Bigly Boston Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cupswhole milk (for pastry cream)
• 2 tspvanilla extract (for pastry cream)
• 1/2 cupgranulated sugar (for pastry cream)
• 1/4 cupcornstarch
• 1/4 tspkosher salt (for pastry cream)
• 5large egg yolks
• 3 tbspunsalted butter (for pastry cream)
• 1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tspbaking powder
• 1/2 tspkosher salt (for cake)
• 3/4 cupwhole milk (for cake)
• 6 tbspunsalted butter (for cake)
• 3large eggs
• 1 1/3 cupsgranulated sugar (for cake)
• 2 tspvanilla extract (for cake)
• 1/2 cupheavy cream (for ganache)
• 4 ozsemisweet chocolate, chopped(real bar chocolate, not chips, the chips have stabilizers)
• 1 tbspunsalted butter (for ganache)
• 1 tsplight corn syrup(this is the gloss insurance policy)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the pastry cream first so it can chill: warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, not boiling.

2. 2

   In a bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until smooth and pale.

3. 3

   Slowly whisk about 1 cup of hot milk into the yolk mixture to temper, then return everything to the saucepan.

4. 4

   Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens, comes to a full boil, and holds its shape on a spoon, about 4-6 minutes. Boil 1 minute more, still whisking.

5. 5

   Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill at least 3 hours, until cold and set.

6. 6

   Make the cake: preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.

7. 7

   Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Remove from heat and keep warm.

8. 8

   Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

9. 9

   In a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high for 4-5 minutes until thick, pale, and tripled in volume.

10. 10

    Beat in vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing just until combined.

11. 11

    With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the warm milk-butter mixture and mix until smooth. Do not overmix.

12. 12

    Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 18-22 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.

13. 13

    Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

14. 14

    Assemble: place one cake layer on a serving plate. Whisk the chilled pastry cream to loosen it, then spread it evenly over the cake, almost to the edge. Top with the second cake layer.

15. 15

    Make the ganache: warm cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan until steaming. Pour over chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and let sit 2 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in butter for shine.

16. 16

    Pour the ganache over the center of the cake and gently spread to encourage it to drip over the edges in slow, glossy rivers. Chill 30 minutes to set the glaze before slicing.