Classic Boston Cream Pie (Printable Version)

Tender sponge cake layered with vanilla pastry cream and rich chocolate ganache topping.

# What You Need:

→ Sponge Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1/4 cup whole milk
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Pastry Cream

09 - 2 cups whole milk
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt

→ Chocolate Ganache

16 - 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
17 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
18 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or line with parchment paper.
02 - Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
04 - Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
05 - Mix milk and melted butter together, then fold into the batter until smooth.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
07 - Heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering.
08 - Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly pour hot milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
09 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill until cold.
10 - Place chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Heat cream to a simmer, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread cooled pastry cream evenly over the cake. Top with second cake layer.
12 - Pour chocolate ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of tender vanilla cake, silky custard, and rich chocolate ganache hits every single craving at once
  • Its one of those desserts that makes people pause and take a photo before taking a bite
  • Despite the fancy bakery appearance, the components are surprisingly forgiving for home bakers
02 -
  • The pastry cream must be completely cold before assembling, otherwise it will melt and slide out from between the cake layers
  • Room temperature eggs whip up much faster and create better volume than cold eggs straight from the refrigerator
  • Dont rush the cooling steps—warm cake layers will cause the ganache to slide right off instead of setting beautifully
03 -
  • If the ganache seems too thick to pour, microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds to reach the perfect consistency
  • Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry between slices for the cleanest cuts
  • A thin strip of parchment paper tucked under the bottom cake layer makes transferring the finished cake to a serving plate mess-free

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