Mmm Mmm Monday: Boston Cream Pie

Today's recipe comes from Campbell's Great American Cookbook published by Random House in 1984 and I believe now out of print. I've had this book since college and it was a great cookbook to have at the co-op where housemates took turns cooking for 24.  The book still has notes from my housemates and me where we tripled and quadrupled recipes.  It's kinda nice bc I still recognize their handwriting and get to think about them when I see those recipes.

This cake was part of the spread for the library's Thursday evening Needlecrafts Club.  (BTW, the library has a facebook page...stop by and become a fan!)  I like to have a theme, however tenuous, for the refreshments.  This particular night was an egg theme as the main eats featured eggs from Clubber Susan's backyard chickens.  She has about 50 laying hens and about 20 show hens that her daughter shows at farm shows.  Show show show.  I have to admit that I was a wee bit skeptical that fresh eggs would taste different from store eggs.  Well, did I get egg on my face!  Fresh eggs are 100x tastier than store eggs.  I just read yesterday a description of fresh eggs that says it well: They stand up and slap you in the face!  They look better, they taste better, they cook and bake up better...they're just so much yummier all around.  I find I crave these fresh eggs now and am disappointed if I manage to run out of them and have to use store eggs.  Even compared to farmed organic eggs I recently bought when I ran out of Susan's eggs, local fresh eggs are very different.  I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Anyway, back to the eats.  So that night we had Spinach Devilled Eggs (which I don't think I've blogged yet) and this Boston Cream Pie which is really a cake that uses a bunch of eggs in the custard in the middle.  Looking at the picture of this cake, you can see the lemon squares that Karen brought in.  Perhaps I can squeeze a recipe out of her for those.

Ingredients - Cake

• 1/3 c. butter or margine, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1.5 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. milk

Instructions - Cake

1. Prepare Vanilla Cream Filling; chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350oF.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. (I used 8" pans bc that's all I had; it was fine.) 
3. In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, cream butter until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually beat in sugar until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl.
5. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, occasionally scraping bowl.
6. Add vanilla; mix well.
7. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition, occasionally scraping bowl.
9. In small bowl with mixer at high speed, using clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold egg whites into batter; pour into prepared pans.
10. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  I could have taken these out at 25 minutes; you can see they look a little brown.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool completely.
11. Spread Vanilla Cream Filling between cake layers.
12. Spread top with warm Chocolate Glaze.
13. Refrigerate until serving time.

Ingredients - Vanilla Cream Filling

• 1 c. milk
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• dash salt
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Instructions - Filling

1. In heavy, 2-quart saucepan with wire whisk or electric mixer, beat all ingredients except vanilla.  Over medium heat, cook until mixture just boils, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.  Cover; chill.

Ingredients - Chocolate Glaze

• 2 T. butter or margarine
• 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
• 1 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 2 T. hot water

Instructions - Glaze

1. In heavy, 1-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in sugar, vanilla and enough hot water to make of spreading consistency.
3. Remove from heat; beat well.
4. Immediately spread on cake.

For the glaze, I used whatever ratio of confectioners' sugar and hot water to make the consistency I wanted; I think it was more sugar.  For this cake, I want the glaze to be thick enough that it doesn't drizzle down the sides of the cake.  Sometimes that looks really nice, but I didn't want it on this cake.  I thought it would look sloppy going down this cake's sides.