As promised, here’s the Boston Cream Pie. This recipe is an adaptation and amalgam of a few different recipes. I was working on a New-England themed meal, and got the idea for Boston Cream Pie–but I don’t really like conventional Boston Cream Pie–it’s heavy and isn’t chocolaty enough for my tastes. So this is a chocolate cake version. The cake is adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts, and the filling and ganache are inspired by recipes I was browsing on Vegweb. I love Vegweb because you don’t only get to read a recipe, but you also can read about people’s adaptations and find out what people think works and what doesn’t.
Boston Cream Pie
This recipe takes a bit of advance planning–the cake has to cool completely before it’s filled and frosted, but you can make the cake and the filling the day before you plan to serve if you’d like.
Cake
Requires one 9″ round cake pan, sprayed with oil and lined with parchment. Preheat oven to 375F.
DRY
1 1/2 c flour
1/3 c natural (not dutch processed) cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
WET
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c water
1 T vanilla extract
LEAVENING MAGIC
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and stir into dry. Beat batter until smooth. When oven is preheated and pan is prepared, stir apple cider vinegar into batter. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes on the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.
Filling
While the cake is cooking, you can make the vanilla pudding filling.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c sugar, 1 1/2 T cornstarch. Add 1 c soy milk and 2 1/2 t vanilla ,1/8 t salt. Set flame to medium and stir constantly until pudding thickens and boils. Allow to bubble for 2-3 minutes before removing from heat. Pour the pudding into a shallow bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming. Cool the pudding in the refrigerator.
Ganache
Make the ganache just before frosting the cake. It shouldn’t sit around as it will start to firm up as it cools.
1 10 oz bag chocolate chips (I like Tropical Source)
1 c (!!, well it is dessert) non-hydrogenated margarine (I use Earth Balance)
Put chips and margarine in a glass bowl, and microwave for 2-3 minutes until chips are melted. Stir to combine.
Assembly
When the cake is cool, use a sharp bread knife and split the cake horizontally (into two thinner cakes) Set the top layer aside. Spoon the chilled filling onto the bottom layer, then carefully replace the top layer. Make the ganache, then pour it over the cake. Chill the cake until the ganache has firmed. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.