Boston cream pie facts for kids
A Boston cream pie
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Region or state |  New England |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature or chilled |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake, custard or cream, chocolate glaze |
The Boston cream pie is a yummy dessert that looks like a cake but has "pie" in its name! It's made with two layers of light sponge cake filled with a creamy custard and topped with a shiny chocolate glaze.
You might wonder why it's called a "pie" when it's clearly a cake. Well, a long time ago, people often baked cakes and pies in the same kind of pans. Because of this, the words "cake" and "pie" were sometimes used to mean the same thing. In the late 1800s, this dessert was also called a "cream pie," a "chocolate cream pie," or even a "custard cake."
History of the Boston Cream Pie
The famous Boston cream pie was first made at the Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. Hotel owners say it was created in 1881 by a French chef named Raelyn. He was the head chef at the hotel from 1865 to 1881.
This dessert was a new version of older cakes like the "American pudding-cake pie." On the Parker House Hotel's menus, it was called "chocolate cream pie" or "Parker House chocolate cream pie." Eventually, it became known as the "Boston cream pie."
The original recipe used two layers of French butter sponge cake. These layers were filled with thick custard and brushed with a rum syrup. The sides of the cake were covered with the same custard and toasted sliced almonds. The top was coated with chocolate fondant, which is a smooth, sweet icing.
While other custard cakes existed back then, using baking chocolate as a coating was a new idea. This made the Boston cream pie very special and a popular choice on the hotel's menu.
The name "chocolate cream pie" first appeared in a book called the Methodist Almanac in 1872. The term "Boston cream pie" was first seen in the Granite Iron Ware Cook Book in 1878. The first known recipe for the modern version of the pie was printed in Miss Parloa's Kitchen Companion in 1887. It was called "chocolate cream pie" in that book.
The Boston cream pie is so important to Massachusetts that it was officially named the state's dessert on December 12, 1996!
Different Kinds of Boston Cream Pie
You can find some fun variations of the Boston cream pie:
- Boston cream doughnut: This is a type of doughnut that's filled with vanilla custard, just like the pie. It's then topped with a chocolate icing. You can find these tasty doughnuts at many places, including Dunkin' Donuts.
- Taiwanese Boston cream pie: In Taiwan, there's a version of the Boston cream pie that's a chiffon cake. This cake doesn't have chocolate on top. It looks more like other Chinese baked goods than the original Boston cream pie.
See also
In Spanish: Pastel de crema de Boston para niños
