Classic Boston Cream Pie now sized for two – in regular and high-altitude variations.

The Same Light, Airy Sponge, Thick Sweet Pastry Cream and Glossy Chocolate Glaze – Just in a Smaller Size.

SmallBakes takes your favorite recipes and makes them suitable for smaller gatherings, or just for two.

Based on Chef Zeb Stevenson’s time-tested hot milk cake, this lucious dessert is always a show-stopper. Two layers of hot milk cake, thick pastry cream filling, and a glossy, chocolate glaze make for a memorable end to any meal.

If you’re searching the internet for recipes, you’ve certainly noticed there are a million recipes for Boston Cream Pie. But this one is one of the few that has been tested extensively, using different combinations of ingredients to ensure the best texture and taste, as well as the most reliable results.

The Cake

For the cake, a hot milk sponge cake. I’ve seen everything from boxed cake mix (fie on you, Pinterest!) to scratch butter cake to genoise used. This selection gives you a tender, airy but hefty cake that stands up to sweet pastry cream and chocolate glaze.

One change to Chef Zeb’s recipe that we’ve made is the addition of cardamom. Hot milk cake can take on an eggy aroma that some people don’t care for. The addition of aromatic cardamom brings the vanilla flavor to the fore. It’s optional, but I’m certain you will enjoy it.

The Pastry Cream

I took the recipe for pastry cream from Cook’s Illustrated’s classic “Wicked Good Boston Cream Pie.” CI notes that it can be a bit difficult using typical corn starch as the thickener for your pastry cream. Pastry cream depends on the slow cooking of an emulsified mixture of eggs, sugar and thickener. If you use corn starch, it’s much easier to undercook it (resulting in runny cream), or overwhisking (which causes water to re-separate out of the mixture – again giving you runny cream.) Flour isn’t nearly so finicky, and you’ll get good results every time.

I find that whisking constantly during preparation results in a perfectly smooth cream, with no need for straining through a sieve. But if you make a boo-boo, and your cream curdles a bit – no worries. Pressing it through a fine mesh strainer will solve the problem and no one will ever know!

(Here’s a video on how your pastry cream should look when it’s just right:

The Chocolate Glaze

And finally, the glaze. Normally you make the glaze with just cream and chocolate – but that mixture will get very dull upon standing, and it has a tendency to thicken so stiffly that it will crack upon cutting, and won’t give you that nice dribble down the sides that you want for your show-stopping cake. The addition of a little golden syrup (or corn syrup if you use that) will provide a permanent sheen to the chocolate glaze, while giving it the ability to stay a bit softer as it cools, providing a nice look to your cake.

The only trick to this glaze is allowing the chopped chocolate to sit in the hot cream, rather than stirring immediately. Give it a good 3 or 4 minutes to melt the chocolate before stirring and you should have any problem with the chocolate seizing.

A Note about the SmallBakes Process

Converting recipes from the usual size (2 8″ rounds or one 9″ X 13″ pan) to half the size takes a lot of finesse and testing. It also requires more precise measurements. You will see a lot of my recipes are measured in grams (most reliable) or down to tablespoons plus teaspoons. As the volumes get smaller, the measuring becomes even more important. If you don’t have an accurate kitchen scale, spring for a new one like this one from Amazon:

BOMATA 0.01g/1kg Upgraded Small Digital Scale

Accurate to .01 g, this sturdy, rechargeable scale is perfect for the precise measurements needed for SmallBakes!

Read the Best Cooking Magazine Ever – Cook’s Illustrated

Read the Best Cooking Magazine Ever – Cook’s Illustrated

SmallBakes Boston Cream Pie. Yellow sponge cake with filling and chocolate glaze

Print Recipe

Boston Cream Pie for Two (Regular Altitude)

Traditional split-layer hot milk sponge cake, filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with a silky-smooth chocolate glaze.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Pastry Cream Cooling2

Course: Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Boston Cream Pie, smallbakes

Servings: 4 Servings

Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

1 Cup Half-and Half
3 Lg Egg Yolks room temperature
1/4 Cup Sugar
Salt pinch
2 tbsp Flour all-purpose
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter Cut into pieces and chilled
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Cake

145 g Flour all-purpose
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Instant Clear Gel
1/2 tsp Cardamom
Salt (pinch)
1/2 cup Milk 5% fat whole
2 tbsp Butter unsalted
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Vanilla
200 g Sugar
2 Lg Eggs room temperature

Glaze

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 tbsp Golden Syrup or Corn Syrup
2 oz Bittersweet Chocolate chopped fine or chocolate chips

Instructions

For the Pastry Cream:

Heat half-and-half in medium saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Add flour to yolk mixture and whisk until incorporated. Remove half-and-half from heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add 1/4 cup to yolk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to half-and-half in saucepan.
Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 8 minutes.
Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until bubbles burst on surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until butter is melted and incorporated. Strain pastry cream through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on surface and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

For the Cake:

Prepate baking pans. Grease and flour 2 6" rounds. You can place a parchment round on the bottom, if necessary
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, Instant Clear Gel, cardamom, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter just to a beginning boil. Remove from heat, stir to melt the butter, then cover with a lid. Drape a dishtowel over the pan to keep warm.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until eggs are a light lemon-color and thick.
Add the oil and vanilla, beating on low just to combine.
Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined to a thick, smooth batter.
Gradually add the hot milk/butter mixture and beat on low to combine.
Pour evenly into prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale to even them out). Tap lightly to disperse just the biggest bubbles.
Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back to the touch. The cakes should be an even light golden brown.
Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then tap out to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Glaze:

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let the chocolate sit in the hot cream for 3-4 minutes, then stir until smooth.

To Assemble:

Place one cake round on large plate. Whisk pastry cream briefly, then spoon onto center of cake. Using offset spatula, spread evenly to cake edge. Place second layer on pastry cream, bottom side up, making sure layers line up properly. Press lightly on top of cake to level.
Pour slightly-cooled glaze onto center of cake. Use offset spatula to spread glaze to edge of cake, letting excess drip decoratively down sides. Chill finished cake 3 hours before slicing. Cake may be made up to 24 hours before serving.

Notes

If you are going to subscribe to a cooking magazine or site, I cannot recommend Cook’s Illustrated more highly.