The Cake Slice Bakers are continuing in the cake cookbook The Perfect Cake and this month I chose to bake the Boston Cream Cupcakes.
I’ve never made a Boston Cream anything and have always thought it was a strange combination (cake, cream, chocolate), but if you think about it – it’s pretty much an eclair with cake instead of pat a choux.
I dove into the recipe with gusto and only had a couple of glitches. Mainly the baker behind the stove problems, though.
I had to make the pastry cream twice. It’s finicky about stirring it constantly and not for very long before it thickens (mine took only about 45 seconds stirring it after the cream was added to the egg mixture – the recipe said 1-2 minutes). The cupcake part, though, was easy to put together and was a delicious vanilla cake recipe.
I usually make ganache by pouring the chocolate into a bowl, then heating the cream and pouring it over the chocolate, stirring until blended and shiny. This ATK recipe has you put all the ingredients (cream, light corn syrup, chocolate and vanilla) into a small pan and stir continuously until smooth and shiny and it worked fine. I love the way the chocolate came out.
Next time I will change two things about this recipe assembly: 1) use cupcake liners since mine stuck to the pan a bit; and 2) instead of cutting the top off, putting in the cream, then putting the top back on before glazing, I’ll fill them from the bottom or cut the cupcake in half horizontally, put the cream between layers and then glaze. Not as easy to eat, but easier to put together.
Even with the little glitches, the cupcakes tasted great!
These Boston Cream Cupcakes are tender with a great filling and luscious chocolate icing and would be a great treat for family or friends.
Boston Cream Cupcakes
Tender vanilla cake filled with homemade cream, stopped with a delicious chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
- For the Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/3 C heavy cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 C sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
- 1 C sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 C milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Glaze:
- 3/4 C heavy cream
- 1/4 C light corn syrup
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the Cream: Heat cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer and stir occasionally. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks sugar and salt until smooth. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 20-30 seconds. Remove cream from heat and slowly drizzle into the yolk mixture, whisking continuously.
- Return the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the pastry cream to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down onto the top of the cream so it won't form a 'skin.' Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- For the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin and flour bottom and sides of each cup generously. Tap the pan to remove excess flour.
- in a stand mixer, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar on low speed until combined. Add the softened butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one a time, mixing between each addition. Add the milk and vanilla, increase the speed to medium and beat the mixture until light, fluffy, and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean, 18-20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing and letting cool completely on a rack - about 1 hour. (Refrigerate for up to 2 days if you don't want to make them immediately. Bring to room temperature before filling and frosting.)
- For the Glaze: In a small pan, combine the cream, corn syrup, chocolate, and vanilla over medium heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool and thicken for about 30 minutes.
- To assemble the Cupcakes: Insert the tip of a paring knife at a 45-degree angle, 1/2 inch from the edge of the cupcake and cut about a 1" deep cone out of the cupcake (set aside to replace after filled). Cut the bottom 3/4" inch off of the bottom tip of the cone. Place about 2 tablespoons of the pastry cream inside each cupcake and place the cone tops back in place, pressing gently.
- Put waxed paper under your rack and place the cupcakes on the rack. Spoon the glaze over each cupcake, letting it drip down the sides a bit. Refrigerate until the glaze is just set, 10-15 minutes.
Notes
I wrote the instructions pretty much like ATK has them. Next time, though, I would fill the cupcakes from the bottom - it was quite messy and squirty their way.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator if you have leftovers. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 631Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 196mgSodium: 413mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 4gSugar: 30gProtein: 10g
Nutrition Values are Approximate