Medium
one
8 inch , 4-layer Round CakeBy Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Published 2010
Amazingly, some desserts—really great American desserts—enter the American consciousness, linger for years, and slowly disappear. For some reason, they never reach icon or classic status. They become unfashionable or, even worse, caricatures of their former selves. This has been the fate of the once-beloved Boston cream pie. It used to be ubiquitous on dessert menus, in diner cases, and even at the odd birthday party. My theories for its disappearance are many, but mainly I blame the inadequate (or bad) versions that started to appear throughout the country. A poorly executed Boston cream pie is one bad dessert. There is nothing worse than fake pastry cream or an over-spongy sponge.
Our Boston Cream Pie Cake is a tribute and an homage. We tweaked the original to make a four-layer beast with all the important parts intact: a bouncy milk sponge, classic vanilla and chocolate pastry cream, and a gooey chocolate glaze. Messy? Yes. Good? Absolutely.
In a large bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the butter and milk until the butter is just melted. Do not overheat. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture is pale and has tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the standing mixer and sprinkle a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture. Gently fold the two together, using a rubber spatula. Add the rest of the flour mixture and fold again.
Add the warm milk mixture (if it has cooled completely, reheat it slightly) to the batter and gently fold until just incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, half of the sugar, the salt, and cornstarch until the mixture is pale, thick, and smooth.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the milk and the remaining half of the sugar. Continue stirring until the mixture boils. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour about a third of the liquid into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and, whisking constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and rum until combined.
Scoop a third of the pastry cream into a different bowl and set it aside. Add the chocolate to the warm pastry cream remaining in the pan and stir until melted and smooth. Scoop the chocolate cream into a bowl. Once both pastry creams have cooled for about 15 minutes, wrap both bowls in plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
Place the chocolate and cocoa powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth.
In another small saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, corn syrup, and salt with ¼ cup water. Place the pan over low heat and warm, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter. Whisk to release excess heat, then add the reserved chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Set the sauce aside; it will thicken while you assemble the cake.
Using a serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally. Place the first cake layer on a platter and scoop half of the chocolate pastry cream on top. Spread the cream evenly to the cake’s edges using an offset spatula. Add a second cake layer and cover that with all the vanilla cream. Add a third cake layer and cover it with the remaining chocolate cream. Place the last cake layer on top and press gently with your palms to help the cake layers adhere to the pastry cream.
Very slowly, pour the thickened chocolate glaze onto the center of the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread it out to the edges so that it drips down the sides of the cake. Let the sauce thicken for about 20 minutes before serving.
The cake tastes best when eaten within 24 hours. If you have leftovers, tent the entire cake in foil and refrigerate. Serve it chilled or at room temperature.
© 2010 All rights reserved. Published by Abrams Books.