The Cake of No Virtues

Lets start this with a warning:

There is nothing healthy nor redeeming about this. Nothing. To make it I walked the walk of shame and bought 3 kinds of dairy, eggs and all-purpose flour. I cut no corners. I didn’t try to lower the fat, the sugar or veganize it. I make a pie or cake every year for my brother and let him have it the way it should be! I saw a recipe for a Boston Cream Pie in I think an issue of Saveur Magazine. I had ripped it out and tucked it in my recipe files. Having asked David what he wanted, he said BCP. It was a lot of work, I won’t deny that…but wow, for sheer over indulgence, this cake was unbelievable. But lets face it, any cake that uses 9 freaking eggs and 2 sticks of butter, plus heavy cream? It better taste good.

Boston Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Cake –

• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (1½ sticks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Custard Filling –

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1½ cups milk
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, chopped
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Ganache –

• 4 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Cake –

Heat oven to 350º. Lightly butter a 9″ cake pan, add a pinch of flour, shake to coat and tap out excess.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high of a hand mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs in, one at a time, until smooth.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 batches, till just combined.

Pour into pan, smooth top out with spatula, bake for 35 minutes and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for 15 minutes, turn out on a cooling rack, let cool.

Custard –

Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add in egg yolks, whisking till smooth.

Slowly whisk in milk, heat over medium till the custard thickens, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat, add in butter, whisking till smooth, then whisk in vanilla.

Transfer pudding to a glass bowl, lay plastic wrap over the top (to prevent pudding skin), chill for at least 2 hours.

To Assemble –

With a long serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally, having the bottom a bit bigger (60% bottom, 40% top or so). Gently separate the cake layers. Place the bottom half on a serving plate or platter.

Stir the chilled custard, spread evenly on the cake bottom, gently lay the top layer on top, press down gently to seal, the filling should ooze out a bit on the sides.

Ganache –

Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a small mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan, heat over high until boiling. Take off heat, pour over chocolate, let sit for one minute. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and shiny, set aside for ten minutes.

Pour the chocolate over the top, spread gently so the top is covered and runs down the sides a bit, letting it drip.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving, preferably a few hours, the cake gets better overnight.

~Sarah