Boston Cream Cupcakes

Boston Cream Cupcakes
By: Gale Gand with Lisa Weiss

For the cupcakes:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
Éclair custard filling (recipe below)

For the chocolate glaze:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to whip. Add the vanilla and gradually mix in the eggs, one by one, until well combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each slot three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cupcakes are puffed, firm in the center, and light golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan on the cooling rack.

To fill the cupcakes, use a small paring knife to remove a plug of cake from the top center of each cake and set the plugs aside. With the pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe or spoon the custard into the cavities. Trim each plug so that is a flat coin. Top the filled cupcake cavities with the coins and chill for 30 minutes while you make the glaze.

To make the chocolate glaze, heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until almost boiling. Meanwhile place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted.

Dip the chilled cupcakes in the warm chocolate glaze to coat the top. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Éclair custard filling:
2 cups whole milk
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold

Bring the milk and vanilla bean almost to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Vigorously whisk in the cornstarch until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture until it’s incorporated. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles. Cook and whisk for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Scrape into a bowl and press with plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours before filling and serving.