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These Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes are to die for! Moist vanilla cake, pastry cream filling and a beautiful chocolate ganache topping make this one tasty cupcake you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into.
Table of Contents
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
So I guess today is the day that I will dispel the myth that I have always been an amazing baker – just in case you were under that impression. 🙂 The truth is, I grew up cooking with my mom, not baking. Sure, there was some baking around holidays, but day-to-day was all about the cooking. So when I started baking several years back, it was quite an effort to really learn what I was doing. Lots of hours have been spent in the kitchen. With cooking, I was used to being able to throw things in a dish and not have to worry too much that small changes to a recipe would ruin it. With baking, it’s a whole different ball game. Small changes can make a huge difference – and be incredibly frustrating.
So back around the time I started baking, I was taking a lot of the desserts I’d make into work. I’d ask co-workers what their favorite dessert or flavor was if what was their birthday and then I’d challenge myself to come up with a cake. It was a great way for me to try things I hadn’t tried before – the best way to learn! Even now, I still love unexpected requests that give me a challenge or get me to step out of the box.
Well one such request was for a Boston Cream Pie – and I had never even made pastry cream before. Ever. I had no idea what I was doing. But I found a recipe and went for it. I’d been fairly successful up until this point, so I figured it’d be all good.
I was wrong.
I had no idea what I did at the time and it’s been so long that I don’t even remember what recipe I used to look back and figure it out, but I remember wondering how in the word the pastry cream would thicken enough to hold up between cake layers. Ultimately the cream was much too thin and by the time the cake made it’s way to work, it was basically two layers of cake that used to have pastry cream between them, but was now in a puddle around the bottom. Major fail.
Well fast-forward about 5 years and that co-worker has moved on to another adventure. It was sad to see him go, but I was happy for him in his new path.
Of course to send him off, I had to redeem myself. Yes, he’s had many of my cakes since then, but the Boston Cream Pie had to be revisited. This time I went with cupcakes. 🙂
I find pastry cream to be much less intimidating these days. I now know that cornstarch and the egg yolks are what actually thickens the cream and I’ve made pastry cream more times than I can count. 🙂 It’s actually pretty easy to make and quite delicious.
Of course my old self is rolling her eyes at my current self for calling it “easy.” 😉
The pastry cream sits in the middle of one of my favorite vanilla cupcakes. It’s light, moist and has great vanilla flavor. Like many cupcake recipes you’ll find on here, making them starts with creaming the butter and sugar. I will say it over and over – be sure to fully cream the butter and sugar. This ensures a fluffy cupcake. Don’t skip it!
The cupcake is topped with the most delicious chocolate ganache. It has a little corn syrup added to it to keep the ganache looking glossy and fresh. Once the ganache is made, it’s set in the fridge to get firm, then can be piped onto the cupcakes. Even though roses aren’t super manly – and these were technically for a guy – I decided to go with the roses on top for these cupcakes. They are just so pretty!
And honestly, there were no complaints. Only happy moans as they ate the cupcakes. In fact, a few of them are going to be quite happy to finally see the recipe on the blog so that they can make them at home.
These cupcakes really are delicious. Fairly light and a fun mix of flavor and texture. I think, after 5 years, I’ve finally redeemed myself. 🙂
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Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes are to die for! Moist vanilla cake, pastry cream filling and a beautiful chocolate ganache topping make this one tasty cupcake you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into.
Ingredients
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- 6 tbsp (84g), unsalted butter, room temperature (I use Challenge Butter)
- 3/4 cups (155g) sugar
- 6 tbsp (86g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (90ml) milk, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30ml) water, room temperature
PASTRY CREAM FILLING
- 2 egg yolks
- 6 tbsp (78g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270ml) milk
- 1 tbsp (14g) salted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 12 oz (338g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp (30ml) light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (210ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the amount of creaming time.
3. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
4. Add egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the milk and water in a small measuring cup.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about halfway. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
8. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
9. While the cupcakes cool, make the pastry cream. Put the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
10. Add the sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.
11. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium-high heat until mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
12. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
13. Add a little bit of milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add egg mixture to milk mixture. This process ensures that you don’t cook the egg yolks.
14. Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
15. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
16. While the cupcakes and cream are cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Put the chocolate chips and corn syrup in a large bowl.
17. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, then pour over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
18. Place the chocolate ganache in the fridge until completely cool and firm, 1-2 hours.
19. Once everything is cooled and ready, cut out the centers of the cupcakes. I use a cupcake corer, but a knife would work as well.
20. Divide the pastry cream between the cupcakes and fill in the centers.
21. Top the cupcakes with the chocolate ganache. I used Ateco tip 844 (Wilton 2D or 1M would work as well) to pipe roses on top. To make the roses, start the piping in the center then create a swirl moving outward. Complete 2-3 rotations until the cupcake is covered, then release pressure and pull the piping bag away.
22. Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve and serve closer to room temperature. The chocolate ganache will be quite firm when cold. Cupcakes are best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 364
- Sugar: 34.2 g
- Sodium: 82.5 mg
- Fat: 18.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.2 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 58.3 mg
Enjoy!
My daughter and I made these cupcakes yesterday and they are the BEST cupcakes we have ever made. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
made this recipe and the end result was delicious, and extremely easy to make!!!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
i love this recipe!!!! one question though! can i substitute sour cream for yogurt? unfortunately, sour cream isn’t a product that is used and found easily in supermarkets in greece
So glad you enjoy them! You can use yogurt. It’ll change the texture and flavor just a bit, but it’ll be fine. You could also use a little more milk.
Hello! I have been dying to make these cupcakes for some time now and I am finally going to try them out today! I just had a quick question before I start. I noticed in the recipe that you have both the milk and the water at room temperature, is there a specific reason why? I’m not a big cupcake or cake maker so I was curious to know if the temperature had some kind of effect on the cupcakes as opposed to using cool or cold. Thank you and I look forward to making these!!
Generally speaking room temperature ingredients incorporate better and evenly. But, if they are cold they should be fine.
Hey! I’m just wondering do I have to use corn syrup for the ganache? And do you know a substitute for sour cream? Thanks!
You don’t have to, but I’d recommend it. It’s going to make it easier to pipe. You could try replacing it with honey. Or you could leave it out, but it will affect the texture. As for the sour cream, yogurt would be fine.
Thank you!
I made these for a school bake sale fundraiser that my daughter’s school holds each week. They were a huge hit and I was asked to make them again! I didn’t have any corn syrup so I just skipped it, I’m used to making ganache without it anyway and it worked out just fine.
Thank you for sharing this!
Wonderful! So glad they were such a hit!
Made these and they turned out wonderfully! However, did anyone have an issue with the ganache? Followed the recipe EXACTLY and it’s so runny i can’t frost the cupcakes=/
I’ve had some people experience both too thin and to thick frosting, as well as having it just right. It’s hard to say what the issue is, but one question would be did you use semi-sweet chocolate chips or another chocolate? Different kinds of chocolate use different amounts of cream, so that could cause a thinner ganache potentially.
I have not made these yet, but based on all of your other recipes and how big of a hit they have been, I am going to give it five stars! Everything I have made using your recipes has gotten rave reviews so thank you ❤️
Thanks Meghan! So glad you’ve enjoyed all the recipes!
I followed this recipe to a T. The custard to to die for. I could have sat down with a spoon and gone to town. The ganache was waayyy to heavy & strong for me – I couldn’t really taste the actual cupcake and custard because the ganache was so overpowering. I, like others, ended up with a very dense cupcake. Also, 2 hours for the ganache in the frig was too long, I could hardly get it to pipe. Maybe an hour & half would be better. Thank you for the recipe . If i ever need custard – this would be my go to recipe!
I made the cupcakes with cake flour and they turned out heavenly, light, fluffy, moist, reminded me almost of angel food cake, best from scratch cupcake recipe I’ve come across.
The ganache was another story, it was way too runny and didn’t hold the flower form at all. let the mixture sit overnight and then for good measure, put it in the freezer for an additional 4 hours. As soon as I piped, it began to melt and caused a large mess. I will play with the cream amount next time. Otherwise, the cupcakes were divine. Thanks!
I’ve tried these a couple times and I and my family really like them. I follow the recipe to the letter (right down to setting a kitchen timer for 3-4 minutes so sugar and better get creamed properly)
My big issue is that both times the cupcakes came out REALLY Dense. Almost like mini Pound Cakes.
Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this? Otherwise we love the Pastry Cream but the Chocolate Ganache is just a tad strong for our tastes.
Your help is much appreciated.
Hmmm, strange. Normally I’d suggest the creaming, but it sounds like you’ve got that covered. It’s hard to say, but potentially over mixing at the end. It can over develop the gluten and make a dense cake. Do you weigh your ingredients? It’s possible that if you use cups, something is a little off. I’m not sure from a distance, but those are a couple possibilities.
Thanks for the reply. No I don’t weigh out my ingredients, but I do measure them out using “Cups and teaspoons/Tablespoons”. Just a thought. Would it help if I beat the Egg Whites first? Get them up to soft peaks and then mix them into the rest of the cake batter? I’m assuming you tested the recipe including alternate methods, so can I try this or just watch the mixing times on the recipe as is.
Thanks Again
It’s been quite a while, but I do believe I’ve done that and found it didn’t make much difference to the final result and wasn’t worth the extra steps. You could certainly give it a try though.
I followed this recipe to a T and didn’t have any issues with the filling or ganache; not only did the cupcakes look beautiful but they tasted amazing!!! your directions were very easy to follow. I Made these for my mom for Mother’s day cuz she loves Boston Cream stuff and she had 2 cupcakes (which is unheard of for her) Thanks for helping to make Mother’s day extra special!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
I made these for Mother’s Day today for my mom and she LOVED them. My only complaint is that the chocolate ganache can be a bit overpowering to the other flavors, which is a shame considering how good everything is. Definitely will make again. /////////////////////////////////////////////////// I have some tips that i found useful:
(1) If you end up refrigerating the ganache too long and it gets thick, put it on a double boiler for like, 20 seconds. Go ahead and have the water boiling nice and hot and then put your ganache bowl on top, just long enough to only really warm the bowl. Take it off and stir until everything is one smooth consistency. Repeat if needed. (2) If like me, you had a good bit of cream left and a lot of ganache left, make cake balls. I just used the bits of the cupcake I cored out and mixed some of the cream in (about 50/50). Freeze until firm. Then melt the ganache using the double boiler method and coat the cake balls with it and freeze again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Can these be frozen? Or how long will they last in the refridgerator? I’d love to try making them, but it’s just my husband and me so we don’t need a whole recipe of cupcakes.
I have not tried freezing them before, but I think they would be fine. The only question would be the pastry cream and how that does after thawing. But they will hold up well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
I made these yesterday for my husband’s birthday. They were a huge hit. There are a lot of steps but you made this so easy to follow. I have never made pastry cream before – and I have always been too intimidated to try. This all went together so much easier than I expected. And each part was delicious. I am new to your site but it is an instant favorite, just like these cupcakes. Back online to write a review and find the next recipe to try. Thanks!
Awesome! So glad to hear they were easy to make and that you enjoyed them! Thanks Kristine!
I made these this weekend for my husbands birthday because Boston Cream Pie is one of his favorite desserts. These are seriously delicious, the cupcake recipe alone is now my new go to one! Only issue I had was with the ganache. I followed the ingredients and method exactly but when I pulled it out of the fridge to top the cupcakes, it was way way too thick. Even letting it sit out for a while didn’t help. I ended up having to mould little chocolate ganache “discs” to top the cupcake with! Could you possibly shed some light on where I could’ve gone wrong? Despite the little mess up, they were still delicious and my hubby is still a happy camper!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Ganache can be a little tricky sometimes. Did you use semi sweet chocolate, or another kind? They all have different amounts of fat that can affect the consistency.
Yes I used Costco brand semi sweet chips.
And heavy whipping cream, instead of heavy cream? Again, it’s a fat content thing. The amount of fat affects how soft the consistency is. Beyond the fat being an issue, it’s hard to say. It’s a balance of the liquid and the chocolate that gets the right consistency. If you try the cupcakes again, you could always try adding another tablespoon of cream.
Thanks for sharing! The frosting looks amazing! How soon before serving can I frost them?
You could frost them right before serving, if you like. They should be fine.