Allow us to present to you with Boston cream pie! This airy sponge cake is filled with rich pastry cream and topped with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze. It’s supremely decadent, satisfying, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Our bookshelves are full of cookbooks, but we can say with 100% honesty that our go-tos are generally authored by America’s Test Kitchen. After all, America’s Test Kitchen and its knowledgeable test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists put the time and effort into perfecting recipes, a practice we value and respect.
Their cookbook The Perfect Cake boasts more than 240 kitchen-tested cake and cupcakes recipes ranging from a yellow sheet cake and tres leches cake to rainbow cake and bananas Foster cake. It’s the kind of cookbook that compels you to jump out of your seat, run to the kitchen, and grab the flour. So if you enjoy baking cakes, you need this cookbook.
One recipe in particular stole our hearts: Boston cream pie. We knew that if anyone could do this classic recipe justice—completely from-scratch—it’s ATK.
What is Boston Cream Pie?
The “pie” in Boston Cream Pie is a bit of a misnomer. This show-stopping dessert was originally dreamed up in the 1800s, back in the day when pies and cakes were both baked in pie plates, and names were used interchangeably. The cake features custard or pastry cream sandwiched between two rounds of buttery cake and is finished with chocolate glaze. It’s incredible.
Boston Cream Pie Recipe Details
- Texture: The sponge cake itself is light and springy, nicely offsetting the rich pastry cream and silky chocolate glaze.
- Flavor: We have buttery sponge cake, vanilla pastry cream, and deep chocolate flavors to satisfy taste buds. These classic flavors work wonderfully together—what a trio!
- Ease: This Boston cream pie may seem intimidating if you’re unprepared, but don’t be discouraged! We’ve provided some helpful tips, careful directions, step-by-step photos, and a video tutorial to guide you through the process. Turns out, Boston cream pie isn’t terribly difficult if you break the recipe down into 3 parts: 1) pastry cream 2) sponge cake 3) chocolate glaze
- Time: Set aside 6 hours to complete this recipe, which includes a lot of waiting as the components bake, cool, etc. This dessert definitely requires some time to make, but you just can’t rush perfection.
Recipe Testing: What Works & What Doesn’t
Considerations when making the pastry cream. The recipe begins with a version of my homemade pastry cream. Made with life’s best ingredients (butter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sugar), this buttery sweet cake filling is everything you might imagine it to be. We often use it instead of peanut butter mousse when making these homemade eclairs, and we use a variation of it in mille-feuille.
The egg yolks must be gently cooked and tempered with warm half-and-half. And remember: you’ll need to whisk the pastry cream constantly as it cooks and thickens. Then, allow the vanilla pastry cream to cool completely before spreading it on the cake.
Here are a few key points to remember:
- Pastry cream will be thick right off the stove.
- For a smooth cream, strain to rid any lumps.
- Place plastic wrap on the surface when cooling.
If you want to save time on the day of serving, the pastry cream can be made in advance. You can watch us prepare the pastry cream in the recipe video below, which is helpful if you’ve never tempered eggs before.
How to make sponge cake. Sponge cakes are known for their delicate and airy texture, thanks to (1) a high egg-to-flour ratio and (2) the air beaten into the eggs. America’s Test Kitchen employs the “hot milk sponge cake” method, which skips the egg separation and the meticulous folding. Instead, you whisk a warm butter + milk mixture into whipped eggs + sugar, then whisk in the cake’s dry ingredients. The warm milk keeps the butter melted, thus allowing it to mix seamlessly into the batter. And since we’re whisking together just 3 bowls of ingredients, this is an excellent recipe for sponge-cake beginners. We truly appreciate this simplified method, since this recipe does have a number of steps.
The sponge cake’s ingredients are pretty similar to the pastry cream’s ingredients. This is what we LOVE MOST about baking. It’s the same ingredients, just beaten, mixed, and cooked in different ways. Magic.
- Don’t make our mistake! By skipping over a few words in the recipe, we managed to ruin our sponge cakes… twice! That’s four 9-inch cakes completely destroyed. Line the cake pans with parchment paper. While you’re at it, grease the pans before and after they’ve been lined with parchment paper. Don’t even think about the shortcuts! If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post. You may be tempted to grease the pans and skip the parchment paper, but the cakes WILL stick. See this Recipe Testing blog post for proof!
By the way, if you love sponge cakes, you’ll enjoy this impressive Vertical Cake.
Making the chocolate glaze. Rounding out our Boston cream pie is a veil of chocolate glaze, an extra glossy version of chocolate ganache. Made with 3 ingredients, this chocolate glaze is velvety and smooth—and if you set it aside for a few minutes before stirring, it’s also thick enough to cling to the sides of the cake. You’ll heat heavy cream and a bit of corn syrup together on the stove before pouring the mixture over finely chopped chocolate. Any dark, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate can be used. The corn syrup adds sweetness, so avoid anything very sweet. The corn syrup also provides shine and sticking power to the glaze, and I highly recommend its addition. Honey should make a nice substitution, though I haven’t tried it myself.
Believe us, this cake is worth the effort.
Overview: How to Make Boston Cream Pie
You can find the full printable recipe towards the end of this post. We include the following summary so you can prepare yourself for all of the involved steps.
- Read the recipe and watch the video first. Many of the little steps are either time-sensitive or require cooling.
- Make the pastry cream. Heat half-and-half over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in flour until combined and thick. Whisk 1/2 cup warm half-and-half into the yolk mixture, then slowly whisk the tempered yolk mixture into the half-and-half in the saucepan. Cook until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Strain through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set.
- Preheat the oven. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. You must use parchment! See the recipe note.
- Make the cake. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Heat milk and butter over the stovetop or in the microwave, then stir in the vanilla. Whisk eggs and sugar together, add the hot milk mixture, and mix until combined. Whisk in the dry ingredients.
- Bake the cakes. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
- Assemble the cake. Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator 20 minutes before assembling the cake. Place a bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Spread pastry cream evenly on top. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press down. Refrigerate until needed.
- Make the glaze. Heat heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Place chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes to soften the chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour glaze into the center of the cake. Spread glaze to the edges of the cake. Refrigerate the cake, uncovered, for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
More Classic Recipes We Love
- Apple Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Chocolate Soufflé
- Angel Food Cake
- Choux Pastry
- Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
Boston Cream Pie
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Completely from-scratch with homemade pastry cream, buttery sponge cake, and shiny chocolate glaze, this classic Boston cream pie recipe is supremely decadent and satisfying.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 2 cups (480ml) half-and-half
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sponge Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 4 ounces (113g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- Read the recipe and watch the helpful video above before beginning as there are many little steps that are time sensitive or require cooling.
- Make the pastry cream: Heat half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Add flour and whisk until combined. Mixture will be thick. Whisk about 1/2 cup half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered yolk mixture into half-and-half in the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes as the mixture thickens. (America’s Test Kitchen instructs for 7-8 minutes, but mine began thickening quickly.)
- Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until bubbles burst on the surface, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until combined. Pastry cream will be thick. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease two round 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. In the microwave or on the stove, heat milk and butter together until butter has melted. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover loosely to keep warm. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and granulated sugar together on high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add hot milk mixture and whisk by hand until combined, then whisk in the dry ingredients. Batter will bubbly on top and somewhat thick, similar to pancake batter.
- Divide batter evenly between 2 pans. Bake until the tops of cakes are light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.
- Remove cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. As the cakes cool, check the pastry cream in the refrigerator. If it’s too thick, it won’t easily spread and could tear the cake. I remove pastry cream from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before assembling the cake.
- Assemble the cake: Once cakes are cool, run a thin knife around the edges to release them from the pans. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Spread pastry cream evenly on top. Place second cake layer on top and gently press down to adhere to the pastry cream. Refrigerate cake while preparing the chocolate glaze.
- Make the glaze: Heat heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. As it heats up, place chocolate in a heat-proof glass bowl with a pouring spout (I use this 2-cup liquid measuring cup). Once simmering, remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Gently whisk until smooth.
- Pour glaze into the center of cake. Spread glaze to the edges of cake allowing it to gently drip down the sides. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, for at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) before slicing and serving. If chilling for longer than 2 hours, allow cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare pastry cream up to 24 hours in advance. See step 3. Baked and cooled cakes can also be prepared 24 hours in advance. Cover and store at room temperature, then continue with step 8. In order to maintain the proper consistency of the chocolate glaze, I recommend preparing right before pouring over cake. However, the entire assembled cake with chocolate glaze on top can be stored for up to 24 hours. See step 10. Pastry cream can weep and break if frozen, so I do not suggest freezing this cake. You can, however, freeze the baked and cooled cake layers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Fine-Mesh Strainer | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 2-cup Liquid Measuring Cup | Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Substitutions: Each ingredient is crucial to the finished cake. I do not recommend substitutions, though you can get away with using the same amount of whole milk instead of half-and-half in the pastry cream. This may be more convenient since whole milk is used for the sponge cake.
- Egg Whites: Lots of leftover egg whites! Make a scramble or use some in any of these recipes.
- Corn Syrup: Feel free to leave out the corn syrup, though it’s what adds shine and sticking power to the glaze. You can try substituting with honey.
- Chocolate: Any dark, bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate is a wonderful choice for the chocolate glaze. The corn syrup adds sweetness, so avoid anything very sweet.
- Parchment Paper: Parchment paper is a MUST for lining the cake pans. I failed this recipe 2x before discovering how crucial the parchment paper is. All cakes were ruined until I lined the cake pans with parchment paper on the 3rd try. Parchment paper guarantees the cakes will seamlessly release from the pans. If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.
- Recipe reprinted in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen from The Perfect Cake
Great recipe! My husband requests this cake each year for his bday. My question is, if substituting vanilla bean for extract, how much should we use in place of extract? 1 whole bean? thank you!
Hi Meg! We would scrape half a bean to use in the pastry cream. You could use the other half in the cake.
Sally, when making Boston cream pie 1) is it acceptable to make the cake layers 2 days in advance? 2) and if so, should I wrap it and leave it on a bacon great on the counter or refrigerate? And if so does it compromised the flavor and texture?
Hi Victor, you can make the cake layers 2 days ahead of time. We recommend wrapping well and storing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Will this glaze harden up somewhat? I’m looking for a glaze that won’t be too goopy or messy yet not as stiff as a frosting. Thanks!
Hi Aly, see step 10 – Refrigerate cake, uncovered, for at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) before slicing and serving. This will harden the glaze before serving!
Hello again! Just a question! Can i use whole milk instead of half&half?(as mentioned also in the main pastry cream recipe and the mille feuille if not mistaken)?! Especially that here we do not have the half&half!
Thank you in advance!
Hi Angela, you can use whole milk in a pinch, but the pastry cream will be a bit thinner.
So to make the half&half at home should I simply combine half cup whole milk with half cup cream(would it be heavy or normal?) to make a cup
true right?
Thank you!!
Hi Angela, yes, that will work.
Hi, would I be able to use non dairy substitutes for the half and half and heavy cream?
Hi Loretta, we haven’t tested a dairy-free version of the pastry cream, but let us know if you give anything a try.
My family loves this recipe as is, or even if I use semi sweet chocolate instead of the dark chocolate for the ganache.
I am wondering if instead of the sponge layers I can make layers using your Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe? Or the layers will be way too soft? I made this Boston Cream Pie twice in the past and the sponge was a little too dense for my taste. I love these cupcakes though and can eat them without any cream, they are so good!
Hi Olya, that should be just fine. Let us know how it goes!
Will this be a bood filling in your chocolate cakes? I am thinking it will. I am trying to come up with a chcoloate cake for my daughter for her birthday next week and was thinking either a raspberry filling, chocolate mousse filling or this one – heck why not all three with a different filling on each layer? Too Much? She loves the Portillo’s cake but I think the your chocolate cake tastes way better – I have made the black forest cake several times and everyone loves it! It was my moms favorite – and I was able to make it for her before she passed last February for her birthday 🙂
Hi Denise, absolutely! Just make sure to pipe a buttercream dam around the edges to make sure the pastry cream doesn’t come out the sides of the cake. Hope it’s a hit!
Thanks Lexi! What about doing a layer of Raspberry and the custard with the chocolate cake- what do you recommend. I saw the step with the buttercream dam, I have definitely made a note of that. I am going to test some new frostings on Cupcakes. I can core them and put the custard inside right? I think that is an easier way to test different frostings than making a lot of cakes . I am learning so much!
Hi Denise, yes, you can absolutely use the pastry cream and raspberry cake filling in cupcakes. Here’s everything you need to know about how to fill cupcakes. A great way to trial different frostings and fillings without baking a full cake!
This process was so fun! Every step of the way I kept saying to my husband that he was going to love his birthday cake so much! It was delicious, but my ganache turned tout too thin. I used half and half and honey and measured my chocolate on my scale. Not sure where I went wrong.
Hi Kristie, I’m sorry to hear your chocolate topping turned out thin. Half-and-half is not ideal here, you really need heavy cream. Thank you for giving this recipe a try, and I hope the cake was still enjoyed!
So. Freaking. Good. I’ve wanted to make this for months and finally got around to it. It was even better than I expected, the filling was PERFECT. I wasn’t expecting a kind of dense sponge cake, but for what it is it’s delicious. Nothing wrong with a good sponge cake. Also, the parchment paper made weird edges on the cake and it was far from the nicest looking thing. Did this happen to anyone else? The ganache could have been a bit sweeter, but these are all very small flaws compared to the overall result. 100% I’ll make it again.
Do you prefer using the creme pat in this recipe or the one you shared?
Either pastry cream recipe works. The one here, or this one (after refrigerating it). Hopefully this is what you meant!
I make this for special occasions at our house, everyone loves it. They said the custard filling is perfect.
I made this recipe 2 times and had a problem with the cake rising in the middle both times. I live at 3200 feet above sea level and I wonder if that is the problem. I followed the instructions exactly and the taste was great, but the center was only about 1/2 inch thick. Help!!!
Hi Deb, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I totally messed up the first cakes by using only egg yolks instead of whole eggs. So I just baked another cake and it has come out perfect !
Hi Surati, we’re so glad this worked out for you the second time! Enjoy!
Now baking the sponge cake in the oven, I ACCIDENTLY put 3 egg yolks instead of the whole eggs. Oh no. This is for a friends special Birthday. Any advice, how do you you think it could still work ?
Hi Surati, the cake will likely be heavier and denser without the whole eggs. How did it turn out for you?
This looks terrific and not too terribly hard for a first timer. Question , can I use heavy whipping cream instead of Half n Half
Hi Larry, if you don’t have half and half, we’d recommend mixing 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream to get one cup of half and half. Hope you love this recipe if you give it a try!
So excited for this! Is the pastry cream stable enough to use for a bday cake? Any recommendations Tyia
Hi Jen, you can use this between layers of a birthday cake, but we recommend adding a thin layer of frosting and a frosting dam around the edges so that it does not squeeze out the sides when stacked.
I Meade the cream since I had left over egg yolks. It looked great then began looking curdled, I read to use an emulsion blender which worked but then it started to seperate and looked like melted butter on top. I had the intention of freezing it , should I bother? Is there a way to restore it, what did I do wrong?
Hi Cami, Thank you for trying this recipe. We wonder if the part that looked curdled was the eggs that cooked too quickly from not tempering slowly enough. We don’t recommend using an emulsion blender when making pastry cream. Excessive blending can break down its structure, causing it to become runny or grainy. If you try this again be sure to temper the eggs very slowly and whisk or stir by hand.
So simply delicious!
It was the cake that I saw my guests eating the most !
It isn’t too sweet, but still it’s great.
Love this recipe and have made it several times. Today I was distracted and the milk boiled… Can I use it or will it affect the cake?
Hi Julie, it should be ok to move forward with the recipe as long as it didn’t boil for long.
Can this cake recipe be used for a sheet cake? I’d like to try this sponge cake technique next time I make a tres leches cake. Thanks!
Hi Liv, our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling this recipe for a sheet pan. Enjoy!
Hello Ms. Sally! I would like to ask if it is possible to use the angel food cake than the usual sponge cake? Thank you and will be waiting for your response
Hi Gloria, I’m unsure about that. It’s best to stick with the sponge cake batter/instructions written here. Let me know if you try the angel food cake batter in these pans instead though.
Could I make these as cupcakes?
Hi Patti! We haven’t tried making this cake as cupcakes yet but they would be wonderful with the pastry cream in center and the ganache on top. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for about 19-22 minutes, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. If you try it just be sure to use high quality grease proof cupcake liners – and of course let us know how they turn out!
Following up after making them as cupcakes – they taste good but I don’t think I would make them as cupcakes again. This recipe as a whole cake made 2.5 dozen cupcakes. What I ended up with was way too much pastry cream and not enough ganache. My suggestion is to half the pastry cream and double the ganache if you make the full recipe. Also, the cupcakes shrunk by a good third and the sponge cake is not the easiest to cut in to. I used my trusty cupcake corer and a knife, but I prefer the cupcake corer. But the cake is so spongey it just sort of squishes down regardless, and it sticks to even the best parchment cupcake liners (and I buy a brand that a cupcake has never stuck to) so you want spray the cupcake liner if you don’t want anything to stick. Flavor wise everything was fine but they came out like 1-2 bite miniature cupcakes, lol.
This was my exact question! I am going to convert this recipe to cupcakes today and I hope it turns out.
I’d love to make a 3 layer 8 inch cake with this recipe for a birthday. Can I do that with the cake recipe as stated for two 9″ pans? Do you think I’d need more pastry cream?
Hi Heather, You can use 8 inch cake pans. The bake time will be about the same, but may take a minute longer because they will be thicker, so just make sure you use a toothpick to test if they are finished baking. Or, you can spread the batter between 3 pans for slightly thinner layers, if you wish. Bake time will be shorter then. You could either do 2 thinner layers of pastry cream or scale it up if you wish. Hope the cake is a hit!