I remember Boston cream pie being my favorite birthday cake growing up. My mom made the best Boston cream pie with a delicious homemade vanilla pudding tucked inside. When I found a similar recipe in an Amish cookbook, I jumped at the chance to test it out. It took a few tries to get it close to Mom’s cake, but I am happy to say my whole family loved the final results. Technically this Boston cream pie is made with a vanilla sponge cake instead of a pie, but apparently it was named Boston Cream Pie because the first cakes were made in pie plates. No matter what you call it, the airy vanilla sponge cake sandwiching homemade vanilla pudding and topped with a rich chocolate glaze is absolutely delicious!
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Best Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder *see note
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour leveled
For the Vanilla Pudding:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch rounded
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons boiling water can add more or less as needed
Instructions
Vanilla sponge cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- Cream the sugar and butter until smooth, then whisk in the 2 egg yolks, reserving egg whites for later. Whisk in milk, then add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- Beat the egg whites with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form, then fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Transfer the cake batter to two, parchment lined and greased (*see tips below recipe card) round 9-inch cake pans.
- Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes until the tops are golden and the cakes are set. Avoid opening the oven door in the first 15 minutes to keep the cakes from collapsing in the center. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 hours.
Vanilla pudding:
- Warm milk in a saucepan on the stovetop and whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar until combined. Add a little warm milk (not boiling, around 140 degrees F.) at a time while whisking rapidly to warm up the mixture slowly and prevent the eggs from curdling. Once the mixture is warm to touch and pourable, slowly whisk it into the remaining hot milk, then bring to a boil while whisking the mixture rapidly until thickened.
- Remove the thickened pudding from the heat, then whisk in vanilla extract and salt. Allow the pudding to cool in the refrigerator for several hours until fully thickened. You may need to stir it again before assembling the cake.
Chocolate Glaze
- After the cake and pudding have cooled, melt butter and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the cocoa powder, and confectioners' sugar. Whisk in boiling water to thin the mixture to a spreadable glaze. *You may need more or less than 3 tablespoons depending on how thick you prefer the glaze.
Assembly:
- Remove one of the cooled cakes from the tin, loosening the edges with a knife as needed. Place the cake onto a plate or cake stand with the flat bottom side up. Carefully spread the cooled vanilla pudding evenly over the cake, then remove the second cake and place it on top of the pudding, sandwiching it between the cakes.
- Spread the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake allowing the glaze to run down over the sides if desired, then cover and chill the cake for 8 hours before cutting and serving. The last chill time is optional, but it does allow the flavors to develop and gives the pudding time to soak into the cakes a bit. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Other cake recipes you may enjoy:
- Amish chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting
- Wacky cake (egg free and dairy free)
- Pumpkin Pie cake
- Butterfly birthday cake
- Gluten free and Dairy free apple spice cake
- Strawberry shortcake
- Ocean themed birthday cake
Steps 1-2: Cream the sugar and butter until smooth, then whisk in the 2 egg yolks, reserving egg whites for later. Whisk in milk, then add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix well to combine. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the cake batter until smooth and no streaks of egg white are remaining.
Steps 2-3: Transfer the cake batter into two round 9-inch cake pans that are fitted with parchment paper and coated with cooking spray *see below. Bake the cakes at 350 for around 20 minutes until set in the center and golden on the tops. Avoid opening the oven door prematurely to prevent the cakes from collapsing in the center.
Tips for cake removal success:
I have had the best success with easy cake removal by using a non-stick cake tin that has a round piece of parchment paper lining just the bottom (not coming up the sides to prevent the cake from being misshapen) and a layer of cooking spray coating the sides of the tin. To cut an evenly sized piece of parchment paper for the cake pan, turn the pan upside down and trace along the bottom of the pan onto the parchment paper, then simply cut out the circle and fit it into the pan. To loosen the cake once cooled, you can also run a sharp knife along the edges.
Pudding: Warm milk in a medium saucepan on the stovetop and whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar until somewhat smooth and combined. Add a little warm milk (not boiling, around 140 degrees F.) at a time while whisking rapidly to warm up the mixture slowly and prevent the eggs from curdling. Once the mixture is warm to touch and pourable, slowly whisk it into the remaining hot milk, then bring to a boil while whisking the mixture rapidly until thickened. Remove from heat, then stir in salt and vanilla extract. Allow the pudding to cool for an hour or two in the refrigerator until fully thickened and cold to touch.
Chocolate glaze: After the cake and pudding has cooled, melt butter and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar. Add boiling water to thin the mixture to a spreadable glaze. *You may need more or less than 3 tablespoons depending on how thick you prefer the glaze.
Assembly: Remove one of the cooled cakes from the tin, loosening the edges with a knife as needed. Place the cake onto a plate or cake stand with the flat bottom side up. Carefully spread the cooled vanilla pudding evenly over the cake, then remove the second cake and place it on top of the pudding, sandwiching it between the cakes. Spread the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake allowing the glaze to run down over the sides if desired, then cover and chill the cake for 8 hours before cutting and serving.
Last but not least: Slice that cake and enjoy! I may be a little weird or maybe it is part of my Amish upbringing, but I like nothing better than a piece of Boston cream pie that is drenched in milk. I’m not talking about a cup of milk on the side, I’m saying pour that cup of milk over the cake. Try it and thank me later (or not if you hate it). 🙂
Storage notes:
Keep the cake chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Do not freeze the cake because the pudding can separate and turn into a mushy mess. If you wish to prep the cake ahead of time for an event, you can freeze the cakes separately and then make the pudding and chocolate glaze closer to the event. This cake would work well to prep the day before because it takes time for those flavors to develop.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoy! Let us know in the comments what you think of the recipe or if you have any questions. Feel free to use the pin or print buttons in the recipe card to save this recipe for later. -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight
