Boston Cream Pie

Let’s get one thing straight, Boston Cream Pie is not a pie. It’s a cake with an identity crisis and a sweet one at that. Imagine a soft sponge cake hugging a creamy vanilla filling and covered in shiny chocolate glaze. It’s dessert royalty with a sense of humor.

If you’ve ever wondered what is Boston Cream Pie, it’s a light yellow cake filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache. Created in Boston in the 1800s, it quickly became famous for its creamy layers and glossy finish. One bite and you’ll understand why it’s still celebrated today.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe gives you soft cake, rich custard, and smooth chocolate in every bite. It’s easy to make, fun to assemble, and guaranteed to impress anyone. If you’ve been asking what does Boston Cream Pie taste like, the answer is: it tastes like a mix of creamy vanilla pudding, buttery sponge cake, and silky chocolate frosting, all at once.

Prep Time

• Preparation: 30 minutes
• Cooking: 30 minutes
• Chilling: 1 hour
• Total: About 2 hours

Servings: 8–10 servings

Nutrition Information (per serving)

• Calories: 380
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Protein: 6g
• Sugar: 30g

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pastry Cream

Wondering what is the cream in Boston Cream Pie? It’s a rich pastry cream made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch, smooth, thick, and perfectly sweet.

• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter

Kitchen Tools Needed

• Two 9-inch round cake pans
• Mixing bowls
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Electric mixer or hand whisk
• Wire rack
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to Make Boston Cream Pie

Step 1 Make the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line two cake pans.
2. In one bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another, beat eggs and sugar until light and thick.
4. Warm milk and butter until melted. Add vanilla.
5. Combine dry and wet mixtures.
6. Pour batter into pans and bake 25–30 minutes. Cool completely.

Step 2 Make the Pastry Cream

1. Heat milk in a saucepan until warm.
2. In a bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks.
3. Slowly pour warm milk into yolk mix while stirring.
4. Return mixture to the pan and cook until thick.
5. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Chill in the fridge.

Step 3 Make the Chocolate Glaze

1. Heat cream until hot.
2. Add chocolate and butter. Let sit for 1 minute.
3. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Step 4 Assemble the Cake

1. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread pastry cream over it.
2. Add the second cake layer on top.
3. Pour chocolate glaze over the top and let it drip down the sides.

Final Note

If someone asks you again how to make Boston Cream Pie, you can proudly say you’ve done it, and that it was worth every whisk and drip of chocolate. It’s a cake that makes you smile, a pie that’s not a pie, and a dessert that proves confusion can be delicious.

Continue to Content

Boston Cream Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Soft, airy sponge layers cradle a silky vanilla custard, all crowned with a smooth, glossy chocolate glaze that melts in every bite. Each forkful is a perfect mix of fluffy, creamy, and rich, making it impossible to stop at just one slice.

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Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pastry Cream

• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Bake the Cake

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line two 9-inch pans.
  
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
  
• In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale.
  
• Heat milk and butter until melted, then stir in vanilla.
  
• Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour into pans.
  
• Bake 25–30 minutes. Cool completely.
  

2. Make the Cream

• Heat milk until hot.
  
• Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and yolks in a bowl.
  
• Slowly pour in hot milk while whisking.
  
• Return to heat and cook until thick.
  
• Stir in butter and vanilla. Chill until firm.
  

3. Make the Glaze

• Heat cream until steaming.
  
• Add chocolate and butter. Let sit 1 minute.
  
• Stir until smooth and glossy.
  

4. Assemble the Pie

• Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread chilled cream on top.
  
• Add second cake layer.
  
• Pour warm glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides.
  
• Chill 30 minutes before serving.
  

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 380Total Fat: 20gCarbohydrates: 45gSugar: 30gProtein: 6g