Soft, spongey vanilla cupcakes are filled with sweet pastry cream and topped with homemade chocolate ganache frosting. Boston cream pie cupcakes are tasty, impressive desserts that you’ll love serving!
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes Recipe
When it comes to cupcakes, this recipe may just reign supreme. They’ve got three elements that put them above the rest – perfectly baked vanilla cupcakes, sweet cream filling, and chocolate icing.
The best part? It’s all made from scratch! And don’t let that scare you, either. Even though these cupcakes are homemade through and through, they’re pretty hassle-free and easy to make.
If you love a good Bottom cream donut, you’re going to be seriously obsessed with this delicious cupcake recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Boston Cream Pie Cupcake Recipe:
- Homemade: Honestly, I love entirely homemade recipes! There’s something brag-worthy about making every element of these delicious cupcakes from scratch.
- Satisfying: When biting into a cupcake, you want it to be worth your while, right?! These cupcakes are insanely tasty and are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Kid-Approved: Your kids are going to LOVE these cupcakes! My advice? Don’t tell them there’s a creamy pastry filling. Watching their faces light up will be priceless!
How to Make Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Make the pastry cream by combining sugar, cornstarch, and milk to a saucepan. Whisk until smooth over medium heat. Once thickened, remove from the heat.
- Add a bit of the pastry mixture to the egg yolks and whisk.
- Add the egg mixture to the milk mixture.
- Bring the saucepan back to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add butter and vanilla.
- Cool the mixture at room temperature.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy.
- Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Mix in egg whites until well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter.
- Mix in the milk.
- Add remaining dry ingredients and mix.
- Bake the cupcakes.
- To make the ganache frosting, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Melt the mixture in the microwave.
- Stir in powdered sugar.
- Cut out the center of the cooled, baked cupcakes.
- Fill the centers with cream.
- Top with ganache.
I’ve found that it really depends on how much cream you want in your cupcakes! Personally, I cut about 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep into my cupcakes. That always gives me the perfect cupcake-to-cream ratio.
I always use a piping bag when filling the cupcakes. With a piping bag, I feel that I have more control over how much cream goes into each cupcake. You can certainly just use a spoon to put the filling in the cupcake, but it might not be as clean and neat as a piping bag.
With any cream-filled cupcakes, I recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for optimal freshness! At room temperature, the cream filling can dissipate and soak into the actual cupcake.
In the refrigerator in an airtight container, these sweet treats will stay perfectly fresh for up to 4 days.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- As tempting as it may be to skip making the homemade pastry and use instant pudding mix instead, DON’T do it! I promise, the classic cream filling of a real Boston cream treat is far better than instant pudding.
- If you try to coat the cupcakes in ganache while it’s too warm, it won’t work out so well. The chocolate ganache needs about 10-15 minutes to cool, creating a deliciously thick texture.
- Don’t try to freeze these cupcakes. Sadly, the cream filling doesn’t hold up well when frozen.
No matter when or where you serve these Boston cream pie cupcakes, they’re guaranteed to be a hit! After all, who can resist a chocolate covered, vanilla cream filled cupcake?!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch 8 grams
- 1 cup milk 227 grams
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams (reserve whites for the cupcakes below)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
For the Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 150 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams, room temperature (¾ stick)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk 85 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 3 egg whites 105 grams, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons milk 85 grams, room temperature
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips 85 grams
- ¼ cup heavy cream 57 grams
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 14 grams
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Instructions
For the Pastry Cream
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken and boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup milk
- Add a little bit of mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add egg mixture to milk mixture.2 egg yolks
- Place the saucepan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract.6 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add egg whites and mix until well combined.3 egg whites
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Mix in the milk. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined.6 tablespoons milk
- Fill the cupcake liners about halfway. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting and Assembly
- Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted. Sift in powdered sugar and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Once everything is cooled and ready, cut out the centers of the cupcakes. Fill in the centers with pastry cream. Top the cupcakes with the chocolate ganache.
Notes
- As tempting as it may be to skip making the homemade pastry and use instant pudding mix instead, DON’T do it! I promise, the classic cream filling of a real Boston cream treat is far better than instant pudding.
- If you try to coat the cupcakes in ganache while it’s too warm, it won’t work out so well. The chocolate ganache needs about 10-15 minutes to cool, creating a deliciously thick texture.
- Don’t try to freeze these cupcakes. Sadly, the cream filling doesn’t hold up well when frozen.
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