This honey-sweetened Boston cream pie beats all. A honey-sweetened cake filled with vanilla pudding and topped with a chocolate glaze.
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Hello, my friends!
I’m not sure where the name “Boston cream pie” came from since it’s more than a cake than a pie. But that’s not problem for me. Pie or cake, it’s still one of my favorite desserts ever. And today I’m excited to share my honey-sweetened version with you.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that honey-sweetened desserts are one of my specialties. And this Boston cream pie shines out in the glorious repertoire.
Boston cream pie is made up of three elements:
- The cake
- The cream filling
- The chocolate glaze
Because of that, this honey-sweetened Boston cream pie took several tries to perfect. But the wait was worth it, my friends. Each element alone is so good. But together, the combo is a masterpiece.
I’ll walk you through the process of making each part. And then show how it comes together to create an amazing dessert.
Before we get into the details of the cake, let’s talk about why I use raw honey in my recipes.
Why use raw honey?
Raw honey hasn’t been pasteurized (which kills many of the antibacterial properties of it) or mixed with other additives. Most honey from the store is both pasteurized and mixed.
Since I’m baking with it here, I don’t care so much about the fact that it’s raw as I do about the fact that it is pure honey.
Baked goods especially will turn out very different depending on the other ingredients that they the mixed the honey with (e.g. water, corn syrup). Unfortunately in most cases the label on the back won’t give you the details. As long as the amount of honey it contains falls within the FDA’s accepted threshold, then they don’t need to disclose that.
So the safest bet is to use raw honey. That way the bees do the mixing and processing (which is always perfection) and we just get to enjoy the benefits.
I get raw honey from my own beehives (or buy it from a local beekeeper). I store it in a large jar on the counter so it’s super convenient to use.
Now about that Cake
I experimented with several cakes to find the cake that worked the best. I was looking for a cake that was moist (sorry if you like to avoid that word) and had a good structure so it wouldn’t get soggy when pudding was stuffed inside it.
And I found a winner. This is it, my friends.
To make it, first mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Next, whip the butter and raw honey. I love using my favorite hand mixer (aff. link) to whip up the batter.
Once the butter and honey have been mixed, add in the egg and vanilla and mix again. I’ve talked about my favorite vanilla before (this Mexican vanilla, aff. link). It is delicious in this cake – I use it in all three elements!
Now it’s time to add the dry ingredients and milk. Alternate with 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Then mix. Add 1/2 of the milk. Then mix again. Repeat this process until all the ingredients have been added.
You’ll be left with a beautiful cake batter that’s fairly thick.
Now we’re ready to bake.
When it’s ready to come out, the cake will look a little darker in color than a typical cake made with white sugar. That’s normal for cakes made with honey. Make sure to not over bake the cake or it will be dry.
To avoid the cake sinking in the middle, follow these steps to test when the cake is done.
Open the oven and, leaving the cake inside, first check it if is wiggly in the middle. If it is, then close the oven quickly and continue baking. Otherwise if the cake is set, take your finger and gently press on top of the cake. If the cake doesn’t spring back quickly, then quickly close the oven and continue baking it. Otherwise if it springs back then it’s ready for a toothpick inserted in the middle. If the toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few dry crumbs, then it’s ready to take out. Otherwise continue baking and test again a few minutes later.
Once the cake is done place it on a cooling rack and let it cool completley.
Next, the Cream Filling
While the cake is baking, make the cream filling.
Cook the cream filling in a saucepan like homemade vanilla pudding.
Just be patient and whisk continuously when you’re supposed to whisk. Otherwise your pudding will get lumpy instead of being nice and smooth. If there are a few lumps, all is not lost. Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of them.
Cool the pudding by pressing a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. This will help avoid developing a skin on top.
The Chocolate Glaze
This is definitely the easiest layer.
Heat cream and pour over chocolate. Let sit a few minutes without stirring. Then add vanilla and whisk until smooth and glossy.
Let the chocolate glaze cool just slightly until it’s a nice, spreadable texture.
That’s it –easy peasy.
Assembling and Serving
To assemble, cut the cooled cake crosswise through the center leaving two thinner cakes, a top and a bottom. Gently slide the top cake onto a plate and set aside.
Spread cooled pudding over bottom cake, leaving a ½-inch space free around the edges to keep the pudding from squeezing out the edges. Place top cake over pudding layer.
Spread glaze over top of the cake and sides, if desired. Allow cake to chill uncovered in the refrigerator until the glaze has set up (about an hour).
Then cover with with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Cake is easier to serve if it’s been chilled at least a couple of hours, but you can serve it sooner if you need to. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered for a couple of days.
This cake is definitely on my list of favorite desserts, my friends. It is perfect for a special occasion. But believe me, you won’t want to wait for a special occasion to try it.
Honey-Sweetened Boston Cream Pie
This honey-sweetened Boston cream pie beats all. A honey-sweetened cake filled with vanilla pudding and topped with a chocolate glaze.
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 1 ¼ cups (6.25 ounces) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup softened butter
- ⅔ cup (8 ounces) raw honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup milk
For Cream Filling:
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 ½ teaspoons (2.5 ounces) honey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large egg yolks slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
For Chocolate Glaze:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment circle and lightly spray sides with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a medium sized bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, cream softened butter and honey with hand mixer until soft and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
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Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add ½ of the milk and mix. Add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the last ½ of the milk and mix until combined. Add the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
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Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake in preheated 300 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes (see note) or until top springs back to the touch and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
Cream Filling:
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Heat 1 cup of the milk and the honey in a medium-sized heavy-duty saucepan over medium low heat until bubbles just start to form around edges (about 3 to 5 minutes).
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In a separate medium heat-proof bowl add the remaining ½ cup milk and salt. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch until mixture is smooth without lumps. Then gently whisk in egg yolks and set aside.
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When milk/honey mixture starts to bubble around the edges, remove from heat and very gradually add it to the cornstarch mixture in the bowl. Whisk quickly and continuously as you slowly pour it in, so that no lumps form.
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Return the mixture back to the saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until it comes to a simmer and begins to thicken (about 4 to 5 minutes). Then cook for one minute longer. Bubbles will pop at the surface of the thickened pudding.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, if desired (see note). Put a piece of sprayed plastic wrap directly over filling so it doesn't get a skin on it and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
Chocolate Glaze & Serving:
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For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer (either in the microwave or in a saucepan) and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes without stirring. Add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it is glossy and smooth. The glaze will set up as it cools. Let it cool to spreadable consistency.
Assembling and Serving:
-
To assemble, cut the cooled cake crosswise through the center leaving two thinner cakes, a top and a bottom. Gently slide the top cake onto a plate and set aside.
-
Spread cooled pudding over bottom cake, leaving a ½-inch space free around the edges to keep the pudding from squeezing out the edges. Place top cake over pudding layer.
-
Spread glaze over top of the cake and sides, if desired. Allow cake to chill uncovered in the refrigerator until the glaze has set up (about an hour).
-
Then cover with with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Cake is easier to serve if it's been chilled at least a couple of hours, but you can serve it sooner if you need to. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered for a couple of days.
Recipe Notes
1. Be careful not to overbake or cake will be dry.
2. Straining the cream filling is optional. As long as you whisk quickly when you add the hot mixture to the egg mixture you should be able to avoid the lumps and cooked egg pieces. If you are super picky about a smooth texture, go ahead and strain.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text © The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
Hello,
What a yummy recipe! Would almond milk work instead of dairy milk?
Thanks!
Thanks Anna! I actually have no idea but it’s worth a try!
Well I feel like a dope. I use grams when weighing flour for baking and looked at the Boston Cream Pie recipe again and see the weighed flour is listed in ounces. Please ignore my prior email, except for the part about you creating a honey based pound cake recipe for your site. Your chocolate zucchini cake looks great, but chocolate is not okay for my son to eat.
I plan on making this for a birthday and 6.25 ounces of flour can’t be right for 1 & 1/4 cup of flour. I know flour weight varies by brand but the weighed amount should be in the 150-162 oz. range depending on the flour brand. I am guessing that you meant to type 160.25 or similar. In addition, I LOVE your only honey based recipes as that is the only sweetener my son can eat due to health reasons. I’ve been looking for a sour cream pound cake recipe using only honey as the sweetener with no luck. I’d love to see you create one so I could make that too. Thanks