I'm not much of a baker but from time to time I'll explore an interesting challenge, and having recalled fondly "Boston Cream Pie" donuts and eclairs from the past, I thought I'd try the actual cake to see what the hubbub was all about.
And it is indeed a cake! Not a pie! I'm not sure why people in Boston can't seem to comprehend what is intuitively obvious even to the most casual of observers. There are two layers of sponge, a middle layer of pastry cream, an icing, and absolutely zero crust. This is cake! Although I guess we can forgive them, since we also call cheesecake cake, even though it really is a custard pie. Makes you think, doesn't it?
In any case, I followed King Arthur's instructions to an exacting and meticulous degree—partially because I am indeed quite pedantic in everyday life, but also because I'm not a confident baker. And I have to say: this is an INCREDIBLE recipe. The results were nothing short of terrific: the sponges were both sweet but not cloying, and had a moist and pleasant mouthfeel with an incredibly even crumb. The pastry cream filling gelled beautifully, although I do wish it had more flavor besides just vanilla and egginess. Perhaps nutmeg would've widened the flavor profile? Dark chocolate provided the right hit of bitterness to make each bite all the more compelling. Again, I lack confidence as a baker, but I was supremely surprised by the solid results.
This is a GREAT recipe!
It's just not a great cake.
Now, before Bostonians find places to "park their cars" and beat down my door, I ask them to take a step back and really think it through: there are really only two flavors going on here: vanilla and chocolate (and eggs, too, which really come forth through the filling). Texture-wise it's awfully one-note. The entire flavor contour is really quite narrow. No nuts? No spices? No fruit? No flourishes? Nothing … "wicked interesting"?
I've made it. I'm done. It's behind me. But the next time I have a hankering for Boston Cream Anything, I'll stick with the donuts