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This iconic New England dessert is great for a Super Bowl party. With layers of tender, vanilla-scented cake, smooth, creamy pastry cream, and decadent chocolate ganache, Boston Cream Pie is an unexpected, yet homey dessert that your friends and family will love – no matter which team you’re rooting for!
What a sports weekend we have coming up! With the Olympics in Italy beginning on Friday and the Super Bowl on Sunday, we’re planning on binging sports the whole time. Sunday is party time, with a game-watching party celebrating both New England and Seattle.
What Is Boston Cream Pie
This dessert dates back to 1856 and is attributed to Boston’s Parker House (now the Omni Parker House), which served the cake at its grand opening.
Developed by French chef, Augustine Francois Anezin, who baked the cakes in pie tins, and used Boston Cream as the filling. Hence the name, ‘Boston Cream Pie’.
Boston Cream Pie has been designated as Massachusetts’ official dessert, ahead of Toll House Cookies and Fig Newtons.
What Ingredients Are Needed?
- Cooking spray
- Yellow cake mix – you could also use white cake mix, but use whole eggs to give it some yellow color.
- Large eggs – use them at room temperature so the mix into the batter easier.
- Half and Half, heavy whipping cream, and whole milk – Yes, you will need all three.
- Butter
- Vanilla – use a good quality vanilla extract, not flavoring.
- Cornstarch – used to thicken the pastry cream. I like to sift it first.
- Superfine sugar – using superfine sugar ensures that it dissolves completely so your pastry cream isn’t grainy.
- Salt
- Dark chocolate – you can use chocolate chips, a baking bar, dark chocolate wafers, or plain dark chocolate candy bar.
Steps To Make This Recipe
- Spray cooking spray on two cake pans.
- Mix the cake mix, half and half, butter, 4 eggs, and vanilla.
- Divide the batter into the pans. Bake until done. Cool.
- Whisk together 3 eggs, cornstarch, and sugar.
- Warm the whipping cream, milk, and butter until almost boiling.
- Wisk about half of the cream mixture into the eggs.
- Combine the egg mixture and cream mixture.
- Cook until thickened and smooth.
- Cover and chill.
- For the ganache, combine the sugar, butter, and whipping cream until steaming.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Allow to cool until slightly thickened.
- Place one cake on a cake plate.
- Spread the pastry cream on the cake.
- Top with the other cake and press gently.
- Pour the ganache ove the top of the cake and allow to run over the sides.
- Chill the cake and serve.
Check Out The Rest Of Our Heavy Appetizer Super Bowl Recipes:
- Wasabi Bacon Deviled Eggs
- Fried Goat Cheese Balls
- Doritos Crusted Empanadas
- Classic Pimento Cheese
- Ridiculously Good Fried Pickles
- Crispy Avocado Fingers With Spicy Lime Crema
- Toasted Ravioli
- Game Day Reuben Dip
- Glazed Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings
- Crispy Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
- Honey Bourbon Glazed Scallops
- Extra Flavorful Jalapeno Poppers
Boston Cream Pie
This iconic New England dessert is great for a Super Bowl party. With layers of tender, vanilla-scented cake, smooth, creamy pastry cream, and decadent chocolate ganache, Boston Cream Pie is an unexpected, yet homey dessert that your friends and family will love – no matter which team you’re rooting for!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minues
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the cake:
- Cooking spray
- 1 (15.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- ⅓ cup melted butter, cooled
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the pastry cream:
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
For the ganache:
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, half-and-half, melted butter, 4 eggs, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down occasionally.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 33-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cakes are lightly golden brown on top.
Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto waxed paper. Allow the cakes to sit ‘upside down’ while cooling, about 45 minutes.
For the pastry cream:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, cornstarch, and sugar.
Whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the eggs have started to lighten in color, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Warm 1 cup heavy cream, whole milk, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until it begins to boil. Don’t allow the mixture to come to a full boil.
Remove the heat.
While whisking, slowly drizzle in the hot cream. Don’t stop whisking continuously so the eggs do not scramble. Drizzle in about half of the hot cream.
Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan.
Raise the heat to medium and cook the egg and milk mixture, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and becomes silky smooth.
Stir in the vanilla and pinch of salt.
If the mixture isn’t smooth, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Otherwise, spoon the mixture into a large bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a film from forming.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Make the ganache:
In a 2-cup, glass measuring cup, add the sugar, butter, and whipping cream.
Microwave on 50% power until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts, and the cream steams – about 1 minute, 30 seconds.
Pour the chopped chocolate into the cream mixture and stir until melted. If it has not melted, place it back in the microwave and cook at 50% power un 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until smooth.
Set aside to cool, but still pourable – about 20 minutes.
Assemble the pie:
On a cake plate, place one cake, still upside down, so that the flat top is facing up.
Spread the thickened pastry cream to within one inch of the cake’s edge.
Place the second cake, flat side up, on top.
Press the cake gently to push the pastry cream to the edges, without squirting it out.
Pour the chocolate over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to push the chocolate to the edges and allow it to drip over the edge.
Chill the cake for at least an hour before slicing.