Description
Ina Garten’s Boston Cream Pie delights dessert enthusiasts with its classic New England charm. Layers of tender vanilla cake, silky pastry cream, and glossy chocolate ganache create a nostalgic sweet experience you’ll savor with pure culinary pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base Ingredients:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ cups sugar
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons (0.75 stick) unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon grated orange zest
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Glaze and Flavor Enhancers:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips (7.5 ounces), such as Nestlé’s
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, broken in pieces
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules, such as Nescafé
Instructions
- Meticulously prepare the oven environment by heating to 160°C (325°F). Coat two 9-inch (23 cm) circular baking pans with butter, line with parchment paper, then dust with flour to ensure smooth cake release.
- Create a warm infusion by gently heating milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium temperature. Remove from heat, incorporate vanilla extract and fresh orange zest. Allow mixture to rest, covered. Simultaneously, sift flour, baking powder, and salt through a fine-mesh strainer in a separate bowl.
- Utilize an electric mixer with paddle attachment to whip eggs and granulated sugar at medium-high speed for approximately 4 minutes until the mixture transforms into a thick, pale yellow consistency. Gradually introduce the warm milk mixture, then fold in the sifted flour blend with delicate precision to maintain air bubbles.
- Distribute batter evenly between prepared baking pans. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, monitoring with a toothpick for clean removal. Allow cakes to rest in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Craft a citrusy syrup by simmering orange juice with sugar until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and enhance with Grand Marnier liqueur. Set aside for layering.
- Construct a luxurious chocolate glaze using a double-boiler method. Combine heavy cream, semisweet chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and instant coffee granules. Stir periodically until achieving a silky smooth texture. Allow mixture to rest and thicken for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Carefully slice each cake horizontally, creating four delicate layers. Position the bottom layer on a serving plate, brushing generously with one-third of the orange syrup. Spread a layer of pastry cream, repeating the process for subsequent layers. Conclude with the final cake layer facing downward.
- Elegantly drape the chocolate glaze over the assembled cake, allowing it to cascade gracefully down the sides. Permit the dessert to stabilize for approximately one hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Drizzle chocolate glaze generously, letting it cascade beautifully down cake sides for a stunning presentation.
- Warm eggs naturally for better texture, preventing dense cake disasters by leaving them out 30 minutes before mixing.
- Fold flour gently into batter to maintain incredible lightness and tender crumb.
- Allow melted chocolate to cool smoothly, creating a glossy glaze that transforms your dessert into a professional-looking masterpiece.
- Saturate cake layers completely with orange soak, infusing each bite with bright, zesty citrus notes that elevate the entire dessert experience.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (94g)
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg