Growing up in Portland, one of my favorite desserts was Boston Cream Pie. I used to fantasize about what kind of city could have created such a magnificent array of vanilla cake, custard filling and whipped cream topping dotted with bananas. Yes, it’s called a pie, but this really is a richly endowed cake dessert.

I didn’t get to Boston until I was thirty-four, and my first meal was at a harbor side restaurant famous for its gargantuan servings of roast beef and curt staff.

I devoured my beef and then ordered, of course, Boston Cream Pie. When the waiter served me a dish of something, I had to ask, “Wait. What’s this? I ordered Boston Cream Pie!”

“That’s it,” the waiter turned away.

“But, this has chocolate on top. And where are the bananas?” I pleaded.

“Where are you from?” the waiter stalked away.

Mom got it wrong, but I like her version better. So I’ve taken a lovely recipe for Boston Cream Pie from Flo Braker’s Baking for All Occasions, and modified it to meet Portland standards, not Boston. Flo is a renowned leader of the culinary world, and a superior baker and cookbook author. The reason this particular version of cream pie is so delicious is the cake: a buttermilk cake this is soft as snow. It really has a matchless flavor and Flo uses this cake as the basis for many her desserts. Her Boston Cream Pie, for example. And now for Portland Cream Pie.

Next time I visit Boston, I might just take my version back to that restaurant and show them how it really ought to be done. Since Boston Cream Pie is the official dessert of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I probably ought to just stay home and relish it myself.

 

Portland Cream Pie

Yield: serves 6 at best

Ingredients for the Cake:

1 ¾ cups cake four
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ½ ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation for the Cake:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350° F. Butter a 9 by 2 ¾-inch round springform pan, then flour it, tapping out the excess flour. Or, lightly cost with nonstick spray and flour the pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is lighter in color, clings to the side of the bowl, and has a satiny appearance, 30 to 45 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the sugar in a steady stream, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. If at any time the batter appears watery or shiny (signs of curling), increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is smooth again. Then return to medium speed and resume adding the eggs, beating until smooth, stopping the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly touched in the center, a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out free of cake, and the sides are beginning to come away from the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

Slip a small metal spatula between the still-warm cake and the pan and run the spatula carefully along the entire perimeter of the pan. Release the springform clasp and remove the sides. Invert a rack on top of the cake, invert the cake onto it, and lift off the bottom of the pan. Slowly peel off the parchment liner, turn the paper over so the sticky side faces up, and reposition on top of the layer. Invert another rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up, and remove the original rack. Let cool completely.

Ingredients for the Vanilla Diplomat Cream Filling:

1 cup whole milk

½ cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dark rum

Preparation of the Vanilla Diplomat Cream Filling:

Rest a fine-mesh sieve over a 1-quart bowl and set nearby for straining the pastry cream later.

Pour the milk and ¼ cup of the sugar into a 1 ½-quart saucepan. Using the tip of a small paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs yolks until blended, then whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Add the flour and whisk to combine; set aside. Bring the milk mixture just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and pour half of the milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return to medium heat and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture just comes to a boil, 1 to 2 minutes. It will have thickened at this point. Continue to stir and simmer until it is smooth and thick, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and stir until the butter is melted and incorporated. Pour through the sieve into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly into the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Poke a few slits in the plastic with tip of a knife to allow steam to escape and set aside to cool for 15-30 minutes. Once it has cooled, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Whip the heavy cream and refrigerate in Bowl #1

Ingredients for Cakes Assembly:

2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
2 ripe bananas

Preparation of the Final Cake:

Whip the cream, adding the sugar at the end. Set aside in Bowl #2; refrigerate.

Slice the bananas, placing the pieces in a bowl and covering with a moist towel. If you desire, splash a dash of dark rum over the bananas and add mix with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Using a 12-inch serrated knife, split the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer, cut side up on a sturdy cardboard round the same diameter as the cake. Spoon about ½ cup of the refrigerated whipped cream from Bowl #1 into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch plain open tip. Pipe a line of the whipped cream around edge of the cake layer.

Stir the vanilla and rum into the cold pastry cream until smooth. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream from Bowl #1. Spoon the filling evenly over the bottom cake layer. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling evenly just to the line of whipped cream. Center the other cake layer, cut side down, on top.

Using the whipped cream from Bowl #2, cover the top and sides of the cake. Use the reserved banana slides to decorate the top, applying them either randomly or in a spiral starting out from the center of the cake.

Source: Adapted from Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker