This Blue Ribbon “Boston Cream Pie” Pie is divine, plus it’s easy, fun to make, and epic in taste. You par-bake a pie crust and bake a chocolate layer on top of that. Then comes a creamy custard layer and cubed pound cake. You finish it with a chocolate drizzle. Wow! This may need to go into the “best dessert ever” category.
Before making this pie, I had only experienced Boston cream doughnuts and not the traditional dessert, Boston Cream Pie, which is actually a cake. Confused? Apparently, long ago, cakes and pies were baked in the same pan, so that’s how the Boston Cream Pie got its curious title.
Great for Birthdays, Special Occasions, or Any Time
I pulled this recipe from the Blue Ribbon Group archives when a good friend requested something like it for his birthday. I wished I had sooner. This Blue Ribbon “Boston Cream Pie” Pie is an absolute winner!
Woodstock Fair Winner
Recipe credit goes to Vanessa Sullivan, who won 1st place for it at the Woodstock Fair in Connecticut (2011). It was for a pie baking championship supported by Pillsbury pie crusts. Refrigerated and frozen pie crusts can be such time savers. For this Blue Ribbon Boston Cream Pie, you can use a pre-made pie crust or make your own crust. If homemade is your thing, search for our Best Pie Crust Recipe to find a favorite of ours.
When I made this Blue Ribbon “Boston Cream Pie” Pie for photographs, I used that Best Pie Crust Recipe of ours but replaced half the butter with coconut oil. That gave me a much more firm crust. This held up well against the chocolate layer baked on top of it, and the overall weight of the pie.
I made a few other modifications to Vanessa’s recipe also. I used whole milk and butter instead of heavy cream in the chocolate layer, and upped the chocolate ingredients in order to have more drizzle on top.
For the pound cake layer, I used a Japanese castella, a sponge cake from my nearby, favorite Asian grocery store, United Noodle. (Why stop at two stores when you can get it done with one.) A Sara Lee pound cake or Entenmann’s “all butter cake” would work nicely too. Those products are also more widely available.
You can make the crust, chocolate and custard ahead of time and do the pound cake layer and drizzle just before serving.
Or you can fully make it and refrigerate it.
Any way you go about it, this is a winner. I know I’ll be making this pie again and again. I hope you love it too.
More for Pie Lovers:
Dinner idea: Savory Butternut Squash Carrot Pie
Into fruit pies? Get this Raspberry Peach Pie in your oven!
Looking for a traditional Boston Cream Pie? Try this Betty Crocker version.