Always Loved Boston Cream Pie

Boston cream pie is really a cake, a tender yellow cake split and filled with vanilla pudding, then crowned with chocolate icing, and this version lightens the classic without losing its charm.

A boxed yellow cake mix gets a clever upgrade. Whipped topping mix and a little extra baking powder make it fluffy, while egg whites and a spoonful of olive oil keep it lighter than the usual butter-and-yolk batter.

The filling is a cooked, not instant, vanilla pudding, spread between the split cake layers for that signature custardy center.

The finishing icing comes together from cocoa, powdered sugar and a touch of margarine, thinned with hot water so it pours and runs invitingly down the sides. As a bonus, the recipe makes two layers, so you can freeze the second for another dessert down the road.

Pro Tips

• Use cooked pudding, not instant, as the recipe specifies. It sets firmer and holds between the layers better.
• Cool the cake completely before splitting and filling, or the pudding will slide and the icing will melt.
• Thin the icing with hot water just until it pours, so it glazes the top and drips down the sides without running off.

Variations

• Use full-fat cake mix, pudding and butter if you are not watching fat.
• Fill with real pastry cream or whipped cream for a richer version.
• Top with a glossy chocolate ganache in place of the cocoa icing.