Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 23rd, 2021 with you. Did you know today is National Boston Cream Pie Day and this is another Dessert Charlie. I haven’t had and before you ask I don’t know if David has had it or not.
National Boston Cream Pie Day arrives on October 23rd. If you’ve never heard of Boston Cream Pie before, it’s a Yellow Butter Cake, filled with Custard or Cream and topped with Chocolate Glaze. Now, we know what you’re thinking: Why is Boston Cream Pie called a Pie, when it’s actually a cake?
Four things to know about Boston Cream Pie:
- Did you know a Boston Cream Pie is a Cake? The Cake is filled with a Custard or Cream Filling. Then Frosted with Chocolate.
- Boston Cream Pie was created by Armenian-French Chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856,
- Boston Cream Pie is the official dessert of Massachusetts, which was declared in 1996.
- A Boston Cream Doughnut is a name for a Berliner filled with Vanilla Custard or Crème Pâtissière and topped with Icing made from Chocolate.
Recipe for Boston Cream Pie
1 cup Heavy Cream, boiling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted Cake Flour
2/3 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Egg Whites
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Pastry Cream, recipe follows
Ganache, recipe follows
Pastry Cream Filling:
2 cups Whole, 2 percent Fat, or 1 percent Fat Milk
1/2 Vanilla Bean, Split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
6 Egg Yolks
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Ganache
8 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt. Make a well in the center of the Flour mixture. Add Milk, Oil, Egg Yolks, and Vanilla. Beat with an Electric Mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Beat an additional 3 minutes on high speed and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar on medium to high speed until soft peaks form. Pour the Egg Yolk mixture over the Egg White mixture and fold in. Gently pour the batter into a 9-inch greased pie pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Pastry Cream Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the Milk and Vanilla Bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the Egg Yolks and granulated Sugar until light and fluffy. Add the Cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot Milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining Hot Milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the Butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.
Ganache:
In a medium bowl, pour the boiling Cream over the chopped Chocolate and stir until melted.
To assemble the Boston Cream Pie, remove the cake from the pan. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate or board, and spread with the Pastry Cream. Top with second cake layer. Pour Chocolate Ganache over and down the sides of the cake. Store in refrigerator.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY
When Boston Cream Pie was first invented, Cakes and Pies were baked with the same kinds of pans, and even the words were used interchangeably. As a result, Boston Cream Pie kept its old-fashioned name, in addition to its delicious flavor. Boston Cream Pie was first invented in 1856, by an Armenian-French Chef named Sanzian. At the time, Chocolate Frosting was a fairly new idea, so the dessert took the world by storm. And to this day, Boston Cream Pie remains a popular menu selection. It’s even the official dessert of Massachusetts! Get your fork at the ready—let’s eat! Back then Boston Cream Pie consisted of French Butter Sponge Cake filled with thick Custard and brushed with a Rum Syrup. The same Custard overlaid with Toasted Sliced Almonds coated the sides, while Chocolate Fondant topped Boston Cream Pie. While other Custard Cakes may have existed at that time, Baking Chocolate as a coating was a new process, making it unique and a popular choice on the menu. Boston Cream Pie ie Cake was probably called a Pie because in the mid-19th Century, pie tins were more common than cake pans. The first versions might have been baked in pie tins. Boston Cream Pie is a remake of the early American” Pudding-cake pie.”
NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY ACTIVITIES
- If you’re someone who loves to bake, then this is the perfect opportunity to give this dessert a try. If you’re trying Boston Cream Pie for the first time, or if you’re improving on an old favorite, baking your own Boston Cream Pie is the perfect way to celebrate.
- Invite your fellow Cake enthusiasts to join you in celebrating Massachusetts’ official dessert. Bring along other Boston-themed foods including Clam Chowder, Lobster, or Sam Adams Beer. Iif you really want to give it that revolutionary vibe, invite your guests to party in period-style clothing!
- Well, what better place to get an authentic Boston Cream Pie than in its official birthplace? While you’re there, check out some of the excellent experiences that Boston has to offer.
WHY People LOVE NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY
- The recipe is so simple — you only need three ingredients — and yet there’s something about the combination of Chocolate, Cake, and Custard that’s tasty. Not only that, but the simplicity of the ingredients gives you a lot of room to experiment. How can you jazz up a Boston Cream Pie?
- Boston has always been a rich cultural hub. Did you know Boston was the site of some of the most important events in the Revolutionary War? Boston has continued to be the birthplace of American traditions ever since. With every bite of a Boston Cream Pie, you are continuing a tradition of wicked Bostonian trend-setting and innovation that’s 260 years strong.
- If your like me then you don’t need an excuse to eat Cake — but it’s handy to have a excuse at times. Treat yourself.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
