Best Boston Cream Pie Recipe Cook's Illustrated
Introduction
If you're a dessert lover, then you must have heard of Boston Cream Pie. This delicious dessert is a classic American cake that has been around for more than 150 years. Despite its name, Boston Cream Pie is not a pie, but a cake that consists of two layers of sponge cake filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache. In this article, we'll share with you the best Boston Cream Pie recipe from Cook's Illustrated.
Ingredients
The following are the ingredients you'll need to make the best Boston Cream Pie:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Follow these steps to make the best Boston Cream Pie:
- Preheat your oven to 325℉. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line them with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and whisk until combined. Remove from heat.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Add the milk mixture to the batter and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the pastry cream, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Add the milk and egg yolks and whisk to combine.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.
- For the chocolate ganache, chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat the cream until it just begins to simmer.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until thickened but still spreadable.
- To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the pastry cream over the top.
- Top with the second cake layer.
- Spoon the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, spreading it to the edges and letting it drip down the sides.
- Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Conclusion
Now that you have the best Boston Cream Pie recipe from Cook's Illustrated, you can impress your family and friends with this classic American dessert. Follow the instructions carefully, and you'll end up with a delicious cake that everyone will love.