For years, I made Boston Cream Pie on Valentine’s Day for my kids. I loved putting little chocolate hearts around the top near the edge of the cake, and I loved that it had such a gorgeous old-fashioned look with the glaze dripping down and the custard peeping out. It reminded me of those cakes that Yogi Bear stole along with the Pahnicanic baskets.
Boston Cream Pie
I lost my tried and true recipe and ended up coming up with something that is probably better! Because it uses some fabulous recipes for each component of the cake.
About Boston Cream Pie:
Boston Cream Pie isn’t a pie at all, btw! It’s a cake, sometimes a sponge cake, but that’s not set in stone (and we prefer a white cake), filled with a substantial pastry cream layer, and topped off with a gorgeous, shiny chocolate ganache.
When I was a teenager, we’d often gather at my friend Annette’s house and make Boston Cream Pie, then devour the whole thing. To be able to eat like that again!!
I need to apologize for this post because I’d forgotten to take a pic of the whole cake, meaning to update this post later, and just shot a quick picture of the last remaining slice. I’m updating now in 2026, a little over 10 years later – oops! A remake is in the works, folks. Or at least on my list!
Making Boston Cream Pie:
There are several steps to making this cake.
Start with the pastry cream; it has to cool before you can move forward, and that takes a while. The cake is next (and can be made ahead by a day, tightly wrapped or frozen.) Last, after everything else is put ready to go, make the chocolate glaze.
The pastry cream:
- I’ve stolen the pastry cream from Cook’s Illustrated, and it’s the star of the show. Pastry cream is simply a glorified, very rich pudding. It doesn’t take long to make, but it does take a while to cool.
- To cool it quickly, transfer the pastry cream, when finished, to a thin metal bowl. Once it reaches room temperature, place it in the fridge. Be sure to cover with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Make sure to have a use for the six egg whites left behind. Check my post Over 75 Ways to Use Leftover Egg Whites.
The cake:
- This is a Betty Crocker standard. It’s one of the best white cakes, sturdy yet moist and still light enough to be enjoyable. I wouldn’t call it “exquisite,” but it’s a workhorse type of recipe, great to have on hand.
- All the ingredients are dumped in one bowl and mixed. The cake takes about an hour to make and cool.
The Rich Chocolate Glaze:
- This is best made when the cake and pastry cream are ready to be assembled. It does have to cool and is best (and shiniest) when cooled at room temperature.
- Let it sit out after cooking to cool. It is cool enough when a spoonful, lifted up, mounds slightly as it drips back into the glaze.
Make Ahead:
- As mentioned, the cake may be made ahead, but it’s best not to assemble until closer to serving; it must be assembled at least an hour before serving. That ensures the glaze is at its best.
- If assembled and refrigerated, bring out about an hour ahead, but with any items containing pastry cream, keep an eye on the two-hour safety window.
The Flavorings:
Vanilla is the standard flavoring for the pastry cream in a Boston Cream Pie. For a twist, try a little rum or rum extract in the pastry cream.
Leftover Boston Cream Pie:
- Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. This works best if cooled before covering to prevent any condensation.
- Do not freeze, although the cake portion may be frozen prior to assembly.
Other Dessert Recipes You Might Like:
If you are a fan of pastry creams and puddings, these desserts might appeal..
Homemade Chocolate Pudding – rich and delish.
Nilla Pudding – this is the classic.
Cafe Lattes Tres Leches – a gorgeous cake.
Cafe Latte’s Tres Leches Cake
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Eggs:
- Both Aldi & Lidl, as well as buyer’s clubs (you will need to buy larger amounts at the buyer’s club), have great everyday prices, but usually do not approach a great pre-holiday grocery store sales price.
- If you have room, stock up at a low. Eggs, according to the National Egg Board, keep well for 4 to 5 weeks after the pack date, or about 3 weeks after buying. Hard-boiled eggs, can be safely used up to a week in the shell but only a day if peeled.
- Don’t store in the door; keep in original package on a bottom shelf in the fridge.
Corn Syrup:
- Corn syrup has a bad rap; know that regular corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup.
- It is seldom on sale, although you may be at a low before Christmas and Easter.
- It keeps for years. Make sure the cap and bottle are clean before storing away, or you will never get it open again.
Cream:
- Cream is always cheaper at discount groceries like Aldi & Lidl. Their everyday price beats out the buyer’s club and the best grocery store holiday sales price.
- Cream keeps for weeks, so if the standard grocery is the only option, get in the habit of picking up at a low price before holidays.
Chocolate Chips & Other Varieties:
- Chocolate prices have risen dramatically.
- The best strategy is still to stock up on the Winter Holiday sales; sales are still decent before Valentine’s Day and Easter, and there will be sporadic sales through the summer.
- Do be careful of off-brands; sometimes the quality isn’t there. For better brands at a good price, check your buyers’ clubs.
Boston Cream Pie
Boston Cream Pie
A bit of work but you’ll be rewarded with a fabulous cake! And a lot of the time is simply cooling or chill time.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes + chill
- Total Time: 3 1/2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts Cakes
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Final Assembly:
- 1 recipe Betty Crocker Basic White Cake (Cook’s Illustrated uses a sponge cake)
- 1 recipe Pastry Cream (see below)
- 1 recipe Rich Chocolate Glaze (see below)
- Chocolate Hearts, if desired, as a decoration, optional
For the Cook’s Illustrated Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups milk, preferably whole
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon rum flavoring (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, in several pieces
For the Rich Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate, or a combination, chopped into small pieces *
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For Final Assembly:
Make the Pastry Cream first. It will take the longest to chill to a useable temperature.
Then make the Betty Crocker Basic White Cake linked above, in two 8″ layer pans. Cool and trim off the top if rounded. Brush off any crumbs.
When the cake is ready and cooled, and the pastry cream cold, make the Rich Chocolate Glaze.
As the glaze is cooling, place one cake layer on a cardboard round on cooling rack set over waxed paper, bottom side up.
Carefully spoon pastry cream over cake and spread evenly up to cake edge. Place the second layer on top, making sure layers line up properly.
Pour glaze over middle of top layer and let flow down cake sides. Use a metal spatula, if desired, to completely coat cake.
Let sit until glaze fully sets, about 1 hour. Serve.
For the Pastry Cream:
8 servings, 15 minutes plus chill time.
Heat milk in a small saucepan until hot but not simmering.
Whisk yolks, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan until mixture is thick and lemon-colored, 3 to 4 minutes. (This may be whisked with an electric beater and then transferred to the pan.) Add cornstarch; whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in hot milk.
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping pan bottom and sides as you stir, until mixture thickens to a thick pudding consistency and loses all traces of raw starch flavor, about 10 minutes.
Off heat, stir in vanilla, and if using rum, and the butter. Transfer to another container to cool to room temperature, placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of mixture to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate pastry cream until firm. (Can be refrigerated overnight.)
To ensure that pastry cream does not thin out, do not whisk once it has set; simply spoon it carefully on top of the first layer of cake.
For the Rich Chocolate Glaze:
Servings 8, time 15 minutes plus time to cool:
Bring cream and corn syrup to a full simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
Off heat, add chocolate; cover and let stand for 8 minutes. (If chocolate has not completely melted, return saucepan to low heat; stir constantly until melted.) Add vanilla; stir very gently until mixture is smooth.
Cool until tepid so that a spoonful drizzled back into pan mounds slightly. (Glaze can be refrigerated to speed up cooling process, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooling, although the chocolate glaze remains shinier if it is cooled at room temperature.)
* We prefer a mixture of semi and milk chocolate
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I’ll also be linking this to Fiesta Friday Number 104, cohosted this week by Mila @ milkandbun and Hilda @ Along The Grapevine.
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