Adventures in all things food: Boston Cream Bundt #BundtBakers

Ready to dive into a retro dessert? This month I really wanted to show some admiration for the oddly named, Boston Cream Pie.

Okay, we all know it is a cake... rich butter cake, with a layer of pastry cream and topped with a chocolate glaze. Mmm.... Something about layers just seems more decadent, doesn't it? Luckily this "pie" is easy to make from scratch.

This month's bundt inspiration comes from our April host, Felice from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs. She threw down the challenge to bring a retro dessert of our choice into bundt form.

And if you have been following my little egg recipe saga, it is another fabulous way to use up all those extra spring eggs. From the cake to the pastry cream, it is an egg-rich treat.

This time of year I enjoy have a little treat to enjoy in the evening. Spring brings longer hours on the farm and my husband gets really hungry. He does a great job polishing off dinner, but it is nice to enjoy a little something special before bed.

I am a big fan of letting bundt cakes rest overnight, so I will often bake one day and serve my bundt cake the next evening. Wrap it in saran wrap and it will be ready to slice and serve the following day.

My toddler though is not a fan of waiting. Once he smells a cake baking, he is ready to devour it. He is glad to help me polish off the slices I use for photos. I guess that is his reward for waiting patiently.

This 'pie' begins with a simple almond butter cake...

I went with a simple bundt pan so slicing and drizzling would be easy. The top will be covered with chocolate ganache anyway.

The next thing to make before assembly is the pastry cream. I used a standard recipe for pastry cream with vanilla bean to be extra special.

The cake is sliced in half and the custard is spread as thick as you dare. Then I drizzled a basic chocolate ganache over the top. I love how shiny and yummy it looks.

Ready to get baking? I hope you enjoy this fun bundt cake as much as we did.

Boston Cream Bundt

You Will Need:

Cake

1 c. sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. milk

Pastry Cream

3 c. whole milk
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split, and seeds scraped
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. flour
4 large egg yolks
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate, chopped
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease and flour your bundt pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the sugar, butter, salt, and extract. Then mix in the oil, and add one egg at a time, incorporating and scraping down the bowl before each new addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Make sure it is all well incorporated.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting. Cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and letting the cake sit overnight.

The following day before serving, make the pastry cream and chocolate glaze.

For the pastry cream, stir together 2 1/2 cups of the milk, sugar, salt and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture up to a boil over medium heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Temper the egg mixture with a few ladle-fulls of hot milk, whisking continuously to prevent the egg from scrambling. Then pour the egg mixture into the pan and while still whisking, bring it up to a simmer to cook for about 30 seconds. It will thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the cubed butter. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the surface of the custard. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

Before spreading on your cake, whip the cream into whipped cream and fold into the chilled pastry cream.

For the chocolate glaze, bring the cream and corn syrup up to a bowl. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate till melted and smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla, then set aside to assemble the cake.

Cut the cake in half horizontally. Remove the top half and spread a thick layer of pastry cream over the cake. Replace the top and drizzle with glaze. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!