Ultimate Boston Cream Pie | Ganache Drip Cake Recipe

Introduction

The Ultimate Boston Cream Pie is a stunning layered cake featuring moist yellow cake, creamy vanilla custard filling, and a luscious dark chocolate ganache drip. This classic dessert is elevated with smooth buttercream swirls on top, perfect for any special occasion or an impressive treat at home.

Ingredients

• Yellow Cake
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2¼ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla powder*
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• Vanilla Custard
• 1 package (3.4 oz) Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup whole milk, cold
• ½ tub (4 oz) Cool Whip, extra creamy, thawed
• Vanilla & Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• ½ cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
• ½ cup shortening, butter flavored, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla powder
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 3½ – 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 4 oz Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 oz heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake rounds and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla powder; set aside.
2. Step 2: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each.
3. Step 3: Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix well after each addition.
4. Step 4: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
5. Step 5: For the vanilla custard, whisk together the pudding mix and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the cold milk and whisk for two minutes. Fold in spoonfuls of Cool Whip until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
6. Step 6: To make the buttercream frosting, cream the salted butter, shortening, and almond extract together until smooth. Mix in the heavy cream, then gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla powder. Reserve ¼ of the vanilla mixture for chocolate buttercream by adding cacao powder and mixing until smooth. Store both frostings separately.
7. Step 7: For the ganache, place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat heavy cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir from the center outward until smooth. Cover surface with plastic wrap and allow to thicken overnight at room temperature.
8. Step 8: Before assembling, level the cake layers with a cake leveler. Place one cake layer on a cake board and pipe a border of vanilla buttercream around the edge. Pipe a swirl of vanilla custard inside the border, then top with the second cake layer.
9. Step 9: Crumb-coat the entire cake with vanilla buttercream and smooth with a pastry scraper. Refrigerate until firm.
10. Step 10: Gently stir the set ganache, warm slightly (5-10 seconds) if needed, then transfer to a squeeze bottle. Apply drips around the edges of the cake, then pour the remaining ganache on top and spread to the edges. Chill until firm.
11. Step 11: Pipe chocolate buttercream swirls on top of the ganache using a star tip. Fill spaces between with vanilla custard swirls. Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Tips & Variations

• Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother batter and better cake texture.
• For a richer cake, substitute half the milk with buttermilk.
• You can use homemade vanilla pudding instead of instant pudding for a fresher custard.
• Adjust ganache thickness by letting it set longer or warming briefly before use.
• If you don’t have pure vanilla powder, substitute with 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Storage

Store the assembled cake in the refrigerator, covered loosely with cake dome or plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. To serve, remove from fridge about 30 minutes beforehand for the best texture. Leftover cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature before serving.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the cake layers ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake the cake layers up to 2 days in advance. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and refrigerate until assembling.

How do I prevent the ganache from melting the frosting?

Ensure the cake is well-chilled before applying the ganache drip. Slightly warm the ganache just before use to make it pourable but not hot, which helps it set nicely without melting the frosting.

Ultimate Boston Cream Pie | Ganache Drip Cake Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 89 reviews

This Ultimate Boston Cream Pie is a luscious layered cake featuring tender yellow cake rounds filled with a creamy vanilla custard, frosted with rich vanilla and chocolate buttercream, and topped with a decadent dark chocolate ganache drip. Perfectly balanced flavors and textures make this classic dessert an impressive centerpiece for any special occasion.

• Author: Isabella
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 6 hours (including chilling and ganache setting time)
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Yellow Cake

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2¼ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Vanilla Custard

• 1 package (3.4 oz) Jell-O instant pudding mix, vanilla
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup whole milk, cold
• ½ tub (4 oz) Cool Whip, extra creamy, thawed

Vanilla & Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• ½ cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
• ½ cup shortening, butter flavored, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla powder
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 3½ – 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 oz heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Prepare Yellow Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8″ cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and pure vanilla powder. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool cakes on wire racks, then refrigerate wrapped until assembly.
2. Make Vanilla Custard: Whisk pudding mix and powdered sugar together. Add cold milk; whisk for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth, no lumps remain. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
3. Prepare Buttercream Frostings: Cream together butter, shortening, and almond extract. Add heavy cream and blend well. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla powder on low speed; mix 2-3 minutes. Reserve ¼ of vanilla buttercream for chocolate version. Adjust remaining vanilla buttercream to desired consistency; store airtight. Add cacao powder to reserved portion; mix with extra cream as needed to achieve chocolate buttercream consistency; store airtight.
4. Make Dark Chocolate Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in bowl. Scald cream and pour over chocolate. Cover and let sit 2 minutes. Stir gently until smooth and shiny. Cover surface with plastic wrap; do not stir while setting. Cool and thicken overnight. Before use, gently stir to re-smooth ganache and warm slightly (5-10 sec) in microwave. Pour into squeeze bottle.
5. Level and Assemble Cake: Level cake tops with a cake leveler. Spread a small amount of vanilla buttercream on cake board; place first cake layer on board on cake turntable. Pipe a border of vanilla buttercream at cake’s top edge using Wilton 2A tip. Pipe a swirl of vanilla custard inside buttercream border. Top with second cake layer.
6. Crumb Coat: Apply vanilla buttercream thinly over entire cake. Smooth with pastry scraper. Refrigerate until chilled.
7. Apply Ganache Drip: Remove cake from turntable to cake stand. Using squeeze bottle, apply ganache drops around top edge to create drips. Pour remaining ganache in center and spread to edges with offset spatula to join drips. Chill until ganache firms.
8. Decorate with Buttercreams: Pipe chocolate buttercream swirls on top using Wilton 2D closed star tip. Pipe vanilla custard swirls between chocolate swirls using Wilton 1M open star tip. Refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!

Notes

• Using room temperature ingredients ensures better batter consistency and cake texture.
• Cold milk for the custard helps achieve proper pudding set and smooth folding with Cool Whip.
• Chilling the cake throughout the process helps maintain clean layers and professional finish.
• Do not refrigerate ganache while setting to avoid condensation; it sets best at room temperature covered.
• Warm ganache slightly before applying for optimal drip consistency.
• Wilton piping tips mentioned provide uniform decorative swirls.
• You can substitute pure vanilla powder with vanilla extract if necessary, adjusting quantities accordingly.

Keywords: Boston Cream Pie, Yellow Cake, Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Ganache, Buttercream Frosting, Layer Cake, Classic Dessert