Mark it with a "B"

B - is for Becky

B - is for Birthday (it's her 29th one today!)

B - is for Boston Cream Pie

B - is for Blog  and exactly 1 year since I published my very first post!!

B - is for Blessings - we have so many!

Becky - we wish you were here
to enjoy the cake
We'll light a few candles for you
and then we'll share it with Dad's office.

I'll make you another one when you are

home at Christmas!!!!

This was just a practice one anyways .......
the cake turned out kind of flat
and when I split it in half  - it wasn't even!
Maybe that's another B for Botch??

Love you lots and lots!!
Have a super B - DAY

Boston Cream Pie

I used the Country Living Recipe as follows:

Cake:

1/2 Cup butter - softened

1 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2 Large Egg Yolks
*have eggs at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 Cups Cake Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup Milk

Heat oven to 350F.  Line the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

Butter and flour the pan.  

Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time.  Add the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.  Mix the flour mixture alternately with the milk into the butter, sugar mixture at medium speed.  Beat gently until the batter is smooth.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Split cake in half with a sharp knife (easier said then done), fill with Vanilla Bean Pudding, and top with Ganache (I love saying that word!).

Vanilla Bean Pudding:

3/4 Cup milk

1 Cup cream

1 vanilla bean - I used one of the beans that we brought home from Mexico!

3 egg yolks

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 Cup Sugar 

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. butter

Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean until just simmering.  Whisk the yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Stream the hot milk/cream into the egg mixture - whisking continuously.  Return to the pan and cook while whisking till mixture thickens and just begins to boil.  Immediately transfer to a clean bowl, remove, split and scrape the vanilla bean - whisk vanilla seeds back into the pudding.  Stir in the vanilla extract and butter.  Press plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding to cover.  Cool.

Ganache:
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
4 oz. dark chocolate - chopped (4 oz. = 4 squares of bakers dark chocolate)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter - I used salted because that's all I had on hand
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
Heat cream just until boiling and pour over the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup.  Let sit for 1 minute and then stir until smooth.  Cool slightly before pouring over cake.

Till next time.........lighting some candles for my girl!!!