Welcome to our series featuring Food Holidays: October 22nd, 2022. Today is National Boston Cream Pie Day. Can you believe neither Charlie or I have had this Pie before. I would like to ask if you’ve had a slice of Boston Cream Pie and if you liked it or not?
. 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. I am sure your asking why Boston Cream Pie is called a Pie, when it’s actually a cake?
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 delicious dessert took the world by storm. To this day, it remains a popular menu selection. It’s even the official dessert of Massachusetts! Get your fork at the ready and eat!
Back then the dish 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 it all off. 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.
According to the website, What’s Cooking America,: “Cooks in New England and Pennsylvania Dutch regions were known for their cakes and pies and the dividing line between them was very thin. This 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 Boston Cream Pie a try 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 as well including Clam Chowder, and Sam Adams Beer (if your guests are of age). If you really want to give it that revolutionary vibe, invite your guests to party in period-style clothing!
- What better place to get an authentic Boston Cream Pie than in its official birthplace? While you’re there, check out some of the other excellent experiences that Boston has to offer.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY
- The recipe is so simple you only need three ingredients but there’s something about the combination of Chocolate, Cake, and Custard that’s so comforting and tasty. Not only that, but the simplicity of the ingredients gives you a lot of room to experiment. How many ways can you jazz up a Boston Cream Pie?
- Boston has always been a rich cultural hub and Boston was the site of some of the most important events in the Revolutionary War, and 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.
- You don’t really need an excuse to eat Cake but it’s handy to have one sometimes. Go ahead and treat yourself.
Here are today’s five thing to know about Boston Cream Pie:
- A Boston Cream Pie is a Cake that is filled with a Custard or Cream filling and frosted with Chocolate.
- Although its called a Boston Cream Pie, it is in fact a Cake, and not a Pie.
- Boston Cream Pie was created by Armenian-French chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856,
- The Boston Cream Pie is the official dessert of Massachusetts, declared as such 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.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
