Mini Boston Cream Pie

Today is my Uncle's birthday! He is the one that when I told him I was going to culinary school, he looked at me and said " You do know that people in that field are passionate,  creative, work like dogs, and are totally nuts". I smiled and said " Yeah I know", he than smiled back and said " you will fit right in, kid". In honor of his birthday I made his favorite dessert.....Boston Cream Pie.  However being that I am a little nuts, I wanted to make the traditional cake a little different.  Since I love all things mini (  I'm even, a proud owner of a Mini cooper) I thought I would make individual pies.  Boston Cream Pies are a yellow cake with pastry cream in the middle topped with ganache glaze.  The recipe below can also be used to make one 8" inch round cake following the same ingredients and directions.


Vanilla Cake
 adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
3 ounces ( 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room tempature
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray standard muffin tin.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.  Warm milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed until thick, around 5 minutes.  Mix in dry ingredients.

Bring milk and butter to a boil.  With mixer on low speed, add milk mixture to batter, and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Divide batter among muffin cups, and fill halfway.  Bake cupcakes until light brown, about 15 minutes depending on your oven.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then tranfer to cooling rack. 

Vanilla Cream

2 large eggs yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk yolks until smooth.  Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add milk in a slow, and steady stream.  Cook, stirring, until mixturebegins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of milk mixture into yolks, whisking constantly.  Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking the whole time, until thick.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place plastic wrap directcly on the surface.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

Ganache

2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and add the corn syrup.  Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from the heat and add to the chocoalte and corn syrup.  Let stand for 5 minutes, so not stir.  After waiting 5 mintures, whisk until smooth.  Let cool, and use immediately.


Assembly

Using a serrated knife, cut each muffin in half horizontally. Pipe or spread cream onto the muffin.  Sandwich with the top. 

Spoon ganache glaze over the top of the muffin.