Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Boston Cream Pie is vanilla cake filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate ganache and a cherry.
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes filled with pastry cream, and topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache and a cherry.  Oh my, these cupcakes are crazy good.  I made these for my birthday.  I had seen these on Claudia's What's Cookin' Italian Style. I couldn't decide between those cupcakes and Java Cupcake's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, which is amazing.  Ultimately, the cupcakes won out, because I didn't want to make a whole big cake for the two of us.  One day I will make that Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, though.  Cupcakes are easier to give away.

This was my first time making pastry cream, which is just a thicker custard, thickened with cornstarch, and used for filling pastries and doughnuts, so it doesn't run out.  It turned out well.   Claudia's cupcakes were Chocolate Boston Cream Pie cupcakes, and I wanted the traditional Vanilla cupcakes.  I made 12 Vanilla Cupcakes, the pastry cream, and the chocolate ganache with the cherry on top.  These cupcakes are crazy good. Just be sure to remove the cup cake liners, if used, so all of that gorgeous ganache, doesn't run down the side of liner, instead of the cupcake.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday eating these cupcakes, unless, if it's with my Granddaughter, who is coming tomorrow, the best present ever!  Happy Birthday to me!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes Inspired by What's Cookin' Italian Style and Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

·         1 1/2 cups flour

·         1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature

·         1 cup granulated white sugar

·         2 large eggs, room temperature

·         1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·         1/2 cup milk, room temperature

Pastry Cream:

·         2 large egg yolks

·         3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

·         2 tablespoon firmly packed cornstarch (corn flour)

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup whole (full fat) milk

·         1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cream Ganache

·         6 oz. dark or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips

·         3/4 c cream

Directions:
Vanilla Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and lightly butter 12 muffin cups, or spray with a cooking spray.

In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then, with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Evenly fill the 12 muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake just comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Remove cupcake liners.

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the cornstarch (corn flour) and salt and mix until you have a smooth paste.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk just to boiling (the milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling (pour through strainer if necessary). Pour the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, keep whisking the mixture for another 30 - 60 seconds or until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm. The pastry cream can be stored for up to 3 days. Whisk or stir before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

Chocolate Cream Ganache 

6 oz. dark or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips

3/4 c cream

Place chocolate in medium bowl, Heat cream until simmering. Do not boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir chocolate until chocolate is evenly melted. Allow to cool and thicken. 

Assemble: Place the pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with an 1/2 inch plain tip. Fill each cupcake with the pastry cream by inserting the pastry tip into the top of each cupcake and squeezing just until you start to see cracks in the top of the cupcake. Or on cooled cupcakes, cut a hole on the cupcake, about the size of a quarter, and remove cake.  Fill with about 1 tsp of pastry cream, and replace the cake on top, gently pushing down. Then pour about 1-2 tablespoons of the chocolate  ganache onto the center of each cupcake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for an hour or two, or until the chocolate ganache dries. The cupcakes can then be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Makes 12 cupcakes

l linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #110
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!