Boston Cream Pie
This Boston cream pie is a light sponge filled with pastry cream (crème patisserie), topped with a chocolate ganache (glaze). So it’s not a pie at all but it is truly delicious.
Boston cream pie isn’t a pie at all. It’s a delicious light sponge filled with crème patissiere (or pastry cream) topped with a chocolate ganache.
Why is it called a Boston Cream pie?
Boston cream pie is said to have been invented by a French chef in a hotel in Boston in the 1880s. It’s thought to have been called a pie rather than a cake because they were made in pie tins which were more common than cake tins.
How can kids help make a Boston Cream pie?
This cake is harder than some cakes to make but that doesn’t mean that kids cant help make it.
It’s a cake made in stages, so even if your kids don’t make the whole thing, they can dip in and out and help with different stages. That’s certainly what our kids did with this recipe.
The sponge involves a lot of measuring, whipping, mixing and sifting so there’s a lot for little chefs to get involved in.
If your kids have never separated eggs before, there’s 4 chances to practice in the crème patissiere filling. I always think it’s best to practice this when you’re making something that just needs egg yolks like in this recipe rather than when you need egg whites for a meringue. Older children can also help stir the pastry cream as it thickens.
Finally, the ganache might sound tricky to make but it’s actually just warm cream and chocolate, so it’s really very easy.
Should a Boston cream pie be refrigerated?
Yes. The pastry cream filling wont keep at room temperature so you need to keep this cake in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge about half an hour before you want to eat it to bring it up to temperature / remove the chill from it.
Can you make the Boston Cream pie ahead of time?
You can make the sponge and filling the day before. Keep them well covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours, remove them from the fridge and let them warm for 10 minutes or so before you assemble it.
Once you’ve made the Boston cream pie, it’ll keep covered in the fridge for a day or two.
What size cake does this make?
When I was researching the recipe I generally found similar quantities being used to make one large 9 inch cake which is then halved to make the 2 sponges. We tried doing this but thought the sponge seemed very thin. We found it easier to use two separate 8 inch tins to make 2 separate sponges and a much better sized cake.
If you want a 9 inch cake id recommend making double the sponge to get the right ratio of sponge to filling and ganache.
Other chocolate cake recipes
If you liked this chocolate Victoria sponge recipe you’ll love some of our other easy cakes and cupcakes:
Chocolate fudge cake
Chocolate Victoria sponge
Nutella cupcakes
Easy chocolate cupcakes
Chocolate loaf cake
Easy chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache
Chocolate traybake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this Boston cream pie:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Measuring jug
Cake tins
Saucepan
Mixing bowls set
Wire rack
Cake stand
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Ingredients
For the sponge
3 eggs, large
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
175g (1 + 1/3 + 1/8 cup) plain / all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100ml (1/3 + 1/8 cup) whole milk
75g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crème patissiere
250ml (1 cup) whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g (¼ cup) caster sugar
4 egg yolks
2 tsp plain flour
2 tsp cornflour
For the ganache
150ml (2/3 cup) double, heavy or whipping cream
150ml (1 cup) dark chocolate (minimum 35% cocoa solids)
How to make a Boston Cream pie
There are three parts to the Boston cream pie: the pastry cream needs a bit of time to chill and thicken so you’re best to make it first. You can even make it ahead of time (up to a day before you want to use it)
Make the crème patissiere filling
Get your kids to measure out the milk and vanilla and put them in a small saucepan. Heat them gently until it starts to boil then remove your pan from the heat.
While the milk is heating, measure the sugar and put it in a mixing bowl.
Separate 4 eggs. We normally do this by cracking each egg above a small bowl then tip the egg yolk from one half of the shell to the other, letting the egg white fall to the bowl below. Keep doing that until you’re left with just the yolk, then add that to the sugar.
Add the flour and cornflour to your mixing bowl and mix it all together.
Carefully add a tiny bit of the hot milk to your bowl, and whisk it in. Now slowly add the rest, whisking all the time.
Pour it all back into your saucepan then heat it for around 5 minutes, until it has thickened. Get your kids to stir it with a wooden spoon or spatula all the time if they are old enough.
Pop your crème patissiere into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film, leave it to cool down slightly before putting it in your fridge to chill for around an hour.
Make the sponges
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and grease and line the base of two 8 inch (20cm) round cake tins.
Beat the eggs and sugar together
Get your kids to measure out the sugar and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl, (just in case you get any shell in), then add them to your mixing bowl. If shell does go in, use a larger piece of shell to fish it out – it’s easier than using your finger.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together with your whisk attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy. It’s ready when, if you lift your whisk out of the mixture, it leaves a trail or ‘ribbon’ that sits on the mixture for a few seconds before disappearing. Don’t stop mixing too soon – it’ll take about 5 minutes – as this step adds lightness to your sponge.
Add the dry ingredients
Get your kids to measure the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder and salt. Make sure your kids use their finger to level off the measuring spoons, so that you put in just the right amount.
Carefully sift in the flour to your mixing bowl and fold it in with a spatula or metal spoon.
Add the milk, butter and vanilla
Get your kids to measure out the butter and milk. If you have digital scales, the most accurate way of measuring the milk is with the ml setting. If not, just use a measuring jug.
Put the butter and milk in a small pan and heat it gently over a low heat until the butter has melted and the milk is hot.
If your kids are old enough they can help by stirring this with a wooden spoon.
Alternatively, you can heat it all in the microwave in short bursts until the butter has melted.
Add the hot milk/butter mixture to your mixing bowl slowly, whisking as you pour it in. Keep whisking and add the vanilla.
Bake the Boston Cream pie sponges
Divide the cake batter among your prepared tins. Carefully level off the tops of each cake.
Bake the sponges in the oven for 30-40 minutes. They’re ready when a skewer or sharp knife poked in the middle comes out clean.
Leave them to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing them from the tins and leaving them to cool fully on a wire rack.
Make the ganache
Get your kids to add the cream to a saucepan and very gently bring it to the boil.
While it’s warming, get your kids to break or chop the chocolate into pieces.
Once the cream is hot, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir it all together until the chocolate has melted and it’s lovely and smooth.
Leave it to cool and thicken for 15 minutes or more. You want it to be thick enough to spread but not run off the cake too much.
Assemble the Boston cream pie
Place one of your sponges on your serving plate. Level off the top with a serrated knife if you need to.
Add the crème patissiere filling over the top of your bottom sponge (be very generous). Get your kids to help spread it out with a palette knife. Gently lay the second sponge on top.
Finally, pour the ganache on top. Again, you can get your kids to help you spread it over the top and encourage it to drip a little down the sides.
Serve and enjoy!
Boston Cream Pie
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- Cake tins
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowls set
- Wire rack
- Cake stand
- Cake storage
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 3 eggs large
- 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 175 g (1 + ⅓ + ⅛ cup) plain / all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 ml (⅓ + ⅛ cup) whole milk
- 75 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crème patissiere
- 250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 2 tsp cornflour
For the ganache
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) double, heavy or whipping cream
- 150 ml (1 cup) dark chocolate (minimum 35% cocoa solids)
Instructions
Make the crème patissiere filling
- Measure out the milk and vanilla and put them in a small saucepan. Heat them gently until it starts to boil then remove your pan from the heat.
- While the milk is heating, measure the sugar and put it in a mixing bowl.
- Separate 4 eggs and add the egg yolks to the sugar. Add the flour and cornflour to your mixing bowl and mix it all together.
- Carefully add a tiny bit of the hot milk to your bowl, and whisk it in. Now slowly add the rest, whisking all the time. Pour it all back into your saucepan then heat it for around 5 minutes, until it has thickened. Stir it with a wooden spoon or spatula all the time if they are old enough.
- Pop the crème patissiere into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film, leave it to cool down slightly before putting it in your fridge to chill for around an hour.
Make the sponges
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and grease and line the base of two 8 inch (20cm) round cake tins.
Beat the eggs and sugar together
- Measure out the sugar and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, then add them to your mixing bowl.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together with your whisk attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy. It's ready when, if you lift your whisk out of the mixture, it leaves a trail or 'ribbon' that sits on the mixture for a few seconds before disappearing.
Add the dry ingredients
- Measure the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder and salt. Carefully sift in the flour to your mixing bowl and fold it in with a spatula or metal spoon.
Add the milk, butter and vanilla
- Measure out the butter and milk and put them into a small pan. Heat them gently over a low heat until the butter has melted and the milk is hot.
- Add the hot milk/butter mixture to your mixing bowl slowly, whisking as you pour it in. Keep whisking and add the vanilla.
Bake the Boston Cream pie sponge
- Divide the cake batter among your prepared tins. Carefully level off the tops of each cake.
- Bake the sponges in the oven for 30-40 minutes. They're ready when a skewer or sharp knife poked in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave them to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing them from the tins and leaving them to cool fully on a wire rack.
Make the ganache
- Add the cream to a saucepan and very gently bring it to the boil.
- While it's warming, break or chop the chocolate into pieces.
- Once the cream is hot, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir it all together until the chocolate has melted and it's lovely and smooth. Leave it to cool and thicken for 15 minutes or more. You want it to be thick enough to spread but not run off the cake too much.
Assemble the Boston cream pie
- Place one of your sponges on your serving plate. Level off the top with a serrated knife if you need to. Add the crème patissiere filling over the top of your bottom sponge (be very generous) and spread it out with a palette knife. Gently lay the second sponge on top.
- Finally, pour the ganache on top. Again, you can get your kids to help you spread it over the top and encourage it to drip a little down the sides.
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If you liked this Boston cream pie, you’ll love our Maple syrup cake, our chocolate fudge cake and our other easy cake recipes for kids.
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