Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Happy Friday! How is everyone doing? I am back with a new cupcake recipe. One of my husband’s favorite desserts is Boston cream pie but because we are just 2 people at home I decided to make a smaller version so I don’t have a lot of leftovers.

These cupcakes have 3 parts: a soft vanilla cake, a pastry cream filling and a chocolate ganache topping.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you want to watch how I made these cupcakes, visit my Instagram page @pastry_tales

Yield one dozen cupcakes

You can double the ingredients for a bigger batch

Ingredients

For the vanilla cupcakes

4 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 and 1/8 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons milk. I used 2% lactose free

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pastry cream

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 cup milk . I used 2% lactose free

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache

4 and 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions

For the pastry cream

We are going to make the pastry cream first because it needs time to cool off and some chilling time in the fridge.

1.- In a medium size bowl whisk your yolks. Set aside.

2.- In a saucepan mix: sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk in a steady stream and cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, this will take about 5 minutes. Please, do not stop whisking because your milk can get very hot and burn. Add 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk whisk fast. Return this yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and continue to cook, whisky until tit comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla.

3.- Strain the mixture through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Let it cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

For the cupcakes

1.- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners.

2.- In a small bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3.- In a small saucepan mix butter and milk. Heat over medium heat and stir until butter is melted and it comes to a small boil.

4.- In a bigger bowl and using a mixer whip your eggs for about 2 minutes. Then, add sugar and mix for about 5 more minutes. Add in the dry ingredients and mix in low speed until all is just combined. Pour in the hot milk mixture and keep mixing in low speed. Finally, add vanilla extract.

5.- Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and then bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean.

6.- Let them cool completely.

7.- When they are completely cooled off: Hold a baked and cooled cupcake in one hand and insert a small paring knife, at an angle, about half way down into the cupcake. Cut out a cone shaped piece out of the center of each cupcake. Reserve the cones.

8.- Fill each cupcake with some pastry cream and cover the top with at thin cake layer from the cone you reserved.

Now, let’s make the ganache.

For the chocolate ganache

1.- Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Pour this hot cream over the chocolate and mix well until it is smooth and shiny.

2.- Let this chocolate mixture cool for for about 5 minutes and then dip the top parts of each cupcake into the chocolate. Be gentle.

Let the ganache set for about 20 minutes and then serve.

Keep these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge if you are not serving inmediatly.

Enjoy!