Boston Cream Pie

From Saveur, October 2012

The cake:

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (6 ounces or 170 grams)

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk (I add 2 tbsp lemon juice to milk)

Heat oven to 350 F or 170 C. Grease and flour a 9” (23 cm) round cake pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, in three batches (begin and end with the flour mixture), beat until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then take out of pan onto wire rack and cool completely.

The filling:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp salt

6 egg yolks

1 ½ cups milk

4 tbsp butter(2 ounces or 50 grams) cubed and chilled

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 4-qt saucepan; add yolks and whisk until smooth. Stir in milk, and place pan over medium heat; cook stirring constantly until it thickens (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter one cube at a time, whisking until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the pudding to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until firmed, at least 2 hours.

The glaze:

4 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces.

½ cup heavy cream

Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, pour hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Slowly stir chocolate and cream until smooth and shiny. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Cut the cake horizontally into two layers (use a serrated knife). Spread the chilled pudding over the bottom layer, cover with the top and pour the chocolate glaze over the top. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.