BOSTON CREAM PIE

It is not a pie really. It is a cake.

Boston Cream Pie = cake +cream+ chocolate

That simple. All the good stuff. I make the cake faintly coconut though, just because!

INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS IN THREE PARTS: 1. CAKE 2. CREAM 3. CHOCOLATE

PLUS ANOTHER VIDEO TUTORIAL

PART 1. THE COCONUT CAKE

Two 16 ounce cans of coconut milk reduced to 1 1/2 cups (note, you will only be using 1 cup of the cake), 1 1/2 sticks of butter, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup coconut milk, butter for greasing two 8 inch cake tins with parchment.

Prior to mixing cake, reduce the coconut milk in a saucepan over medium high heat to roughly 1 1/2 cups and chill. This can be done a couple days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
In a stand mixer, (although this can be done in a bowl too), mix the room temperature butter with the sugar until light.
Add in the eggs one at a time mixing in between
Add the vanilla
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt
Add half of the flour mixture to the batter in the mixer and mix on medium
Add in the coconut milk and mix
finish with the other half of flour
grease two 8 inch cake tins and line the bottom with parchment, grease the parchment too.
Evenly divide the batter into the cake tins
Bake cake at 350 degrees F until lightly golden and when poked the knife comes out clean
remove from tins and cool on a wire rack

NOTE: this cake can be made ahead of time and frozen. Thaw before assembling.

PART 2. THE PASTRY CREAM

NOTE: THIS RECIPE MAKES A LARGE BATCH AND HALF IS SUFFICIENT FOR THIS CAKE: I LIKE TO MAKE IN BULK SO I CAN MAKE FRANGIPANE FROM THE REST OF THE PASTRY CREAM OR USE IT FOR OTHER DESSERTS SUCH AS PROFITEROLES, A TRIFLE, OR PERHAPS A PAVLOVA

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of milk, a pinch of salt, dash of vanilla or a vanilla bean, 1 liberal cup of sugar, 8 tablespoons cornstarch, 4 eggs, 8 tablespoons of butter ( 1 stick)

pour the milk into the saucepan with a pinch of salt and dash of vanilla, put on stove over medium high heat
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and eggs
when the milk has reached a ruckus simmer pour 3/4 of it or roughly 80 percent into the egg mixture, whisk and pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Continue to slowly whisk the cream as it thickens so as not to curdle or burn.
remove from heat when the cream has thickened
add the butter a tablespoon at a time and whisk into the cream.
cover with parchment to cool
chill in fridge

PART 3: CHOCOLATE

2 ounces semi sweet bakers chocolate, 1 tablespoon butter, dash of hot water, cold water, 1-2 cups sifted powdered sugar

place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan and melt over very low heat, making sure to stir and not burn the chocolate.
when melted remove the chocolate from the stove and add a dash of hot water and whisk.
add some of the powdered sugar and some of the cold water and whisk
keep adding powdered sugar or water and whisk to get the consistency and sweetness you’re looking for. Some might like the frosting thin and drippy and some might prefer a bit thicker for spreading. Get creative.