Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
It’s a Boston Cream Pie and cupcakes love child made with a from-scratch vanilla pudding filling and homemade ganache for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes!
Helllooo from the quaint, white steeple church-ed, rolling hills, of New Hampshire! I’m here in my hometown with my mom helping her recover from surgery. All has been going very well ’cause, well, it’s my mom and she’s kind of the strongest woman I know. So while I’m here, I’m cooking anything she or her other half wants. When I posed the question of what a favorite dessert was, one of the (many) answers: Boston Cream Pie. Something I’ve never made before! Done. But since I didn’t want to make a whole cake, the answer: Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. Because let’s be honest, the answer is always cupcakes.
A defining feature of Boston Cream Pie, the custard pudding filling. Most recipes for homemade Boston Cream Pie filling calls for a vanilla pudding mix, but this recipe has a nice thick creamy vanilla pudding esq filling that’s from scratch, of course!
Mmm. Totally delicious enough to eat by the spoonful on its own (speaking from experience). 
Next, the cake. Super simple. Don’t worry – if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own in just 5 minutes!
Butter and sugar creamed, dry ingredients mixed in, and buttermilk blended in, super easy. 
Into cupcake tins…
…and baked for about 18 minutes.
With the adorable cupcakes the pudding all set for the center, all I needed was a delicious chocolaty ganache. What’s a ganache? Basically just chocolate and a fat. In this case, heavy cream and lots of butter. Low fat, of course 😉 
Then it’s just slicing the cupcake in half, adding a dollop of the vanilla pudding in the center, then topping it with the chocolate ganache.
Success! Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes made From Scratch. Be sure to grab a napkin with these guys, they’re ooey gooey messy delicious!
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cake
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Ganache
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
- 6 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate coarsely chopped
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar then add the vanilla and beat again.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Then add the buttermilk and mix again. Finally, add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
- Line a lightly muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner ¾ of the way full.
- Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and let cool completely.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks well and then gradually stir in milk until well blended.
- In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt then gradually add in milk mixture, stirring well to prevent lumps.
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a low boil (about 20 minutes).
- Allow to boil, still stirring constantly for 1 minute. Then immediately remove from heat.
- Set pot in a large bowl of ice water, still stirring.
- When mixture has cooled a bit, stir in vanilla.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on filling to prevent a skin from forming and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the Ganache
- Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts and the cream starts to boil, stirring often.
- Place chocolate in a food processor and process until it’s finely chopped, or chop with a large knife.
- Gradually add the hot cream into food processor and process until the mixture is smooth. If you don't have a food processor, add the chopped chocolate to the saucepan and mix until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- To assemble the cupcakes
- When the cupcakes are cooled completely, remove from liners and slice in half with a very sharp knife.
- Add a dollop of pudding to the center of the bottom half of the cupcake and gently place top half on.
- With a small spoon, spoon ganache on top of cupcake.
- Allow 30 minutes to an hour for the ganache to set.
I have never had a Boston cream pie (must be a US thing?), but if these cupcakes are anything to go by, it is definitely a favourite around here! Thumbs up from everyone in the house 🙂
These. Are. AMAZING. Boston cream donuts were my absolute favorite growing up, and I have to say, I’ve never seen them in any other form until these beauty cuppycakes! What a great new way to enjoy them.
AWESOME idea! I love the portion control by having these in individual serving sizes. I don’t know why I never thought of that. Pinning so I’ll have the recipe handy for book group brunch next month.
Why not combine to great things into one. These are perfect. Great for a treat any day of the week. Perfect for a celebration too.
hi Tracy, please teach me to make this pie :'(
I have no doubt that I’d 3-4 of these before I even poured my glass of cold milk to go with them. These look so incredibly delicious! I’ll be making them for sure!
I hope you do, Renee! They were so fun to make and although a little messy to eat, delicious and totally worth it!
Those look awesome! I always loved classic Boston cream pie, but these cupcakes look even better–so adorable! 🙂
Thank you! 😀
Tracy I LOVE these!! Those cupcakes look absolutely perfect… picture perfect! I am actually drooling that I want to make a batch of it now! 😀
Thank you so much, Dini!!
These are just too too cute! You are a good daughter to not only help your mom out but bake her her fav treats! Here’s hoping she is recovers completely soon!
Aw, thank you so much for your well wishes, Shashi! 🙂
Unless you’re shipping me some of these, we’ll have to make more when you get home 🙂
Haha none left to ship! And YES these will be made many a times more! 😉