Ingredients
-
Vanilla Cupcakes
-
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
-
3/4 cup sugar
-
6 Tbsp. sour cream, at room temperature
-
2 tsp. vanilla extract
-
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
-
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-
2 tsp. baking powder
-
1/4 tsp. salt
-
6 Tbsp. whole milk, room temperature
-
2 Tbsp. water, at room temperature
-
Pastry Cream Filling
-
2 egg yolks
-
6 Tbsp sugar
-
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
-
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. whole milk
-
1 Tbsp. butter
-
1 tsp. vanilla extract
-
Chocolate Ganache Topping
-
12 oz. bag semi sweet chocolate chips
-
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
-
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
Directions
I’m always looking for a good reason to bake up something sweet, but every year my friends at OXO come up with one of the best reasons. It’s time, once again, for their awesome campaign supporting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Childhood Cancer Foundation. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and for every #OXOGoodCookies Bake a Difference blog post, OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer to help fund research to develop new, improved treatments for pediatric cancer. My blog post is just a drop in the bucket, as OXO is committed to donating up to $100,000 during the month of September. That’s a pretty awesome drop, though, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
One of my favorite bakery treats is an old-fashioned, simple Boston Cream Pie. I had just been talking with my daughter, Avery, about how I needed to make one since it had been a while, when this opportunity popped up. So, I decided to give mini Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes a whirl. OXO was kind enough to provide me with the perfect tools to get the cupcake party started.
First, I needed to bake up my cupcakes.
I mixed together a pretty standard “cream the butter and sugar and eggs, and add in the flour mixture” kind of batter, laced with a hefty dose of vanilla and a dabble of sour cream for a little extra tang.
Instead of paper liners, I lined my Non-Stick 12 Cup Pro Muffin Pan from OXO with a set of their playful Silicone Baking Cups. Each baking cup has a fill line, so you can be sure your cupcakes and muffins will be consistently sized and perfect…which for a borderline OCD baker like myself, is a dream come true.
I am a huge fan of OXO’s nonstick Pro baking line, as their muffin tins and cookie sheets bake up evenly and consistently. There aren’t any hot spots and they don’t warp in the oven. They are top-notch quality and are used in my kitchen on a weekly basis for everything from baked goods to roasted veggies.
The cupcakes went into the oven for a bit, and while they baked, I got to work on my pastry cream. Bavarian Cream Pie filling needs to be creamy and rich, and this simple stove top pastry cream is the way to go. You need to keep on top of it though, so sadly, process pictures flew out the window. But…look at the end result.
Smooth and creamy, and delicious to boot.
Once I had finished the pastry cream, I pressed a bit of plastic wrap down onto the top of it as I let it cool, so a skin wouldn’t form on top of the custard.
By this time, the cupcakes were ready to come out of the oven.
They were perfectly puffed, and after a couple of minutes cooling in the tin, I easily removed them from the pan and let them cool on a baking rack in their colorful little cups.
Anyone who loves Boston Cream Pie as I do knows that the chocolate ganache on top of the cake needs to be just right. So, while the cakes and custard were cooling, I made a quick chocolate ganache. I placed a bag of semisweet chocolate chips in a bowl, along with a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup, and then I poured some steaming heavy whipping cream over the top of the chocolate.
I let that sit for just a couple of minutes, and then whisked my melted chocolate and cream together to create a thick, luscious, ganache. I popped the bowl into the fridge to chill for a bit, so it would be easier to pipe onto my finished cupcakes.
Once all of the pieces of the puzzle were cooled and ready, it was time to build some cupcakes.
“But how do you get the custard into the middle of the cupcake?” you ask. OXO’s Baker’s Decorating Tool not only easily pipes on frosting without the use of a messy pastry bag, but it also comes with a fill attachment that helped make the magic happen.
I filled the barrel with the cooled custard, inserted it into the cupcakes and filled them until I could just start to feel the sides of the cupcake expand. (If I didn’t have the tool, though, I could have sliced each cupcake in half and filled them just like a traditional Boston Cream Pie.)
Once each cupcake was filled, I cleaned out the barrel of the Decorating Tool, changed out the tip, and filled it with my cooled ganache. I easily piped a hefty chocolate hat onto each of the cupcakes to finish off my personalized pies.
When my kids came home from school that day, they were greeted by homemade cupcakes, and Mom scored some brownie (pie) points. Success!
Enjoy baking yourself? Check out ways you can help raise funds for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through Good Cookie bake sales in your area! Who doesn’t love a good cookie for a good cause, right?
Huge thanks to OXO for letting me be a part of the campaign again this year. You guys make a world of difference!
Recipe Adapted from LifeLoveandSugar.com
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Bake the CupcakesPreheat the oven to 350* F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners or silicone baking cups. |
|
2
Done
|
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, around 3-4 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well. |
|
3
Done
|
Add the egg whites in two batches, mixing well in between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. |
|
4
Done
|
In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and water. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter, and mix on low until combined. Add the milk mixture, mix until well incorporated, and then add in the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to, to make sure everything is mixed in well. |
|
5
Done
|
Fill the prepared cupcake liners 1/2-3/4 full. Bake at 350*F for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are puffed and a cake tester inserted in the cupcake come out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. |
|
6
Done
|
Make the Pastry CreamPut the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and mix them up a bit. Set them aside. |
|
7
Done
|
Place the sugar, cornstarch and milk in a medium sized saucepan, and mix with a whisk until smooth. Place the pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. |
|
8
Done
|
Add about 1/4 cup of the milk mixture slowly to the egg yolks and whisk together. Then, add the new egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the custard, and whisk until smooth. (This ensures the eggs won't scramble in the custard.) |
|
9
Done
|
Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Stir continuously, and cook for 2 more minutes until thick and bubbly. |
|
10
Done
|
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour the custard into a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the custard and set aside (or in the refrigerator) to cool. |
|
11
Done
|
Make the GanachePour the chocolate chips and corn syrup into a medium sized bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, and pour the cream over the chocolate mixture. Allow to sit for a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth and creamy. |
|
12
Done
|
Place the ganache in the refrigerator to cool before piping onto the cupcakes. |
|
13
Done
|
Build the CupcakesUsing OXO's filling tool, pipe a bit of the custard filling into the middle of each cupcake, being careful not to pipe too much so that the cupcake bursts! If you don't have the filling tool, you can slice each cupcake in half and add a hefty dollop of the cream. |
|
14
Done
|
Clean out the decorating tool, fill with the ganche, and pipe a thick layer over the tops of your cupcakes. Or, just spread it on. |
|
15
Done
|
Serve at room temperature, but store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. |
