These Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes are to die for! A moist vanilla cupcake, pastry cream filling and beautiful chocolate ganache topping make this one tasty cupcake you will definitely want to sink your teeth into.
So I guess today is the day that I will dispel the myth that I have always been an amazing baker – just in case you were under that impression. ๐ The truth is, I grew up cooking with my mom, not baking. Sure, there was some baking around holidays, but day-to-day was all about the cooking. So when I started baking several years back, it was quite an effort to really learn what I was doing. Lots of hours have been spent in the kitchen. With cooking, I was used to being able to throw things in a dish and not have to worry too much that small changes to a recipe would ruin it. With baking, it’s a whole different ball game. Small changes can make a huge difference – and be incredibly frustrating.
So back around the time I started baking, I was taking a lot of the desserts I’d make into work. I’d ask co-workers what their favorite dessert or flavor was if what was their birthday and then I’d challenge myself to come up with a cake. It was a great way for me to try things I hadn’t tried before – the best way to learn! Even now, I still love unexpected requests that give me a challenge or get me to step out of the box.
Well one such request was for a Boston Cream Pie – and I had never even made pastry cream before. Ever. I had no idea what I was doing. But I found a recipe and went for it. I’d been fairly successful up until this point, so I figured it’d be all good. I was wrong.
I had no idea what I did at the time and it’s been so long that I don’t even remember what recipe I used to look back and figure it out, but I remember wondering how in the word the pastry cream would thicken enough to hold up between cake layers. Ultimately the cream was much too thin and by the time the cake made it’s way to work, it was basically two layers of cake that used to have pastry cream between them, but was now in a puddle around the bottom. Major fail.
Well fast-forward about 5 years and that co-worker has moved on to another adventure. It was sad to see him go, but I was happy for him in his new path.
Of course to send him off, I had to redeem myself. Yes, he’s had many of my cakes since then, but the Boston Cream Pie had to be revisited. This time I went with cupcakes. ๐
I find pastry cream to be much less intimidating these days. I now know that cornstarch and the egg yolks are what actually thickens the cream and I’ve made pastry cream more times than I can count. ๐ It’s actually pretty easy to make and quite delicious.
Of course my old self is rolling her eyes at my current self for calling it “easy.” ๐
The pastry cream sits in the middle of one of my favorite vanilla cupcakes. It’s light, moist and has great vanilla flavor. Like many cupcake recipes you’ll find on here, making them starts with creaming the butter and sugar. I will say it over and over – be sure to fully cream the butter and sugar. This ensures a fluffy cupcake. Don’t skip it!
The cupcake is topped with the most delicious chocolate ganache. It has a little corn syrup added to it to keep the ganache looking glossy and fresh. Once the ganache is made, it’s set in the fridge to get firm, then can be piped onto the cupcakes. Even though roses aren’t super manly – and these were technically for a guy – I decided to go with the roses on top for these cupcakes. They are just so pretty!
And honestly, there were no complaints. Only happy moans as they ate the cupcakes. In fact, a few of them are going to be quite happy to finally see the recipe on the blog so that they can make them at home.
These cupcakes really are delicious. Fairly light and a fun mix of flavor and texture. I think, after 5 years, I’ve finally redeemed myself. ๐
BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS:
VANILLA CUPCAKES
6 tbsp (84g), unsalted butter, room temperature (I use Challenge Butter)
3/4 cups (155g) sugar
6 tbsp (86g) sour cream, room temperature
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
2 tsp (8g) baking powder
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp (90ml) milk, room temperature
2 tbsp (30ml) water, room temperature
PASTRY CREAM FILLING
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp (78g) sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup + 2 tbsp (270ml) milk
1 tbsp (14g) salted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
12 oz (338g) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp (30ml) light corn syrup
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (210ml) heavy whipping cream
So I guess today is the day that I will dispel the myth that I have always been an amazing baker – just in case you were under that impression. ๐ The truth is, I grew up cooking with my mom, not baking. Sure, there was some baking around holidays, but day-to-day was all about the cooking. So when I started baking several years back, it was quite an effort to really learn what I was doing. Lots of hours have been spent in the kitchen. With cooking, I was used to being able to throw things in a dish and not have to worry too much that small changes to a recipe would ruin it. With baking, it’s a whole different ball game. Small changes can make a huge difference – and be incredibly frustrating.
So back around the time I started baking, I was taking a lot of the desserts I’d make into work. I’d ask co-workers what their favorite dessert or flavor was if what was their birthday and then I’d challenge myself to come up with a cake. It was a great way for me to try things I hadn’t tried before – the best way to learn! Even now, I still love unexpected requests that give me a challenge or get me to step out of the box.
Well one such request was for a Boston Cream Pie – and I had never even made pastry cream before. Ever. I had no idea what I was doing. But I found a recipe and went for it. I’d been fairly successful up until this point, so I figured it’d be all good. I was wrong.
I had no idea what I did at the time and it’s been so long that I don’t even remember what recipe I used to look back and figure it out, but I remember wondering how in the word the pastry cream would thicken enough to hold up between cake layers. Ultimately the cream was much too thin and by the time the cake made it’s way to work, it was basically two layers of cake that used to have pastry cream between them, but was now in a puddle around the bottom. Major fail.
Well fast-forward about 5 years and that co-worker has moved on to another adventure. It was sad to see him go, but I was happy for him in his new path.
Of course to send him off, I had to redeem myself. Yes, he’s had many of my cakes since then, but the Boston Cream Pie had to be revisited. This time I went with cupcakes. ๐
I find pastry cream to be much less intimidating these days. I now know that cornstarch and the egg yolks are what actually thickens the cream and I’ve made pastry cream more times than I can count. ๐ It’s actually pretty easy to make and quite delicious.
Of course my old self is rolling her eyes at my current self for calling it “easy.” ๐
The pastry cream sits in the middle of one of my favorite vanilla cupcakes. It’s light, moist and has great vanilla flavor. Like many cupcake recipes you’ll find on here, making them starts with creaming the butter and sugar. I will say it over and over – be sure to fully cream the butter and sugar. This ensures a fluffy cupcake. Don’t skip it!
The cupcake is topped with the most delicious chocolate ganache. It has a little corn syrup added to it to keep the ganache looking glossy and fresh. Once the ganache is made, it’s set in the fridge to get firm, then can be piped onto the cupcakes. Even though roses aren’t super manly – and these were technically for a guy – I decided to go with the roses on top for these cupcakes. They are just so pretty!
And honestly, there were no complaints. Only happy moans as they ate the cupcakes. In fact, a few of them are going to be quite happy to finally see the recipe on the blog so that they can make them at home.
These cupcakes really are delicious. Fairly light and a fun mix of flavor and texture. I think, after 5 years, I’ve finally redeemed myself. ๐
BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS:
VANILLA CUPCAKES
6 tbsp (84g), unsalted butter, room temperature (I use Challenge Butter)
3/4 cups (155g) sugar
6 tbsp (86g) sour cream, room temperature
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
2 tsp (8g) baking powder
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp (90ml) milk, room temperature
2 tbsp (30ml) water, room temperature
PASTRY CREAM FILLING
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp (78g) sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup + 2 tbsp (270ml) milk
1 tbsp (14g) salted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
12 oz (338g) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp (30ml) light corn syrup
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (210ml) heavy whipping cream
Read More : BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES
