Pumpkin Boston Cream Pie
Layers of spiced pumpkin cake are sandwiched with maple custard and topped with a toasty caramelized white chocolate ganache. You’ll love all the Fall flavors in this unique take on Boston cream pie!
Happy Friday, my friends! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am, it’s been a verrrrrry busy week, and I’m so looking forward to kicking back with some friends.
We’re thinking about doing a little bonfire on Saturday night. I’m thinking it will be so chill and relaxing, just hanging out on the back patio under some cozy blankets, looking at the fire with a glass of wine. Don’t you just love fall? I’m not sorry to see fall begin but let’s not talk about winter 😉
Of course, with fall comes pumpkin desserts, and this is one you’ve just gotta try!
It’s inspired by the iconic Boston cream pie, but really it bears little resemblance. The sponge cake has been replaced with a spiced pumpkin cake. It’s a lot more moist than the traditional sponge, and I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing! The custard is sweetened with maple syrup, and ermahgerd, you guys- the GANACHE! Make this cake for the ganache alone, I’m telling you! I’ve never tasted anything quite like and and it completely makes the whole cake.
Ok so we need to talk about caramelized white chocolate. It’s a thing! I’ve been seeing it more and more, but it was Graham’s description that convinced me to finally give it a go. Basically, you just bake the white chocolate in the oven, at a really low temp, for 40 minutes. It’s kind of a pain in the neck, but you’ve gotta stir it every 5. And you will probably be convinced that you’re doing it wrong the whole time. I was! I was all “there’s no way this is gonna work.” But it totally worked! It goes from looking all seized and hard and lumpy, to somehow magically liquefied, smooth, and caramelized. Then we stir in some cream and pour it over the cake. Then we swoon. Then we do a happy dance!
To. Die. For. Wow. So toasty and sweet, almost like butterscotch but with that distinctive white chocolate richness. I’m in love.
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Pumpkin Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Maple Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 ml) milk, (I used 1%)
- 6 egg yolks, (large)
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Cake:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 tablespoons (177.44 g) unsalted butter, (1 1/2 sticks), softened
- 4 eggs, (large)
- 2/3 cup (163.33 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) white chocolate
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Maple Pastry Cream:
- Pour the milk into a small pot and place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt.
- Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, while whisking, to warm the eggs.
- Place the mixture back into the pot and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a bubble and becomes very thick.
- Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a heat safe container. Lay plastic wrap over the surface. Chill for 2 hours.
Make the Pumpkin Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and mist (3) 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.
- Place the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the soft butter, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Add the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and vanilla, and mix on medium-low speed for about 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and develop the cake's structure.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely and fill with pastry cream.
Make the Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache:
- Preheat the oven to 265 degrees F.
- Break up the white chocolate into pieces, and scatter in the bottom of a baking dish (I used a 9x13 glass dish).
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Chocolate will become thick and chalky.
- After 40 minutes, remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl. Stir until the chocolate becomes liquefied.
- Heat the cream until small bubbles form around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the caramelized white chocolate. Whisk to combine.
- Allow to cool slightly, then pour over the cake, using a metal spatula to spread in an even layer.
Hi Allie! I’m a new baker, just learning, but your recipe sounds incredible so I couldn’t resist! I’m practicing it for our family’s Thanksgiving, working out my own kinks of sorts, lol! Help…what are your recommendations if my custard is lumpy, as I am new at that? And do I slice the sponges so they are even for each layer, or leave the bulge? Rookie questions, thanks for your expertise!
Not at all Julie! It’s a good idea to run your custard through a fine mesh sieve while it’s still warm. And then you can place a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before chilling. This will prevent a skin from forming. If you enter “pastry cream” in the search window at the top of this site, you’ll find a recipe video. Hopefully that will be helpful. As for the cake layers, if they bake up with a big hump in the middle, it’s best to trim that down flat. Good luck!
Hi Allie! As promised here are the results of our local fairs King Arthur Flour special contest, ” Baker’s Choice”. Your recipe for pumpkin boston cream pie is a blue ribbon winner! I won the first place blue ribbon with this amazing recipe! I really enjoyed preparing it! I made a two layer pie and added a maple cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the top of the pie and garnished the center with three pecan halves. Thank you again for allowing me to enter your awesome dessert recipe!
Oh my gosh that’s so awesome! Congratulations! I’m so happy you won! Way to go Dana!
Hi Allie! Boston Cream Pie is one of my favorite desserts. Your pumpkin Boston Cream Pie looks like a blue ribbon winner, maybe even a best in show, to me! May I have your permission to enter your Pumpkin Boston Cream Pie at our local fair this year. I look forward to your reply! Thank you for your time!
Please go right ahead! Good luck- I hope you win!
Thank you soooo much! I really appreciate your generosity! I will gladly let you know the outcome, after June 30th.
My pleasure! Sounds great!
Because the Chocolate Amaretto Torte was such a huge hit on Christmas day, I am going to make this one for New Year’s Eve. We never go out; we make a beautiful dinner and stay in. This will be dessert that night. I love this site. Thanks so much for sharing.
That sounds like my kind of NYE! I hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy the cake! Thank you so much for the sweet compliments; hugs to you!