Homemade Boston Cream Pie

Despite the name, Boston cream pie is a cake. Two yellow butter cake rounds, each split horizontally, sandwich layers of thick vanilla pastry custard, and the whole stack gets crowned with a warm chocolate glaze that pours down the sides as it sets. It’s the official state dessert of Massachusetts, and the homemade version is a different animal from the box-mix shortcuts you find at potlucks.

The custard is the part that needs attention. Cornstarch and sugar go in the saucepan first, then milk stirs in until smooth before any heat. Tempering the egg yolks afterward, by streaming the hot mixture into them while whisking, is what keeps the custard silky instead of scrambled. The glaze leans soft and pourable, not stiff like a ganache, so the chocolate streams down the cut sides instead of sitting on top like frosting. Wait until the glaze is warm enough to flow but no warmer.

Pro Tips

• Bake the cakes evenly by rotating the pans halfway through. Domed layers won’t sit flat once split, and the custard will leak out the sides.
• A long serrated knife is the right tool for splitting layers. Use a steady sawing motion, not pressure.
• Cool the custard with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Assemble the cake on the platter you’ll serve it on. Sliding a stacked Boston cream pie is asking for a collapse.

Variations

• Use a thicker chocolate ganache instead of the glaze for a richer, less translucent topping.
• Add a thin layer of raspberry jam between cake and custard for a tart fruit note.
• Swap a split vanilla bean for the extract in the custard for visible flecks and deeper flavor.