Boston Cream Cupcakes

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!

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