Boston Cream Pie

A Boston cream pie is a round cake that is split and filled with a custard or cream filling and frosted with a chocolate glaze (such as ganache). Boston Cream Pie is a remake of the early American "Pudding-cake pie" which was very popular.

Created by French chef M. Sanzian at Boston's Parker House Hotel, this pudding/cake combination comprises two layers of sponge cake filled with vanilla custard or crème pâtissière. In 1856, "Pudding Pie Cake" was put on the menu. Later, they called it "Chocolate Cream Pie" and then "Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie."

In 1882, Marion Harland, in her "Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery" published a recipe for what she called "Boston Cream Cakes." They were individual sponge cakes, with a batter prepared something like a Genoise, dropped by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and baked, and then split and filled with a custard filling. A similar recipe was printed by Marion Cabell Tyree in 1879 in her "Housekeeping in Old Virginia."

The recipe below calls for cutting the layers in half horizonally creating 4 cake layers and 3 of custard. Originally, cream pies were cakes that were split into two layers and filled with a flavored custard cream filling. Using individually baked cakes for making layer cakes was a later development.

NOTE: There are a lot of Boston Cream Pie Cupcake recipes on the Internet. After the cupcakes are baked, cut a whole in the top and fill with the cream. The piece that was cut out can be trimmed and placed back on top. Other recipes have you pipe the cream into the cupcakes. There was even a few that cut the cupcakes in half across the equator and spread the cream between the two layers, similar to how the cake is made. The cupcakes are then topped with Chocolate Icing.

Cake Layers:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder

For Assembling:

Rich Custard Filling
Thin Chocolate Icing

Prepare Cake Layers: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. In large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder about 4 minutes until thoroughly blended and smooth. Spoon half of the batter into each of the prepared pans; you should have about 1 1/2 cups of batter for each pan. The layers will be thin. Bake 25 - 30 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove layers to wire racks to cool completely.

Prepare Rich Custard Filling and the Thin Chocolate Icing: Cover the icing to keep warm

To Assemble: Using sharp serrated knife, carefully cut cooled layers in half horizontally; you will have four very thin layers. Place one layer, cut side up, on serving platter; spread with 1/3 cooled custard. Repeat with remaining cake layers and custard, ending with cake layer, cut side down. Spoon warm chocolate icing over top of cake, letting mixture drip down sides. Chill for several hours until ready to serve.

Yield: 12 servings