My Boston cream pie cupcakes turn the classic dessert into an easy, bite-sized treat! Each cupcake starts with a light, fluffy yellow cake base, gets filled with a simple homemade pastry cream, and finishes with a glossy glaze of chocolate ganache. They taste just like the famous Boston cream dessert, but they’re totally easy to make with cake mix, and perfectly-portable for parties!
Top Reader Review
These cupcake came out exactly as instructed. The flavor was great!!
–
Yellow Cake Mix Cupcakes with Pastry Cream Filling and Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Just like my easy Boston cream cake, my semi-homemade Boston cream pie cupcakes have the perfect mix of textures. Soft, fluffy yellow cake filled with creamy vanilla custard makes each bite rich and moist, while the glossy chocolate ganache on top cuts the sweetness with deep chocolate flavor. These pastry cream filled cupcakes are always a hit for birthdays, holidays, or anytime I want to impress without spending hours in the kitchen.
I love making my Boston cream cupcakes with cake mix because it saves so much time compared to preparing sponge cake from scratch! The boxed mix guarantees tender, consistent results every time, so I can focus on the fun part: filling them with luscious pastry cream and topping them with smooth ganache.
Email this Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Easy Dessert Recipes.
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 2 Cupcake Tin(s)
- Hand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream Filling*
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Yellow Cupcakes
- 13.25 ounces yellow cake mix (1 box)
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted (⅔ stick)
- 3 large eggs
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
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 the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Reduce the 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 the cornstarch/milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add the egg mixture to back to the remaining 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 2 (12-count) cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs.13.25 ounces yellow cake mix, 1 cup water, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 3 large eggs
- 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
- Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted.½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup heavy cream
- Sift in powdered sugar and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.2 tablespoons powdered sugar
For Assembly
- Once everything is cooled and ready, cut out the centers of the cupcakes.
- Fill in the centers with pastry cream.
- Add the removed centers back over top of the pastry cream to seal it in.
- Top the cupcakes with the chocolate ganache.
Notes
- If you’re unsure if you properly tempered your eggs, you can strain the cooked custard through a fine-mesh sieve before chilling it to remove any cooked egg bits. This ensures a smooth pastry cream.
- Take care not to overmix your cupcake batter, or the cupcakes will turn out dry and crumbly.
- I like to portion my cupcakes with a cookie scoop or a ¼-cup measuring cup to ensure they all turn out the same size.
- To make mini cupcakes, use a mini cupcake tin and bake for 8-12 minutes.
- I cut about 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep into my cupcakes for the filling. 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.
- I used about 1 tablespoon of pastry cream filling per cupcake.
- 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.
Pastry Cream Secrets from My Kitchen
Over the years, I’ve learned that silky-smooth pastry cream comes down to patience and precision. The key is tempering the eggs slowly by pouring in the hot milk a little at a time while whisking constantly so the eggs don’t scramble. I made that mistake early on and ended up with lumpy custard! Now, I never walk away from the stove and always strain the cream once it’s done for that perfectly smooth finish.
If you’re making your pastry cream in advance, make sure to press plastic wrap directly on top before chilling to prevent a skin from forming and keep it glossy and creamy.
How to Make Boston Cream Cupcakes with Cake Mix Step-by-Step
Heat the Custard: Add ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and 1 cup of milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
Temper the Eggs: Add a little bit of the warm cornstarch/milk mixture to 2 large egg yolks and whisk together, then add the egg mixture back into the remaining milk mixture. This process, called tempering, ensures the eggs don’t overheat and scramble, creating a chunky custard.
Thicken the Custard: Place the saucepan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Enrich the Custard: Remove the custard from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. If you’re worried that your eggs may have scrambled, you can press the warm custard through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out any cooked egg bits before cooling it.
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 2 (12-count) cupcake tins with paper liners. Whisk together 13.25 ounces (1 box) of yellow cake mix, 1 cup of water, ⅓ cup of melted unsalted butter, and 3 large eggs. Take care not to overmix, or your cupcakes will turn out dry and crumbly.
Bake the Cupcakes: Fill each of the cupcake liners about halfway full. I like to do this with a cookie scoop or a ¼-cup measuring cup to ensure they all turn out the same size. Bake your cupcakes in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack while you make the ganache.
Make the Ganache Frosting: Combine ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup of heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between, until the chocolate is completely melted. Sift in 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. This will create a thicker ganache that will stay on top of the cupcakes rather than oozing off.
Fill the Cupcakes: Once everything is cooled and ready, cut out the centers of the cupcakes using a knife or piping tip, and fill in the centers with pastry cream. I like to use about 1 tablespoon per cupcake. It’s cleanest to pipe the pastry cream in, but dolloping with a spoon also works. Place the removed centers back over the pastry cream to seal it in.
Frost the Cupcakes: Top your fully cooled and filled Boston cream cupcakes with the chocolate ganache frosting and enjoy!
How to Store
As with any cream-filled cupcakes, I recommend keeping these Boston cream pie cupcakes in the refrigerator for optimal freshness! They’ll keep well for up to 4 days. Pastry cream absolutely must be refrigerated, so do not store these on the countertop.
I do not recommend freezing these cupcakes, as the pastry cream tends to turn watery as it thaws.
Leave a Reply