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Ultimate Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes with Homemade Pastry Cream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

Close-up of boston cream pie cupcakes, one cut open revealing vanilla cream filling and topped with chocolate ganache.
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Make bite-sized Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes using a fluffy vanilla cake base, filled with creamy homemade custard, and topped with rich chocolate ganache. This recipe simplifies the classic dessert for your home kitchen.

Ingredients

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  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream (for pastry cream)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (for pastry cream)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for pastry cream)
  • 2 large egg yolks (for pastry cream)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (for ganache)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (for ganache)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set this aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix the batter.
  6. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the vanilla cupcakes cool completely in the pan before moving them to a wire rack.
  8. Make the pastry cream: In a saucepan, whisk together the 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup whole milk. Heat over medium heat until steaming, but do not boil.
  9. In a separate bowl, whisk the 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth.
  10. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
  11. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens significantly, about 5 to 7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
  12. Remove the pastry cream from the heat. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until very cold.
  13. Make the chocolate ganache: Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer around the edges.
  14. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool slightly until it is thick enough to spread or drizzle.
  15. Once the cupcakes are cool, use an apple corer or small knife to cut a cone-shaped plug out of the center of each cupcake. Save the cake pieces.
  16. Fill the hollowed center of each cupcake generously with the chilled pastry cream. Replace the cake plug on top.
  17. Top each filled cupcake with a spoonful of the chocolate ganache. Let the ganache set before serving your custard filled cupcakes.

Notes

  • For the best texture, make sure your pastry cream is completely chilled before piping it into the cupcakes. Cold cream fills much cleaner.
  • If you want a quicker topping, you can use store-bought chocolate frosting instead of making the ganache.
  • You can use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip to fill the cupcakes, which is often cleaner than using a spoon.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/boston-cream-pie-cupcakes-recipe/