Flavor #57 - Boston Cream Pie

The Boston Cream Pie, with origins going back to the 1850's at the Parker House Hotel, is not a pie, but a cake. Two layers of yellow sponge cake with a layer of custard in the middle and the top covered with thick chocolate. It's really not that popular here in the Boston area, but you do see it around. I have been a fan of this desert since I was young, so why not turn it into an ice cream.

1 1/2 Cups of Heavy Cream

1 1/2 Cups of Milk

3/4 Cup of Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Pinch of Salt

1 8" Pan of Yellow Cake

3/4 Cup of Custard

1/2 Cup of Milk

2 Tablespoons of Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla

2 Egg Yolks

1 Tablespoon of Flour

1 Tablespoon of Butter

1 Pinch of Salt

Chocolate Sauce to Taste

This is a labor intensive recipe as you need to make the chocolate sauce, custard, cake and ice cream base. I suggest starting with the chocolate sauce if you are not buying a store bought brand. The sauce needs to cool for a while, so this needs to go first. Cake and custard can be made at almost the same time with the ice cream mix prep coming while the cake is in the oven. Everything will need to cool suitably before you begin to make the ice cream or the other ingredients will melt the ice cream as you put it all in the container.

This is one of the few recipes I have with a prescribed way of adding things to the freezing container, making things almost look like a trifle. Start with a small layer of ice cream at the bottom, followed by a thin layer of cake. I cut the cake into 1" cubes and layered them across the container. Custard goes next, followed by chocolate sauce. You should have enough material to run a similar series of layers with it all topped off by a final layer of ice cream. Do not stir everything together or it will become a mess. Same with putting down the second and third ice cream layers as you will need to be very careful when adding the ice cream and smoothing out the layer prior to adding the cake. In the future, I am considering doubling the custard for a thicker layer while also making the cake even thinner to mix things up a little.

This recipe certainly catches the flavor of Boston Cream Pie. The custard layer is icy and gives the recipe an interesting mix of consistencies with the creamy ice cream, spongy cake and icy vanilla custard.

Boston's Parker House Hotel has a very cool history that includes contribution to the culinary world, global politics, US race relations and English and American literature. The lobby is well kept and loyal to its original 1920's style and Parker's Bar is a great place for a pint or two while taking in a song from the pianist in their classic American dining room.

Enjoy