Boston Cream Pie Recipe (with Shortening)
Ingredients
Cake Recipe
- 1/3 Cup Shortening
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/4 Cup Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup Milk
Filling Recipe
- 1/3 Cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups Milk
- 2 Egg Yolks Slightly Beaten (just use a fork and mush around a bit)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Glaze Recipe
- 2 1-oz squares Unsweetened Chocolate I used a heaping 1/4 Cup of Milk Chocolate Chips
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons Water I used Heavy Cream instead of the Water
Instructions
Make the Cake
- 350* oven.
- Grease one 9"-round cake pan with Baker's Joy, Pam with Flour, or your favorite method. Set aside.
- Cream shortening and sugar in a large bowl until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, add dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture. Combine well after each addition.
- Pour batter into the greased pan. Smooth the top to ensure it is even.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Make the Glaze
- Melt butter and chocolate over low heat in a medium saucepan.
- Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Mix in water or heavy cream (whatever you've decided to use), until the glaze feels pourable but not too thick or too thin. It will firm up as it chills.
- Let cool and store the cake in the refrigerator. Eat it chilled from the fridge.
Make the Filling
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, continue stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
- Keep stirring and boil for one minute.
- Add one small bit of the hot mixture to your beaten eggs. Combine well.
- Add egg yolk mixture to the pan.
- Bring back to a boil and boil for one minute. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Resist the temptation to keep boiling longer or you will end up with eggy bits in your filling.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Chill in the refrigerator until the cake is completely cooled and ready for assembly.
Assemble Cooled Cake
- Split cooled cake into two horizontal layers by slicing through the middle layer. I use an electric knife for the cleanest cut, but any long, serrated knife will do. If you slightly biff it, and cut it a little uneven, no one will notice once it's layered together, so don't worry.
- Set the completely cooled top cake layer to the side. Set the bottom layer cut-side up on your cake plate. For a super clean presentation, use bits of wax paper or parchment paper just underneath your cake to catch drips.
- Pour or spoon chilled custard on the room temperature cake. Spread until it almost meets the edges. The weight of the cake will help it slide over the last little bit.
- Carefully place the top layer of the cake, cut-side down, over the custard. Pour the chocolate glaze over the top. Chill for one to two hours and store in the fridge. Serve chilled. For the cleanest cake slices, run your knife under hot water to heat the blade. Wipe off the water, slice the cake, and repeat as needed. This cake cut so clean for me, I didn't need to do that, but it's worth knowing.