ABC Boston Cream Cakes

Boston Cream Cakes 

Everything I have made on the King Arthur website or out of my well used King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion has been great.
These are no exception! 
Fun to make...I like to down size and have cute little things. I can eat more that way! I love the pastry cream and the glaze...definitely my go to recipe for those two!

Recipe found on line for the cake and glaze..check here. The recipe I used for the pastry cream is out of the Baker's Companion Cookbook but is also found on their website. Check out what my friends made this month.

Cake

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla  extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spritz a 9" x 2" round cake pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray, line it with parchment, and spritz the parchment. I used cupcake pans without papers.

2) To prepare the cake: In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until very thick, until the batter falls from the paddle in thick ribbons. This will take several minutes. Beat in the vanilla. 

3) Bring the milk and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan. Slowly stream it into the egg/sugar mixture with the mixer going, and beat for another minute. 

4) Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a sifter or sieve and sift over the cake batter. Mix on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. 

5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, checking carefully for lumps of flour. Remove any lumps with a small spoon and discard. Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until it's a deep golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. 

6) Remove the cake from the oven, run a nylon spreader or table knife around the edges, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake onto to a rack to cool completely. 

7) When the cake is completely cool, use a long, sharp serrated knife to slice into two equal layers. Fill with the pastry cream, spreading it right to the edges. Replace the top layer.

Filling

• • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or Vanilla Crush; or 1/2 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

1) In a saucepan, stir 2 1/2 cups milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.  

 

2) Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk.

3) Whisk some of the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks to temper them. This keeps the yolks from turning to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering milk.

4) Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the remaining simmering milk. Doing this through a strainer will help prevent lumps later. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture thickens. 

5) Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract (if you're using it). If you're going to flavor the pastry cream with chocolate or some other flavor, this is the time to do it (see variations below).

6) Rub a piece of butter over the surface of the cream, top with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure it touches the top of the pastry cream so it doesn't develop a skin), then refrigerate until cool.7) To complete, fold the whipped cream into the

Glaze

• 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate (or 8oz)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla  extract

1) Prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate, corn syrup, and cream together until smooth and lump free. Add the vanilla and stir well. Pour the glaze over the filled cake and serve immediately. 

Store any leftovers in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic.