Boston Cream Pie

My birthday is in two days and I'm very excited because it gives me an excuse to bake something yummy for myself. All for me! And a few pieces for the other special people around here. ;o)

Some years I decide on a new recipe that I've come across in the several months leading up. Some years I go with an old stand-by. I really love cake and have many favorites but I don't think anything compares to Boston Cream Pie. I really just love that combo in any shape or form: eclaires, doughnuts, cupcakes....really any kind of pastry/baked yummy with rich vanilla custard pudding and a thick chocolatey glaze is just right up my alley. John always knows what to come home with when doughnut shopping for me. He doesn't have to ask.

This is the only recipe I've ever tried for Boston Cream Pie, because it's so good why mess around? It comes from the 1978 (and '79, and '81) edition of Betty Crocker's cookbook. My mom has a copy that no longer has the cover, and it's sort of falling apart. Lots of great classic recipes in this cookbook, and I was a bit giddy when I came across a like-new copy at an antique store last weekend. You can bet I snatched it up!

So here you go! It involves several steps but if you plan ahead you don't need to do them all on the same day, and each part is fairly simple on it's own. And best of all, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already.

Dinette Cake

1 1/4 c. flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. shortening (I use butter)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a round 9" cake pan. Beat all ingredients in large bowl, at low speed, 30 seconds. Beat on high for 3 min. Pour into pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 35 min. Cool.

Split cake into two layers, and fill with Cream filling. Spread top with chocoalte glaze.

Cream Filling

1/3 c. sugar

2 Tb cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 c. milk

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

Mix 1st 3 ingr. in 2 qt sauce pane. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over med. heat, stirring, until thickened and boiling. Boil and stir 1 min. Stir at least 1/2 of mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture in pan. Boil and stir 1 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temp.

Chocolate Glaze

2 sq. (1 oz ea.) UNsweetened chocolate

3 Tb butter

1 c. powd. sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

    About 2 Tb. hot water

Heat chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powd. sugar and vanilla. Stir in water, 1 tsp. at a time until glaze is of desired consistency.