Boston Cream Cupcakes

By barbsjustagirl

Sweet Little Book of Cupcakes.

All ingredients and instructions are included for cupcake, filling and ganache!

Ingredients

• Pastry Cream Filling:
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 large egg yolks
• 4-1/2 to 6 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 2 pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1. Heat the half and half and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
• 2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
• 3. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until pale and the sugar has begun to dissolve. The mixture should be creamy.
• 4. Whisk in 4-1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick. You may need to add another teaspoon of cornstarch to make it a little stiffer.
• 5. When the half and half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk this into the egg yolks mixture to temper.
• 6. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy (aprrox. 30 seconds).
• 7. Move the saucepan off the heat, and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
• 8. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.
• 9. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to 2 days).
• Chiffon Cupcakes:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• 2. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
• 3. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cake flour, and baking powder together.
• 4. Separate two of the egg whites and two of the egg yolks into separate large bowls.
• 5. Add the third whole egg to the bowl with the egg yolks. Then add the water, oil, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• 6. Add the flour mixture to the egg and water mixture and blend until smooth.
• 7. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
• 8. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on high speed until stiff.
• 9. Add the egg whites mixture to the other wet mixture, gently folding it in with a spatula until smooth.
• 10. Pour the batter into the lined cupcake pan, distributing the batter equally.
• 11. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate, and bake for 10 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• 12. Place the pan on a wire rack, and cool completely.
• Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
• 1 pound bittersweet or dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 8 ounces heavy cream
• 1. Put small bits of chocolate into a heat resistant bowl that is big enough to accommodate the cream, and set aside.
• 2. Heat the cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until it boils gently.
• 3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
• 4. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until smooth.
• 5. Frost the cupcakes immediately while the ganache is still warm.
• How To Archive: Cinderalla Slipper and Pillow
• Jo-Ann Petal Crafts Silver Cloud Estates Confectioner's

Preparation

Step 1

Directions:

1. Prepare the Pastry Cream Filling and let cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.


2. Prepare the Chiffon Cupcakes as directed and let cool.


3. Make a small cut to the tip of the pastry bag with scissors. Insert the small round pastry tip into the bag. Once the Pastry Cream Filling is cooled, flip the top half of the pastry bag inside out, and use a spatula to fill it with the pastry cream. Squeeze some of the cream out to rid the bag of any air pockets.


4. Insert the tip just under the surface of the center of the chiffon cupcake and squeeze about one tablespoon of pastry cream directly into each cupcake. Because the cake is spongy, it will hold the cream perfectly in the center.


5. Prepare the Chocolate Ganache Frosting. When the ganache is still warm, but not hot, dip the already-filled cupcakes one at a time, top down, into the chocolate ganache to coat, covering the wrapper just barely and shaking off the excess.


6. Once the chocolate ganache cools, garnish with a fresh, or maraschino cherry. You can also make a cherry topper out of red and green fondant like we’ve done here.