Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
User Reviews
4.7
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Description
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes bring together a light vanilla cupcake base made from butter, flour, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla extract. The cupcakes are baked until tender and slightly golden. The filling is a pastry cream prepared on the stovetop by heating milk with vanilla and salt, then tempering eggs mixed with sugar and cornstarch into the hot milk, cooking until thickened to a custard consistency. Butter is whisked in afterward for smoothness.
Once cooled, the cupcakes are filled with this creamy custard. They are then topped with a chocolate ganache made from semisweet chocolate and heated heavy cream, which is poured over or spread on for a shiny, rich finish. This replicates the flavor profile of a Boston Cream Pie in cupcake form.
Attention to detail in preparing the cupcake pan, such as thorough buttering and flouring, helps prevent sticking and ensures even baking. The recipe also notes tips on measuring eggs precisely when halving recipes.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup corn starch 30 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 2 egg large
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted, 28 grams
Cupcakes:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter plus about 1 tablespoon more at room temperature for greasing pans, 84 grams
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for tins, 192 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup milk
- 3 egg at room temperature, large
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- To make the pastry cream: Pour the milk, vanilla extract, and salt into a heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high, bringing the milk just to under a boil, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and cornstarch.
- When the milk is ready, slowly ladle about one-third into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk and continue whisking over medium heat until the custard is noticeably thicker, about 5 minutes.
- To check the correct thickness of the cream, dip a wooden spoon into the custard, remove it and run your finger across it. It should leave a line where your finger crossed. When the custard is thick enough, remove it from the heat and strain it into a clean bowl.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and whisk the butter into the cream, one piece at a time. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and press the wrap directly onto the surface of the cream. Once the cream is a little cooler, put it into the fridge to finish cooling. Pastry cream will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.
- To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the muffin pans with softened butter, dust with flour, and tap out the excess. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until butter melts.
- With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy, pale yellow, and thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and gradually add flour mixture until just mixed.
- Bring milk and butter to a boil. With mixer on low speed, add hot milk to batter in a slow, steady stream. Mix until smooth and beat in vanilla.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin pans (use a ladle or measuring cup to pour out the batter as it is very liquidy). They will be pretty shallow.
- Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. If the cupcakes aren't loose, then run a small knife around the edges of the pans to loosen cupcakes. Turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
- To assemble: Use a serrated knife to gently split cupcakes in half horizontally. Stir or whisk the chilled pastry cream vigorously to loosen it up. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons) to distribute pastry cream among the bottom of the cupcake halves. Replace top halves and press down lightly to allow the pastry cream to spread out to the edges.
- To make the ganache: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and then pour over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, for a couple minutes until chocolate begins to melt. Gently stir chocolate into cream until the mixture is completely combined. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ganache over each cupcake.
Notes
- Brush softened butter inside each muffin cup with a pastry brush, then coat with flour to prevent sticking.
- To halve the recipe, beat an egg and measure half the beaten egg; then add a whole egg to reach 1 ½ eggs for the batter.
- Use good-quality semisweet chocolate and heavy cream for a smooth ganache topping.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 198 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cupcake | |
| Calories | 198kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 57mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 85mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 23mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.