, pour the milk in slowly. Increase the speed to high. Stop and scrape down the bottom. Mix again on high until smooth. (This only takes a few seconds).

Transfer back into the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and cook until thickened and is the consistency of mayo. Place plastic wrap directly on cream and cover. Place in fridge until cool. (We just set the pot on a trivet in the fridge).

When the cream is cool, make the glaze.

In a saucepan, combine the butter, cream, and corn syrup over medium low heat until it just begins to simmer and butter is melted. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Do not stir. Let sit for 5 minutes. Walk away, check facebook, look at kitten pictures. Let the chocolate do it’s thing. After it has set for 5 minutes, whisk until smooth and shiny. Let sit again for 5 minutes while you ready the cake.

Spoon the cream over the top of the cake and smooth. Pour the glaze over the cream and smooth with an offset spatula. We let it run over the sides, cuz who doesn’t love extra chocolate. Let set and serve.

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