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    Home » Cakes & Sweet Rolls

    Published Jan 31, 2020 · Updated Nov 29, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Mini Boston Cream Pie

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Boston Cream Pie on a white cake stand with plates & forks behind Pinterest banner.
    Boston Cream Pie on a white cake stand with plates & forks behind Pinterest banner.

    An American classic dessert, Boston Cream Pie is a moist and tender vanilla cake filled with a thick layer of rich pastry cream and draped with a glossy dark chocolate ganache. This decadent 6-inch mini Boston Cream Pie is perfectly size for two!

    Boston Cream Pie on a white cake stand with plates & forks behind. this …

    [Side Note: a version of this post first appeared on my OutlanderCast column, April 3, 2019]

    Why this recipe works

    • The moist and tender vanilla sponge cake is light and airy
    • Rich pastry cream is flavored with specks of fresh vanilla bean seeds
    • Dark chocolate ganache is a perfect counterpoint to the cake and pastry cream

    Boston Cream Pie is a classic American dessert that epitomizes elegance and style.

    The moist vanilla sponge and luscious pastry cream come together for an exceptional layer cake. When topped with decadent chocolate ganache, you know you're about to serve something extra special.

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • What you need
    • How to make Boston Cream Pie
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip: Bake flat topped cakes
    • One elegant dessert
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What you need

    There are three elements to a Boston Cream Pie recipe: vanilla cake, pastry cream filling, and chocolate ganache topping.

    This light and airy yellow cake recipe is Hot Milk and Butter Cake, so called because you use…uhm…hot milk and melted butter in the batter. It also contains flour, sugar, eggs, canola oil, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.

    It's a richly flavored sponge, moist and tall.

    a small scone
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    Ingredients for hot milk cake portioned into glass bowls from overhead.
    Hot milk cake ingredients

    Boston Cream filling is just pastry cream custard (aka crème pâtissière if you want to get fancy), essentially vanilla custard thickened with cornstarch. It's in the same family as ice cream, egg nog, bread pudding, and quiche.

    The ingredients you need are milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and cornstarch. If you want an even richer pastry cream, you can substitute up to ½ cup of heavy cream for the milk.

    It's best if you can use a fresh vanilla bean, but you can also use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.

    Ingredients for pastry cream portioned into glass bowls from overhead.
    Pastry cream ingredients, including a fresh vanilla bean

    Chocolate ganache is, well, fudgy chocolate nirvana. It can be used to glaze cakes (as it is here) or as the filling for tarts and truffles. 

    This ganache is made from heavy cream and dark chocolate. Vanilla extract is added for extra richness, and the corn syrup helps to give the ganache stability and a beautiful sheen.

    Ingredients for chocolate ganache portioned into glass bowls from overhead.
    Just two ingredients go into this wonderful dessert sauce (ok, four if you count the vanilla and corn syrup)

    How to make Boston Cream Pie

    Element 1: Hot Milk and Butter Cake

    Step 1: Make the batter

    Beat the sugar and eggs together at medium-high speed until lightened, about 3 to 4 minutes (batter will fall from the paddle in thick ribbons). Mix in the canola oil on low speed (photo 1).

    Collage of combining eggs, sugar, and canola oil in a glass bowl.
    Beating eggs with sugar and canola oil

    Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg mixture and beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute (photo 2). Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again briefly to fully incorporate the flour.

    Adding flour, baking powder, and salt to the cake batter.
    Adding flour, baking powder, and salt to the batter

    Step 2: Heat the milk

    Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan set over medium heat until small bubbles form and the mixture is steaming. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the butter is fully melted. Stir in the vanilla extract (photo 3).

    Collage of combining milk, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan.
    Melting butter in heated milk, then adding vanilla extract

    Step 3: Add the milk mixture to the batter

    With the mixer going on low speed, slowly add the hot milk mixture to the cake batter, mixing until the batter is well combined. Scrape the bowl and mix briefly until the batter is smooth. It will be very thin (photo 4).

    Beating in the hot milk mixture into the cake batter.
    Stirring in the hot milk mixture

    Step 4: Bake the cakes

    Lightly spray two 6-inch round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, then spray the parchment. If you’re using Bake-Even strips (see the Pro Tip below), soak two in water for 5 minutes, wring them out, then wrap the pans with them tightly (you won't need to level the cakes later if you use them).

    Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. You can do this by eye, or you can weight the batter with a kitchen scale (I measured about 290 grams). Place the cake pans on the scale and measure out half the weight of batter per pan (about 145 grams).

    Bake the cakes at 325˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they're a deep golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan (photo 5). A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean.

    Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

    Collage of before & after baking hot milk cake.
    One of the two cake layers before and after baking

    Element 2: Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

    You'll want to make the pastry cream while the cakes are in the oven to give it plenty of time to chill before assembly.

    By the way, you can use this pastry cream recipe for vanilla pudding also - just reduce the cornstarch to two tablespoons. Alternatively, you can use this recipe for vanilla pudding without eggs or this no-egg chocolate pudding. Whichever method you choose, the pudding is guaranteed to be much better than anything you can get out of a box!

    Step 5: Whisk the yolk mixture

    Whisk the egg yolks briefly. Add half of the sugar and cornstarch and whisk to combine (photo 6). Set aside.

    Egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a glass bowl from overhead.
    Whisking egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch

    Step 6: Heat the milk mixture

    This pastry cream is flavored with fresh vanilla bean seeds. Did I say vanilla bean seeds? No, flecks of flavor, more like! I don't always use a fresh vanilla bean in my baking, but I do when the vanilla will be showcased, like in Magic Custard Cake. 

    Whisk together the milk and the remaining sugar in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture, then add the vanilla bean (photo 7).

    You can always substitute one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for the vanilla bean, if you wish. Just add it in with the butter after you've cooked the custard.

    Collage of combining heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan.
    Splitting and scraping out the seeds from a vanilla bean

    Step 7: Temper the egg mixture

    Tempering eggs for custard isn't difficult, but what does tempering eggs mean?

    Before you add the yolk mixture to the hot milk, it's important to gently warm the yolks first. This step helps avoid little pieces of cooked egg in your pastry cream. It's also helpful to start with room-temperature egg yolks.

    Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam.

    Gently heat the egg mixture by slowly adding ¼ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ¼ cup of the milk and whisk the yolk mixture again. When the eggs feel warm to the touch, you can add the yolk mixture to the pan (photo 8). This process is called tempering the eggs.

    Collage of tempering egg mixture in a glass bowl.
    Tempering the yolk mixture

    Step 8: Cook the pastry cream

    Cook the custard, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is bubbling and thickened. Allow it to boil approximately 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Don't overcook the pastry cream to avoid overcooking the eggs. Remove the pastry cream from the heat (photo 9).

    Removing cooked pastry cream from the heat.
    Removing the cooked pastry cream from the heat

    Step 9: Strain and chill the pastry cream

    Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, removing the spent vanilla bean. If the custard boiled during thickening, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg.

    Don’t toss that vanilla bean - instead rinse the bean, then place it in a jar and cover with vodka to make your own vanilla extract. If you are using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, stir it in now.

    Add the butter and stir until it melts, but don't over-mix, as this will thin the custard (photo 10).

    Collage of straining cooked pastry cream and adding butter.
    Straining the cooked custard and mixing in the butter

    To help prevent bacteria growth while the pastry cream cools, chill it in an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water, reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl). Stir the custard occasionally until it's cooled to room temperature - a digital thermometer should read about 80°F (photo 11). Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until needed.

    Collage of checking the temperature of cooling pastry cream.
    Chilling the pastry cream quickly and safely

    Element 3: Chocolate Ganache

    Chocolate ganache is made with equal parts chocolate and heavy cream, by weight. A kitchen scale is helpful here.

    While dark chocolate provides the most contrast to the sweet cake and pastry cream, you can choose your chocolate type - milk, semi sweet, or dark - depending on your preference. Just make sure it's good quality. Hint: chop the chocolate with a serrated knife - it cuts it cleaner than a chef's knife.

    Step 10: Add heated cream to chopped chocolate

    Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer, either on the stove in a small saucepan or in the microwave.

    Pour the cream onto the chocolate, cover, and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then start stirring. At first it will look grainy, but keep stirring until the mixture is smooth.

    Add the corn syrup (if using) and vanilla and stir well (photo 12).

    Collage of adding hot heavy cream to chopped chocolate for ganache.
    Making ganache is as easy as chop, heat, wait, and mix in

    Step 11: Assemble the Boston Cream Pie

    Level the cakes (if needed). Place one of the cakes, right side up, on a cake plate. Top with the pastry cream, spreading it right to the edges (you want at least ½-inch of filling inside when the cake is assembled).

    Place the top layer, upside down, on the filling (photo 13).

    Collage of filling a layer of hot milk cake with pastry cream & adding the second layer.
    Layering the cakes with the pastry cream filling

    Pour the ganache over the filled cake, spreading it with a small offset spatula to the edges to spill over the sides (photo 14). Let the ganache set for a few minutes before serving.

    Collage of pouring ganache on top of hot milk cake layered with pastry cream filling.
    Topping the Boston Cream Pie with ganache

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    Why is it called Boston Cream Pie?

    As you may have already guessed by now, Boston Cream Pie isn't pie at all, but a layer cake. Also called Boston Cream Cake, this dessert is a descendant of earlier desserts called American pudding-cake pies when both cakes and pies were cooked in the same pans, and the names were often interchanged.

    The cake became associated with Boston because this particular combination of cake, pastry cream, and ganache was created at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the late 19th century.

    Should I refrigerate Boston Cream Pie?

    Because of the pastry cream, Boston Cream Pie should be kept in the refrigerator, covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.

    Can I make the cake, pastry cream, and ganache ahead?

    The cakes can be made a day ahead and chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap. Bring it to room temperature before assembly. The pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface. It's best to make the ganache right before assembly.

    Slice of Boston Cream Pie on a white plate with the sliced whole cake on a white cake stand & 2 forks on a grey napkin from overhead..

    Pro Tip: Bake flat topped cakes

    One trick to ensure the cake layers will be even is to use damp Bake-Even strips wrapped snugly around a cake pan. They insulate the outside part of the cake pan, allowing the center of the batter to bake…well…evenly with the outer edges. What you get is a flat-topped layer cake that then doesn’t have to be trimmed.

    Check out this Port Wine Chocolate Cake recipe to see the Bake-Even strips in action. No leveling needed! Here's one of the layers before and after baking. See how even it looks? There's no cracked dome on top.

    Collage of Bake-even strips on 2 baking pans before & after baking cake layers.
    Bake-Even strips allow cake batter to bake without a dome on top

    One elegant dessert

    Boston Cream Pie is one of those desserts that take a little time and patience to make, but the result is so incredible that it’s well worth the effort.

    The hot milk and butter cake is moist and light, and complemented by the rich vanilla bean pastry cream. The dark chocolate ganache adds a luxurious counterpoint that tempers the sweetness while adding body to the cake.

    This 6-inch Boston Cream Pie recipe is sized for a small group. For a full-sized cake, just double all the ingredients, and bake the cake layers in two 9-inch round cake pans.

    Slice of Boston Cream Pie on a white plate with the sliced whole cake on a white cake stand behind.

    If you're celebrating a birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, New Year's Eve, or any other special moment, this is truly an elegant dessert to share with a special person or people in your life.

    It’ll make any day exceptional!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Recipes

    There are many ways to enjoy a smaller version of a treat if you're looking for portion control. Here are some ideas that have been scaled down for small servings, and I have many more. Have a go!

    • Easy Sourdough Discard Crumpets
    • Mini British Bakewell Tarts (Almond and Jam Tarts)
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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a comment further down the page.

    I'd love to hear from you! Stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and please tag me using the hashtag #scotchandsconesblog. You can also sign up for my mailing list. I can't wait to see your creations!

    Recipe

    Boston Cream Pie on a white cake stand with plates & forks behind.

    Mini Boston Cream Pie

    Tammy Spencer
    An American classic dessert, Boston Cream Pie is a moist and tender vanilla cake filled with a thick layer of rich pastry cream and draped with a glossy dark chocolate ganache. This decadent 6-inch mini Boston Cream Pie is perfectly size for two!
    Adapted from King Arthur Baking
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 40 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Cooling Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 5 hrs 15 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories 427 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 6-inch round cake pans
    • baking spray
    • Bake-Even strips
    • stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
    • kitchen scale
    • fine mesh strainer
    • digital thermometer
    • small offset spatula
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the cake

    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 2 tablespoons canola oil
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ cup milk
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    For the pastry cream

    • 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided
    • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 cup milk, see Recipe Notes
    • ½ fresh vanilla bean, split (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
    • 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter

    For the ganache topping

    • 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (½ cup), see Recipe Notes
    • ⅓ cup heavy cream
    • ¾ teaspoon light corn syrup, for shine, optional
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Lightly spray two 6-inch round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, then spray the parchment. If you’re using Bake-Even strips, soak two in water for 5 minutes, wring them out, then wrap the pans with them tightly (you won't need to level the cakes later if you use them).
    • Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl for a hand mixer), beat the sugar and eggs together at medium-high speed until lightened, about 3 to 4 minutes (batter will fall from the paddle in thick ribbons). Mix in the canola oil on low speed.
    • Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg mixture and beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again briefly to fully incorporate the flour.
    • Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan set over medium heat until small bubbles form and the mixture is steaming. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the butter is fully melted. Stir in the vanilla extract.
    • With the mixer going on low speed, slowly add the hot milk mixture to the cake batter, mixing until the batter is well combined. Scrape the bowl and mix briefly until the batter is smooth (it will be very thin).
    • Wrap the cake pans with the wet Bake-Even strips. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Measuring the batter with a kitchen scale helps the accuracy.
    • Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they're a deep golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean.
    • Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
    • Make the pastry cream: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks briefly. Add half of the sugar and cornstarch and whisk to combine. Set aside.
    • Whisk together the milk and the remaining sugar in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture, then add the vanilla bean.
    • Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam.
    • Gently heat the yolk mixture by slowly adding ¼ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ¼ cup of the milk and whisk again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to prevent the yolks from curdling while the custard cooks.
    • Add the yolk mixture to the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is bubbling and thickened. Allow it to boil approximately 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Don't overcook the pastry cream to avoid overcooking the eggs.
    • Remove the pastry cream from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, removing the spent vanilla bean. If the custard boiled during thickening, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg. Don’t toss that vanilla bean - instead rinse the bean, then place it in a jar and cover with vodka to make your own vanilla extract.
    • If you are using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, stir it in now along with the butter. Stir until the butter melts, but don't over-mix, as this will thin the custard.
    • Cool the custard using an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water, reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl). Stir the custard occasionally until it's cooled to room temperature (a digital thermometer should read about 80 °F).
    • Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until needed.
    • Make the ganache topping: Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer, either on the stove in a small saucepan or in the microwave.
    • Pour the cream onto the chocolate, cover, and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then start stirring. At first it will look grainy, but keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Add the corn syrup (if using) and vanilla and stir well.
    • Assemble the cake: Level the cakes (if needed). Place one of the cakes, right side up, on a cake plate. Top with the pastry cream, spreading it right to the edges (you want at least ½-inch of filling inside when the cake is assembled). Place the top layer, upside down, on the filling.
    • Pour the ganache over the filled cake, spreading it with a small offset spatula to the edges to spill over the sides. Let the ganache set for a few minutes before serving.
    • Boston Cream Pie should be kept in the refrigerator, covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
    • The cakes can be made a day ahead and chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap. Bring it to room temperature before assembly. The pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface. It's best to make the ganache right before assembly.

    Notes

    If you want an even richer pastry cream, you can substitute up to ½ cup of heavy cream for the milk.
    While dark chocolate provides the most contrast to the sweet cake and pastry cream, you can choose your chocolate type - milk, semi sweet, or dark - depending on your preference. Just make sure it's good quality. Hint: chop the chocolate with a serrated knife - it cuts it cleaner than a chef's knife.
    For a full-sized cake, just double all the ingredients. Bake the cake in two 9-inch round cake pans for 30 to 35 minutes.

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 427 kcalCarbohydrates: 55 gProtein: 6 gFat: 21 gSaturated Fat: 10 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gTrans Fat: 0.2 gCholesterol: 120 mgSodium: 240 mgPotassium: 194 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 39 gVitamin A: 501 IUVitamin C: 0.1 mgCalcium: 116 mgIron: 2 mg
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ella says

      January 31, 2020 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      I'll take that ganache and pastry cream with a spoon please!

      Reply

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