On Sun, 21 Mar 2021 08:53:14 -0600, US Janet >
wrote:
>On Sat, 20 Mar 2021 18:13:00 -0700 (PDT), Lenona >
>wrote:
>
>>Since I have some yellow cake mix, a can of chocolate frosting, and "cook and serve" vanilla pudding, I thought I'd make Boston Cream Pie. Only thing is, I suspect the pudding will be kind of bland, compared to the filling one usually gets in a store-bought BCP. (It might also be too thin.)
>>
>>So, does anyone have any suggestions to make it taste more like custard? Of course, one thing I could do is use less milk than the pudding box suggests, but I wanted your suggestions too.
>>
>>(I'm guessing that, even with "cook and serve" pudding, one does not want to add an egg! But if you've ever done that and had it work, let me know.)
>>
>>
>>Lenona.
>
>It sticks in my head that the instant pudding will weep in that kind
>of situation. That's from some vague thought way back in my youth --
>so don't trust me on that.
>Janet US
Boston cream pie requires a pastry cream to set up properly and help
that filling stay in place in between the layers
A favorite variation, with an orange twist and multi-layers. Garten's
recipes have never failed me and chocolate and orange is a favorite
combo.
I change out the kind of chocolate at times, though, and always have a
jar of instant Medaglia d'Oro in the freezer. I kept in her brand
recommendations in the cut & paste below, so all could be seen.
Alas, it makes too much cake for us these days. Maybe when things calm
down and there are dinner parties and larger gatherings ahead, it will
go back in the repertoire.
https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/boston-cream-pie
for the cake:
¾ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
for the soak:
¹/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¹/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
for the chocolate glaze:
¾ cup heavy cream
1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, such as Nestlé’s (7½ ounces)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, broken in pieces
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules, such as Nescafé
Grand Marnier Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round baking pans,
line them with parchment paper, butter and flour the pans, and tap out
the excess flour. Set aside.
For the cake, scald the milk and butter in a small saucepan over
medium heat (see note). Off the heat, add the vanilla and orange zest,
cover the pan, and set aside. In a small bowl, sift together the
flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, until
thick and light yellow and the mixture falls back on itself in a
ribbon. By hand, first whisk in the warm milk mixture and then slowly
whisk in the flour mixture. Don’t overmix! Pour the batter evenly into
the prepared pans. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes
out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then
turn them out onto a baking rack, flipping them so the top sides are
up. Cool to room temperature.
For the soak, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small (8-inch)
sauté pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Off the heat, add the
Grand Marnier and set aside.
For the chocolate glaze, combine the heavy cream, semisweet chocolate
chips, bittersweet chocolate, corn syrup, vanilla, and coffee in a
heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally
with a wooden spoon, just until the chocolates melt. Remove from the
heat and set aside for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
the chocolate is thick enough to fall back on itself in a ribbon.
To assemble, cut both cakes in half horizontally. Place the bottom of
one cake on a flat plate, cut side up. Brush it with a third of the
soak. Spread a third of the Grand Marnier Pastry Cream on the cake.
Place the top of the first cake on top, cut side down, and repeat with
the soak and pastry cream. Place the bottom of the second cake on top,
cut side up. Repeat with the soak and pastry cream. Place the top of
the second cake on top, cut side down. Pour the ganache on the cake,
allowing it to drip down the sides. Set aside for one hour, until the
chocolate sets. Cut in wedges and serve.
Grand Marnier Pastry Cream (Makes enough for one 9-inch cake)
5 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1½ cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon Cognac or brandy
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted
with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, until
very thick. Reduce the speed to low and add the cornstarch.
Meanwhile, scald the milk in a medium saucepan. With the mixer on low,
slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back
into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture starts to
thicken. When the custard starts to clump on the bottom of the pan,
stir constantly with a whisk (don’t beat it!) to keep the custard
smooth.
Cook over low heat until the custard is very thick like pudding. If
you lift some custard with the whisk, it should fall back onto itself
in a ribbon. Off the heat, stir in the butter, heavy cream, Grand
Marnier, Cognac, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and transfer to a
bowl. Cool for 15 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard
(not the bowl) and refrigerate until very cold.
NOTES:
To scald milk, heat it just below the boiling point—there will be
small bubbles around the edge of the milk. Don’t let it boil!
Don’t refrigerate the assembled cake because beads of condensation
will form on the chocolate.
MAKE AHEAD:
Prepare the cakes and pastry cream, wrap well, and refrigerate
separately. Prepare the chocolate glaze and assemble an hour before
serving.