Birthday season is finally over. I cooked, decorated, celebrated, and wrapped up the perfect gifts for each child. Most of the kids chose their dad’s specialty—extra crispy fried chicken—for dinner, which helped, but I still had plenty to do. There were “pig tails” (what my kids call pretzel-wrapped smoked sausages), French fries, coleslaw, and a handful of other sides to prepare. Above all else, there were the cakes to bake and assemble.
Last year my delightfully eccentric second child requested a three-dimensional TARDIS cake. My rule is to deliver whatever the requested cake is, no matter what. I wrestled with fondant, cake supports, and edible prints until it was done. After a few days of food-coloring chaos, I hoped for calmer requests this year.
When Aidan announced his choice, I held my breath. “I want a Boston Cream Pie!” he said. Not only did this request require no neon food dye, it chose one of my favorite desserts. I was thrilled.
I asked why he picked it—partly out of curiosity and partly because I’m always trying to understand the boys—and he ran out of the room shouting, “Because it’s called a pie but it isn’t one. Isn’t that great?”
Yes. Yes, it is.
Boston Cream Pie is a misnomer: it’s a cake. A rich, buttery layer cake filled with vanilla pastry cream and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. It’s playful and comforting, much like my boy—surprising, charming, and a little mischievous.
He’s funny and full of heart, and this cake felt like the perfect tribute to him.
The cake turned out irresistible—beautiful and delicious.
Aidan and Boston Cream Pie: two great things that go together.
Happy birthday, little fire. You are strong, loyal, hilarious, and loving. You keep my life full of joy.
Boston Cream Pie
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup milk
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons cold butter plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
For the Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the pastry cream:
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In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 2 ½ cups of the milk, the sugar, salt, and the split vanilla bean with its seeds. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
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In a separate bowl whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining ½ cup of milk until smooth.
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Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in some of the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in 4 tablespoons of butter (and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract if using). Smooth the surface, press plastic directly onto the custard to prevent a skin, and chill until cold.
While the custard is chilling, prepare the cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Beat the sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the oil, then beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated and the batter is light.
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Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Alternate adding the dry mixture and the milk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, until smooth.
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Grease and flour an 8″x8″ square pan or a 9″ round pan. Bake for 38–45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the edges pull away from the pan. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on a rack.
For the chocolate glaze:
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Heat the cream to a boil, pour it over the chopped chocolate, corn syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Let the ganache rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before using.
To finish and assemble:
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Fold the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream until smooth. Level the cooled cake if needed and split it horizontally in half.
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Place one cake layer cut-side up on a serving plate, spread the pastry cream within ½” of the edges, then invert the top layer cut-side down to leave a smooth surface for the glaze.
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If you won’t serve the cake immediately, refrigerate it without the glaze, as the glaze firms up in the cold. Just before serving, pour the glaze over the center of the cake to let it spread and drip over the sides. Slice and enjoy.
We have one more birthday post coming up, even though Aidan’s birthday wrapped up our birthday season. Even if it’s a little out of order, the dessert is so spectacular it’s worth saving for last. Stay tuned for a story of Mama pride and a gorgeous treat.