Boston cream pie

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Heat 360 g whole milk until steaming; meanwhile, whisk 72 g egg yolks with 75 g granulated sugar, 25 g cornstarch and a pinch salt, then slowly pour in the hot milk, return everything to the pot and stir constantly over medium heat. Adding the milk slowly warms the yolks gradually so they don't curdle into lumps. Once the cream has bubbled in the center for about a minute and is as thick as yogurt, turn off the heat and stir in 20 g unsalted butter and 4 g vanilla extract.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Pour the cream into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least two hours. Wrap touching the surface keeps a dry skin from forming, and the chill makes the cream thick enough to fill the cake. The cream is ready when it's cold throughout and holds its shape on a spoon.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Preheat the oven to 175°C, line the bottom of a 23 cm round pan with parchment paper and butter the sides. A fully hot oven before you whip the eggs means the batter goes in while it's at its airiest. The oven is ready after a full fifteen minutes of heating.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Put 150 g eggs, 150 g superfine sugar and 4 g vanilla extract in a bowl and whip on high speed for about seven minutes, while you warm 100 g whole milk with 40 g unsalted butter in a separate small pot. The eggs need to expand several times over, since they're the main source of air that makes the cake light. The eggs are ready when the mixture is pale and thick and a line drawn across the surface doesn't fill in right away.

   Suggested time: about 7 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Sift 140 g cake flour, 5 g baking powder and a pinch salt over the eggs and fold in two additions, then whisk about a cup of the batter into the hot milk and butter, pour it back into the bowl and fold a few more times. Mixing the milk with some batter first helps the liquid blend in evenly instead of sinking. The batter is ready when it's smooth, falls in a ribbon and shows no streaks of butter or dry flour.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Pour the batter into the pan, level the top and bake at 175°C for about 25 to 30 minutes. A wide, shallow pan bakes quickly and evenly, so a single cake is all you need to split in two. The cake is done when the top is light golden brown, springs back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

   Bake at 175°C for about 25 to 30 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Leave the cake in the pan for ten minutes, then turn it out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and let it cool completely, about forty-five minutes. A warm cake will turn the pastry cream runny when you fill it. The cake is ready when the center no longer feels warm to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Use a serrated knife to slice the cake horizontally into two even layers, set the bottom layer on a plate, whisk the cold pastry cream until loose and spread it thickly on top, leaving a border of about one centimeter, then place the other layer on top. The border keeps the cream from squeezing out when you add the top layer and pour on the glaze. The cake is assembled when both layers sit flat and the cream shows as an even pale yellow stripe around the cake.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Heat 120 g heavy cream over low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, turn off the heat and pour it over 115 g finely chopped dark chocolate, wait two minutes, then stir from the center outward. Letting the chocolate sit in the heat before stirring helps the glaze melt smoothly without splitting. The glaze is ready when it's glossy, as thick as honey and feels just warm on your lip.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Pour the chocolate glaze onto the center of the cake and use the back of a spoon to nudge it gently toward the edge, letting a little drip naturally down the sides. Pouring while the glaze is still warm lets it level itself and form pretty drips. The glaze is done when it covers the top completely, evenly thick and shiny as a mirror.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Refrigerate the cake for about thirty minutes so the glaze sets and the filling firms up. A properly chilled cake cuts into neat slices without squeezing out the cream. The cake is ready when the chocolate no longer feels sticky to a light touch.

    Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done