Bake 52: Boston Cream Cupcakes

I don't think it will surprise anyone that this was my week to host and pick the recipe.  I probably should feel bad that Valerie was being good and picked Bran Muffins and then the next week, I dropped the cupcake bomb on everyone, but I really don't.  I think it was while I was making and sampling the pastry cream that I decided this was a pure genius decision and forgot completely that there were other people on Earth let alone in the baking group.  I mean seriously, a cupcake with pastry cream and a gooey chocolatey glaze?  It's no wonder it's one of the first things I noticed when initially flipping through my new book.  Do you see that little ray of light on the front of the cupcake.  Is it just me or does it look angelic?  

The cupcake itself is dense but moist.  I wonder if it has to be that way so it doesn't fall apart when filled with the pastry cream?  The recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate for the glaze but I had only bought half what I needed and substituted semi-sweet where I was lacking.  I might use all semi-sweet next time because, if I had to change something, the chocolate was a tad dark for my taste but that's just a personal preference.  I wouldn't change anything about the pastry cream, it was amazing!   Really, I started dreaming of things this pastry cream and I could do together.  Oh, the fun we'd have.  I might have eaten some of it with a spoon before filling my cupcakes.  I might have eaten a few spoonfuls, but I still had enough to fill the cupcakes.  I was also really diligent about using 1/3 cup of cupcake batter, as specified in the recipe, and still ended up with 3 more cupcakes that I should have.  I was especially worried that I wouldn't have enough cream and glaze, but I had plenty.  Did you notice the worrying didn't keep me from sampling the pastry cream?  Yeah, it didn't.   Next time I might also use a 1/4 cup measurer for the cupcakes because mine seemed just a bit too full.

Boston Cream Cupcakes

PASTRY CREAM

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 T +1 tsp cornstarch

2 T butter, cut into 2 pieces

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

CUPCAKES

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

12 T (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened and cut into 12 pieces

3 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

GLAZE

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

PASTRY CREAM:  Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan over med heat.  Meanwhile, whisk eggs yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl then whisk in cornstarch until mixture is pale yellow and thick.  (about 30 seconds)  

Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper, 

then return to the saucepan (it didn't say to strain it, but I did because I have with recipes in the past and didn't want to wish I had.)

and cook, stirring constantly over med heat, 

until thick and glossy (about 1 1/2 minutes).  

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.  Transfer mixture to small bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream.  Refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours.

CUPCAKES:  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Using an electric mixer on med-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time.  Continue to beat until the mixture resembles moist crumbs, 1-3 minutes.  

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.  Beat in the milk and vanilla and then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat batter until smooth, light and fluffy, 1-3 minutes.  

Using a 1/3 cup measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup.  

Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 18-20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking.  Let the cupcakes cool in tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  

GLAZE:  Microwave all of the ingredients together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Let glaze cool, uncovered, until thick and pourable, about 20 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:  At a 45 degree angle, cut a circle in the top of each cupcake so that you pull out a "cone" from the center.  

Without disturbing the opening at the top, scoop out cake being careful to not get too close to the sides or the bottom.  Cut tip off of each "cone" so you are left with about a 1/4 inch thick disc.  

Repeat with remaining cupcakes being sure to keep the correct top with the correct cupcake.  

Fill each cupcake with about 2 T of pastry cream 

and cover with cupcake top.  

Once glaze is cooled, spoon desired amount of glaze onto the cupcakes.  Let glaze run down sides if desired.  Refrigerate until glaze has set, about 10 minutes, before serving.

They are so pretty.  See the light?  Heavenly, for sure!

yields 12-15 cupcakes



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