Amazing Boston Cream Cupcakes

A Boston Cream Cupcake sits o a small blue and white plate with a server on the side and more cupcakes in the background.

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These Boston Cream Cupcakes with a slight twist are the perfect miniature replica of that wonderful Boston Cream Pie (which is actually a cake)! And yes, I have a pastry cream that freezes - the same one we used at the bakery.

Prep Time2

Cook Time25

Total Time2 25

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Boston Cream Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Filled cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 1053kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

Jumbo or regular cupcake pans

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

1 ⅓ cup milk, hot
4 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla or other pure vanilla

Yellow Buttermilk Cake

4 large egg yolks
⅔ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups cake flour (225 grams)
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (225 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)

Hot Honey Ganache

½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
10 ounces semisweet chocolate (280 grams)

Instructions

Pastry Cream

This must be made at least a day ahead or several days ahead. It can also be frozen and thawed in the fridge overnight.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk in the flour.
Add the hot milk making sure they are completely combined.
Pour the mixture through a strainer over a medium size saucepan. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla, whisking them into the hot pastry cream. Pour into a storage container, cover with plastic wrap and bring to near room temperature. Refrigerate immediately.

Yellow Buttermilk Cake

The butter must be very soft but not runny for this recipe. A temperature of 74°F to 76°F is ideal.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 7 to 8 jumbo muffin cups with paper liners or 14 to 16 regular size muffin cups. Set aside.
Whisk the yolks, ¼ of the buttermilk and the vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer, place the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
Add the butter and the remaining buttermilk. Mix on low to moisten the ingredients, then raise the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down.
Add the egg yolk mixture in thirds, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Scrap down between additions.
Fill the muffin cups ¾ full. Bake the jumbo cups for 20 to 22 minutes. Bake the regular size for 15 to 18 minutes. The cupcakes will be golden brown, spring back when lightly touched or when a tester comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes or until they can be safely handled. Remove them to cooling racks to cool completely.
if not using immediately, freeze until hard and wrap well in foil where they will keep for a couple of months. Thaw on cooling racks.

Assembly

Hollow out the cupcakes by cutting almost to the bottom being careful not to go through the bottom. Hold the knife at an angle while cutting. Remove the cake that has been cut out, keeping the top intact. Trim the top to ¼" deep.
Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk it smooth it out. Do not over whisk as you want this to remain firm but smooth. Place it in a pastry bag fit with a ½" plain tip and fill the cupcakes to within ¼" from the top. Place the trimmed top on top, pressing down to even it with the top of the cupcake.
Remove the cupcakes from their liners and brush off all the crumbs on the side and bottom. I just used my hand to go around the outside edges several times. This will keep crumbs from contaminating the ganache when they are dipped.
Place them in the freezer while you make the ganache.

Hot Honey Ganache

Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate in a small saucepan and heat until steamy hot but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and add the chocolate.
Let it sit for 4 or 5 minutes, then stir or whisk very gently until completely combined. Do not be too enthusiastic if using a whisk or you risk getting air bubbles in the ganache.
For the easiest way to dip the cupcakes, make sure the top is frozen in place. Go around the cupcakes again to make sure there are no crumbs.
Pick up a cupcake and dip it into the ganache upside down. Place it on parchment paper to set.
Store in the refrigerator until serving. Pull them out 15 to 20 minutes prior to serving to take chill off. Keep any remaining in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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The pastry cream should come to a boil and cook for 1 full minute to ensure it's thickness when done.

Either whole or 2% milk may be used. Whole milk makes a slightly thicker pastry cream and is more luxurious.

It is important to put the liquid mixture through a strainer to catch the hard, white chalazae which is two strands of protein that anchors the yolk in the middle of the egg. When cooked they are hard. Straining the liquid mixture before it is cooked is not only important it is easier than the old fashioned method of straining it after it is cooked and thickened.

Once the sugar and egg yolks are combined in a bowl, whisk them immediately or a chemical reaction takes place causing the sugar to absorb the moisture out of the raw egg yolks, causing them to dehydrate, congeal, and form hard, irreversible lumps which is irreversible. As soon as they are combined, add the milk.

Use the mixing times given when making the cake batter. It is important to the texture of the baked cake.

When cutting the center out of the cupcakes, go close to the bottom but not through it. While you do not want to hollow out the cupcake, make the hole large enough add filling up to ¼" from the top.

The very top of the cupcake that has been cut out should be cut to ¼" and replaced over the pastry cream.

It is easiest to dip the cupcakes if they are frozen for 20 to 25 minutes so the top stays in place when they are dipped into the ganache.

For the best looking cupcakes, remove the paper cups and brush off all of the crumbs. I just used my hand to go around the edges and bottom. This is key to keep the crumbs from contaminating the ganache.

Refrigerate the completed cupcakes after dipping them or freeze them for longer storage. Freeze until hard, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil where they will last a couple of months. Thaw in the fridge.

There will be ganache left over. It is the nature of the beast that it takes a lot to be able to dip them. Great uses for the leftover ganache is to heat it briefly if cold, add a bit more cream and you have the greatest chocolate sauce ever to use on ice cream, cake or anywhere you want.

If your honey granulates and isn't liquid, microwave it for about 5 seconds to liquify it again. Alternatively, it can be placed over hot water.

Nutrition