For whatever reason, I had never made a Boston cream cake before yesterday. And yes, I know most people refer to as a pie, but being a baker who definitely knows the difference between a pie and a cake, well, I just had to call it what it is. It’s a cake! Anyway…………….

Yesterday was my birthday. And what I really wanted for my birthday was a chance to bake this cake that I had been salivating over for several years. I had always wanted to serve it to our JazzVox guests. But every time I seriously considered serving it to 35-40 people during a 15 minute intermission, I thought better of it. Ya think!?!? And that didn’t even take into account the amount of time it would have taken me to prepare the darn thing to begin with! Anyway…………..

I made this amazing creation yesterday. And it was, and still is, almost perfect. The cake part is very moist, the butter cream between the cake layers absolutely delicious, and the ganache topping – well – way over the top too much and too rich. And I know what you’re thinking. Patti, you could have made half as much of the ganache and it would have been the perfect amount. Obviously great minds think alike. Because that’s exactly what I did in writing out the recipe for you all. I halved the ganache recipe, and frankly, next time (and there will be a next time), instead of using dark chocolate chips, I’m going to use milk chocolate chips. And maybe bourbon or Cointreau instead of Kahlua. I think for my particular tastes, I will be happier with a different combination. But obviously, you can use any old chocolate chips or booze you want in the recipe. Anyway………….

I’m also not going to place the hot ganache in the refrigerator to get really cold before I try to “dribble” it over the cake. Major mistake. There was no dribbling ganache over a cake happenin’ in my kitchen yesterday, I’ll tell you that! Even though I tried to warm the ganache by placing it in the microwave, I finally just gave up and spread the darned stuff over the top of the cake. I simply had never used a ganache as a “drizzle” before. But now that I have done some reading on the subject, I will never make this same mistake again. And if you follow the recipe below, you won’t either when you make your very own Boston cream cake. And you simply must make this cake. It is truly phenomenal. Anyway…………..

Have fun in your kitchen. Learn from your mistakes (or mine as in this case), because any cook worth their salt is going to have plenty of mishaps along the way. It’s inevitable. And believe me, I’ve had more than my fair share of “kitchen casualties”. But I just keep on truckin’ and advise you to do the same.

As always, peace and love to all

Pastry Cream Filling:

6 egg yolks

½ c. granulated sugar, divided

2 c. whole milk

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the egg yolks and half of the granulated sugar in a bowl; whisk until lighter in color. Add the flour and the salt; mix well to combine.

Place the milk and the remaining sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the milk just begins to boil, remove from heat. Very slowly dribble the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking the entire time. When about half of the milk has been added, place all of the yolk mixture into the saucepan over medium heat.

Using a whisk, continually beat until the mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will quickly thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. (Feel free to strain if you can see visible lumps.)

Place the pastry cream into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap that has been ever so lightly sprayed with cooking spray. (This will prevent a skin from forming on the pastry cream.) Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before assembling the cake.

Yellow Cake:  

½ c. whole milk

½ c. sour cream  

1 c. (2 sticks) un-salted butter, room temperature

1¾ c. granulated sugar  

2 tsp. vanilla

3 lg. eggs

2 lg. egg yolks

2¼ c. cake flour, lightly measured (fluffed)  

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Whisk the milk and sour cream together. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Scrape down the mixing bowl as often as required.

Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add 1/3rd of the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until combined, again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add half of the milk/sour cream mixture and combine. Add another 1/3rd of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the last half of the milk/sour cream mixture and beat until just combined. Add the final 1/3rd of the dry ingredients and mix just until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as a final gesture of good incorporation.  

Lightly grease and parchment paper line 3 – 9-inch cake pans. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pans and level the batter with an offset spatula.  

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 22-26 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake or the cake will be dry.

Remove from oven and place the pans on a cooling rack. When the cake layers are completely cool, remove from pans. (Yes you must discard the parchment paper.) Place the first layer on a cake plate. Spread half of the cold pastry cream over the top just to the edge. Place the next cake layer over the pastry cream, and spread with the remaining pastry cream. Place the third cake layer on top.

Drizzle the ganache on top of the cake allowing it to dribble down the side. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. (If you don’t use all of the ganache, that’s just fine. It makes a terrific topping for ice cream.)  

Chocolate Ganache:

½ c. + 2 T. milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips

½ c. heavy cream

1 T. Kahlua, bourbon, Cointreau, Bailey’s Irish Cream, etc.  

¼ tsp. vanilla

tiny pinch salt

Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream just to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate and let sit without stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then, whisk mixture gently until completely melted and smooth. Add your alcohol of choice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until the ganache is velvety. But don’t over work.

Let cool for 15 minutes, then pour over the cake.