Boston Cream Pie

This recipe comes out of one of the older cookbooks I recently picked up at a flea market. The book, "A Taste from the Past, Good Old Food", has many wonderful recipes with charming stories to go along with each dish. This pie, which is actually a cake, ( as better explained here), is usually made with a custard filling but this particular recipe fills the layers with a slightly sweet whipped cream and topped with a semisweet chocolate ganache.
It turned out truly delicious. I, however, messed up a little because I think I bake the cake a little too long. But once combined with the whipped cream filling and the ganache..it was still heavenly! Here's a good youtube video to show you technique.
There are , like lots of recipes, many different versions on how to make the cake. This seemed just as involved as any other I read. Perhaps using cake flour might have resulted in an even lighter cake?

I took no time in diving right in!

So to begin, put the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl over hot, but not simmering water.

Stir with a wire whisk until the sugar dissolves ...

And the mixture reaches 110 degrees.

Then pour into a medium sized bowl and beat. I used an electric hand held beater.
Beat this for at least 5 minutes, til it's tripled in volume.

And it gets nice and pale, fluffy and lemon colored.

Add the vanilla and mix in.

Then sift the flour and salt over the mixture and fold in with a spatula.

Drizzle the butter into the mixture and stir til just blended.

Pour into your prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Since mine was slightly overdone, I suggest you check after about 20 minutes. It should be springy to the touch.

Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and cool completely.

Once cooled, spread the whipped cream filling on the bottom layer. Place the other layer on top.

Make the yummy ganache.

And cool it to room temperature.

Then spread it on top of the cake and chill til serving time. ( Or cut yourself a big piece because..well.. somebody has to try it and it may as well be you. You worked very hard to make this and you deserve it! ( Then take the rest to the neighbors..share!).

Boston Cream Pie

6 large eggs, at room temp.

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted AP flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

6 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350.

Lightly butter and flour two 9" pans.

1. Combine the eggs and 3/4 cup of the sugarin a large heatproof bowl and place bowl over hot, but not simmering water.

2. Stir with wire whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch, ( 110 degrees on a candy thermometer.)

3. Remove the bowl from the heat ( I transferred the mixture to a medium bowl), and beat with an elecric mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, til the mixture is cooled and has tripled in volume. It should be very light, fluffy and lemon colored.

4.Beat the vanilla into the egg mixture.

5. Combine the flour and salt and sift over the egg mixture, folding in the flour with a rubber spatula.

6. Gently drizzle in the butter and stir just til blended.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes ( or less), or til a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.

8. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and cool completely on wire rack.

9. Ganache: Heat 3/4 cup of cream in a small saucepan until it starts to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate, until it's melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temp.

10. Whipped filling: Beat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream with the remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, until soft peaks form. Put one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with whipped cream.

Put the second layer on top. Gently pour the chocolate glaze over the top, allowing some to drizzle down the sides.