The Decadent Cream Pie that Made Boston Famous

Usually my favorite part of any cake is the filling, or the topping. But this time the cake itself is so good I would gladly have a slice with a cup of coffee, even without the filling.

Ingredients

CAKE

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups Unbleached Cake Flour Blend or Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups pastry cream (from scratch, or pastry cream filling mix)

GLAZE

• 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spritz a 9″ x 2″ round cake pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray, line it with parchment, and spritz the parchment.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for several minutes until very thick, until the batter falls from the paddle in thick ribbons. Beat in the vanilla.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a sifter or sieve and sift over the cake batter. Mix on low speed just until combined.

Bring the milk and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan. Slowly stream it into the batter with the mixer going, and beat for 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Remove any lumps with a small spoon and discard. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it’s a deep golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the cake from the oven, run a nylon spreader or table knife around the edges, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake onto to a rack to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cool, use a long, sharp serrated knife to slice into two equal layers. Fill with the pastry cream, spreading it right to the edges. Replace the top layer.

Prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate, corn syrup, and cream together until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir well. Pour the glaze over the filled cake and serve immediately.

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Quick Tip: Use a small metal spatula to spread the glaze to the edges of the cake and allowing it to drip down the sides.

Thanks to King Arthur Flour for this rich, traditional, and delicious dessert.