Martha Stewart Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Martha Stewart Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes are an easy dessert made with tender vanilla cake, vanilla cream and chocolate ganache glaze, ready in about 1 hour. Try this easy dessert idea for birthday parties or potluck tables, since the mini cakes are make-ahead friendly and sure to disappear fast.

Beat the eggs and sugar for a full 5 minutes until thick and pale, because that air is what keeps the little cakes light. Cut that short and the cupcakes bake up dense, which makes them hard to split and fill.

Martha turns a big layered dessert into individual portions by splitting each cupcake and spooning vanilla cream inside. Pouring hot milk and butter into the batter at the end gives the cake a tender, moist crumb that holds up to the filling.

Martha Stewart Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

18

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

220

kcal

Warm milk and butter go into a whipped egg batter, so the cakes bake up soft and golden. Each one gets split, filled with cool cream and finished with a glossy chocolate cap.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
  

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for tins
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  

• 1/2 cup whole milk
  

• 3 large eggs
  

• 1 cup sugar
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• Vanilla Cream
  

• Chocolate-Ganache Glaze for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
  

Directions

• Prep pans and flour: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt together in a small bowl.
• Warm the milk: Warm 1/2 cup whole milk and 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. Keep it gentle for now, since it only needs to come to a boil later.
• Whip eggs and sugar: Beat 3 large eggs and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes. It's ready when the mixture turns thick and pale.
• Add dry ingredients: Beat in the flour mixture until it's just combined. Then get ready to bring the milk to a boil.
• Add the hot milk: Bring the milk and butter to a boil, then turn the mixer to low speed. Pour the hot mixture into the batter, beat until smooth and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Fill and bake: Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each one halfway. Bake until the cupcakes are light gold, about 15 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes: Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then move them to wire racks. Leave them there until they're completely cool, so the cream won't melt.
• Split and fill: Use a serrated knife to cut each cupcake in half horizontally. Spread 1 tablespoon of vanilla cream on each bottom half.
• Glaze and serve: Set the tops back on to sandwich the cream. Spoon the chocolate ganache glaze over each one and serve right away.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make Boston cream pie cupcakes ahead of time?

Bake the cupcakes a day ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Fill and glaze them the day you serve them, since the cream softens the cake if it sits too long.

Do these need to be refrigerated after filling?

Yes, because the vanilla cream is dairy-based, so keep filled cupcakes in the fridge. Take them out about 15 minutes before serving so the cake loses its chill and tastes softer.

Can I bake these in a mini muffin pan?

A mini pan works if you shorten the bake time, so start checking around 8 to 10 minutes. The recipe is written for standard tins, so expect a different yield and a quicker bake.

What's the easiest way to split the cupcakes evenly?

Use a serrated knife and saw gently with the cupcake resting on its side, cutting straight across the middle. Cooling the cakes completely first helps, since warm cake crumbles and tears.

What's the most common mistake with this recipe?

Skipping the long beating of the eggs and sugar is the usual problem. Without that 5 minutes, the batter stays heavy, so the cupcakes bake up dense instead of soft.