Boston Cream Pie

[TrishCT]

Running into some "technical difficulties" trying to insert a picture....

Edited May 6, 2003 by TrishCT (log)

[Marlene]

Trish,

Your recipe looks great.  The filling seems much less eggy and using chocolate ganache for the glaze probably makes it richer.  I'm going to have to try again soon.

I just put this one in the archive.

Thanks Claire. I edited it to put it under Trish's name in case someone wants to do a search that way

[Marlene]

Running into some "technical difficulties" trying to insert a picture.... 

Trish, now that the recipe is in your name, you should be able to upload the picture into the archive

[Vyrianna]

I was looking around the web for Boston Cream Pie recipes and such. and came across this forum and this line of posts. I just wanted to say, the first time I ever had Boston Cream Pie was when I was living in Omaha. They had this lovely chain of restaurant bakeries called the Garden Cafe. One thing though, like the restaurant mentioned by someone in Austin, their Boston Cream Pie was made with chocolate cake. So to me the ones that are white just aren't Boston Creme Pie. And that is also why when I go looking for recipes I'm looking for one that uses chocolate cake.

[nightscotsman]

Welcome Vyrianna! Glad you found us and I hope you enjoy poking around.

So was that a chocolate sponge cake in the one you remember, or was it more like a butter/devil's food type cake? either way it sounds like a worthy variation to me.

[Vyrianna]

Not exactly sure if it was a choclate sponge cake or more lke a devil foods cake. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, unfortunately. Too me it seems like normal choclate cake. Not very informative am I? Sorry. Most of the cakes I remember are what I call "normal" cakes, typically from a box. Mom never baked cakes from scratch. (And by the age of 12 all my grandparents were deceased so I can't recall grandma making one.) I do remember finding Baker's One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe and I must say that is my favorite chocolate cake recipe, well except for when I want a German Chocolate Cake. (Baker's also as a really good recipe for that too.)

I suppose that I could just make up some of that cake, and try some of the custard filling recipes and use that with icing on top.

[maggiethecat]

Most of the cakes I remember are what I call "normal" cakes, typically from a box.  Mom never baked cakes from scratch.

Yes, I know what you mean here, even though scratch cakes were, and are, "normal" in my family.

But I have come to realize, rather sadly, that cake mixes are now what is thought of as a home made cake!

Welcome, Vyrianna. We want to hear more from you.

[elyse]

Welcome Vyrianna!

[Rhea_S]

I'm bringing a Boston Cream Pie to a dinner party this evening. I'm using the recipe in Carole Walter's Great Cakes. It uses a hot-water sponge cake, a vanilla custard filling that uses only 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk and a chocolate glaze that combines unsweetened and semisweet chocolate. It doesn't look as rich as other recipes, but most cakes from this book are usually delicious. I made the filling last night, the cake this morning and I'll assemble when I get home from work. If I have time to go to the store this afternoon, I'll pick up some cream to lighten the filling and to make ganache instead of the glaze. I'll post a review tomorrow.

[Vyrianna]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still awaiting to hear about how the desert turned out last weekend. I had considered trying to make one this weekend for Father's Day but my brother (the newest father also) doesn't like chocolate. Last fall while I was out of town, I tried something new that I'd never heard of before, a cherry custard pie. It took some searching since the one I had didn't use cherry pie filling like a number of the recipes I located did, but I do believe I located one that resembles what I had. I guess this weekend will tell.

[skyflyer3]

A friend of mine has asked me to make a cake with custard for a small party this weekend. I've decided to go with a Boston Cream Pie, which I've never made before (or any cake with custard filling) nor eaten, except for a leche flan cake which I don't think will help me here.

At any rate, I'm going to do more layers than just two for a larger group, although I'm having trouble figuring out how many and what type of cream to use. It seems that traditionally, a Bavarian type of cream is employed, as most pictures of the cake depict the custard layer almost as thick as the cake layers themselves. I was thinking initially I would do four layers alternating with a creme anglaise and then cover the whole thing with a very thin chocolate glaze - but doing three layers with a thicker, Bavarian type creme with same glaze seems a good idea as well if the custard is really amazing. I know I should decide if I want the cake or the custard to take center stage, and that will be the deciding factor - or is it? Those who can help me differentiate between the creams and their roles in this cake, please help me out - thanks.

[phlawless]

The way I've done it before is by using a pastry cream, with genoise layers: two cream three cake with a relatively thin chocolate glaze.

[mckayinutah]

The way I've done it before is by using a pastry cream, with genoise layers: two cream three cake with a relatively thin chocolate glaze.

Exactly right

[browniebaker]

Between two layers of sponge cake I spread a nearly-as-thick layer of pastry cream, and I top it all with a not-too-thin chocolate glaze that sets smooth on the top and barely runs down the edges although not all the way down to the cake-plate. It's my husband's birthday cake of choice every year.

So, neither creme anglaise nor bavarian cream. Pastry cream is the traditional filling for this cake.

Edited January 8, 2004 by browniebaker (log)

[TrishCT]

On another thread, I can't recall what it was called, several of us posted Boston Cream Pie recipes. Mine might also be in the recipe archives...not sure. I use a simple vanilla custard filling (which can be enriched with some whipped cream folded in, if desired.)

A Creme Anglaise will be too thin, and bavarian cream is...just wrong... nothing bad about it, it's just not the filling for a traditional BCP.

As far as your mult-layer verson, just a few notes of caution...

For a traditional cake, usually just one layer of cake is split in half and filled. That way the BCP isn't too cakey. Because the filling is kinda squishy until it firms again in the fridge, making a tall BCP may prove a bit unwieldy. My best advice is to make several short cakes. Also, I recommend a delicious choclate ganache for the icing.

Hope you can find that old thread and recipes... a lot of good input from some terrific bakers on it.

[Dave the Cook]

On another thread, I can't recall what it was called, several of us posted Boston Cream Pie recipes.

BCP thread here.

[McDuff]

If you pipe a pastry cream in a spiral on each layer as you build it, and then wrap the cake in acetate, you can get a nice tall three layer BCP with a flawless top of chocolate glaze, or ganache. And before that sets pipe some white chocolate lines and run a knife through them. Piping the pastry cream doesn't put any pressure on this pile'o'cake.

Edited January 9, 2004 by McDuff (log)

[ludja]

If you pipe a pastry in a spiral on each layer as you build it, and then wrap the cake in acetate, you can get a nice tall three layer BCP with a flawless top of chocolate glaze, or ganache. And before that sets pipe some white chocolate lines and run a knife through them. Piping the pastry cream doesn't put any pressure on this pile'o'cake.

wow, sounds like really helpful advice--may even prompt me to make a BCP (I never have) after checking out the recipes on the other thread!

***I've usually been disappointed w/BCP in restaurants, and thus no longer ever order it, but I think I a nice homemade one would be great. The descriptions of good pastry cream, chocolate ganache and homemade cake have just revitalized my impression of BCP!!!

Edited January 8, 2004 by ludja (log)

[skyflyer3]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I looked up a few recipes, though, and it seems the difference between the Bavarian cream in the Cake Bible and many pastry creams is the use of cornstarch and gelatin as thickeners. I've also seen recipes that make Bavarian cream from pastry cream - just adding whipped cream and vanilla to pastry cream seems to do it. I'm mostly looking for a custard that's basically like liquid creme brulee in taste. I'll experiment a bit and report results later.

p.s. Will definitely do a thin chocolate ganache glaze. Thanks also for the rec to acetate the sides.

[TrishCT]

If you pipe a pastry cream in a spiral on each layer as you build it, and then wrap the cake in acetate, you can get a nice tall three layer BCP with a flawless top of chocolate glaze, or ganache. And before that sets pipe some white chocolate lines and run a knife through them. Piping the pastry cream doesn't put any pressure on this pile'o'cake.

By george, I'm going to try this next time! Much thanks!

Edited to add: Thanks Dave for that link!

Edited January 9, 2004 by TrishCT (log)

[McDuff]

They are really three separate distinct preparations. Pastry cream is a cooked custard containing eggs and yolks and/or flour or cornstarch. It is brought to a boil and simmered for a few minutes to get rid of a starchy taste.

When one adds whipped cream to a cold pastry cream, the result is Diplomat cream, which may or may not be stabilized with gelatin.

Adding Italian meringue to a warm pastry cream gives you creme Chiboust.

A Bavarian is made from a starchless custard base, similar to a creme anglaise, which is poured hot over softened gelatin, cooled, and then whipped cream is folded in. This must be used immediately for molding.

Pastry cream is the appropriate filling for a Boston Cream Pie. All the other preparations have a different texture and mouthfeel and different applications.

I put pastry cream in a chocolate glazed eclair, but Diplomat cream in a sugar-dusted cream puff, just to show off the differences.

If my boss brings it in today, it will have taken over a year to get some gelatin into the earthycrunchy grocery store where I work, so I can make charlottes with raspberry Bavarian.

[TrishCT]

I never knew that was called 'Diplomat Cream.' For BCP I usually make the traditional vanilla cream filling, but on occasion the Diplomat Cream makes a pleasant variation. Larn somethin' new every day.

[ludja]

Hi TrishCT,

like your avatar; do you know what type of flowers those are? gentians?

[Samaki]

In Baking Across America, Greg patent has a recipe for Boston cream pie using a baked custard filling. It's out of this world.

[TrishCT]

Hi TrishCT,

like your avatar; do you know what type of flowers those are? gentians?

Thanks Ludja, yes they should be gentians. I got the avatar from a public domain clip art page when I searched under that flower name. I have a fondness for blue, as did one of my favorite authors, D. H. Lawrence, who expressed his enchantment by gentians when he wrote, " Oh, what in you can answer to this blueness?"