October 2010
As delicious as they are photogenic, there’s no need for a back story on these cupcakes. They speak for themselves!
Boston Cream Cupcakes
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Pastry Cream Ingredients
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3 large, local free range egg yolks
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
pinch of salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cupcake Ingredients
1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus extra for muffin tins
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup pure cane sugar
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 12 pices
3 large, local free range eggs
¾ cup half and half
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup maple syrup
8 oz bakers chocolate, chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla
For the Pastry Cream
Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and alt together in a medium bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 15 seconds.
When the cream reaches a full simmer, slowly whisk it into the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1 ½ minutes.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the pastry cream to a small bowl and refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed flush against its surface until cold and set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
For the Cupcakes
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard muffin pan with olive oil spray and flour generously. Tap the pan to remove the excess flour.
With a hand-held mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, slat and sugar on low speed in a large bowl.
Add the butter, one piece at a time, and combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.
Add the milk and vanilla, increase the speed to medium, and mix until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.
Fill the muffin cups ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze
Cook the cream, maple syrup, chocolate and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken for 30 minutes.
Insert the tip of a knife at a 45 degree angle about 1/8 inch from the edge of each cupcake, and cut all the way around, removing a cone of cake. Cut away all but the top ¼ inch of the cone, leaving only a small disk of cake.
Fill each cupcake with 2 Tbs pastry cream and top with the disk of cake.
Set the filled cupcakes on a wire rack of parchment paper. Spoon 2 Tbs of chocolate glaze over each cupcake, allowing the chocolate to drip down the edges. Refrigerate until just set, about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
