Boston Cream Pie Recipe

By
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
An internationally recognized culinary authority, Kristina Vanni is well-known for her recipe development, food photography, and experience as a TV show host.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/27/22
Boston Cream Pie

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni 

Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 10-inch cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
867 Calories
50g Fat
90g Carbs
20g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 867
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g 65%
Saturated Fat 24g 121%
Cholesterol 386mg 129%
Sodium 251mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 90g 33%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 69g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 216mg 17%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 476mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Don't be fooled by its name—this famous "pie" is not a pie at all! It is a layered sponge cake filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate sauce, and garnished with almonds. The original Boston cream pie recipe is a culinary creation of Boston's Parker House hotel. It was originally called the Parker House "chocolate cream pie" and was created for the opening of the hotel in 1856. The cake became so famous, it's been designated as the official state dessert of Massachusetts. There have been countless variations of this classic dessert throughout the years, but this recipe most closely resembles the classic version.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 7 large eggs

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup flour

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Pastry Cream:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 2 cups milk

  • 2 cups cream

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon dark rum, or rum extract

For the Chocolate Icing:

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  • 1/4 cup water

For the White Icing:

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1 teaspoon corn syrup

  • 1 teaspoon water

For the Garnish:

  • 1 cup almonds, toasted and sliced

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Prepare the sponge cake: Separate the eggs by placing the yolks and whites into different bowls. Add 1/2 cup sugar to the yolks and 1/2 cup sugar to the whites. Beat the yolks until creamy and beat the whites until stiff peaks form.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni 

  3. Fold the whipped egg whites into the creamy yolk mixture. Gradually add the flour, then mix in the butter. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Pour into a greased 10-inch cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until spongy and golden. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Make the pastry cream: In a large saucepan, bring to a boil the butter, milk, and cream.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. As this mixture is cooking, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and whip until ribbons form.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. When the cream, milk, butter mixture reaches the boiling point, gradually whisk in the egg mixture and cook to boiling. Boil for 1 minute.

    Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Chill overnight. Once chilled, whisk to smooth out and flavor with 1 teaspoon dark rum or rum extract. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  9. Assemble the Boston cream pie: Cut the sponge cake into 2 layers. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  10. Spread the flavored pastry cream over one layer. Top with the second cake layer. Reserve a small amount of the pastry cream to spread on sides to adhere to almonds.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  11. Place chocolate and water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. Spread a thin layer of chocolate icing on the top of the cake. If some of the icing drips down the side of the cake, don’t worry. This will be covered up with the almonds. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  12. Combine the white icing ingredients and warm to approximately 105 F. Adjust the consistency with water. The icing should flow freely. Spoon white icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  13. After pouring on the chocolate icing, follow immediately by piping spiral lines of the white icing starting from the center of the cake working your way outwards. Using a wooden skewer, pull the white lines through the chocolate layer to form a decorative web design. Start in the center of the cake and pull outward to the edge. 

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni 

  14. Spread sides of cake with a thin coating of the reserved pastry cream. Press on the toasted almonds.

    Boston Cream Pie
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni 

  15. Serve and enjoy.