Boston Cream Pie – Gluten and Dairy Free

Could you ever imagine eating Boston Cream Pie with dietary restrictions of no dairy and no gluten?  You may already know that a Boston Cream Pie is not a pie but is a cake.  The recipe for the cake is already gluten free, but I tweaked the recipe for the Pastry Cream and the Chocolate Glaze by using coconut milk and coconut cream or almond milk instead of dairy cream and dairy milk.  The difference in the Chocolate Glaze is not really noticeable but the Pastry Cream with almond milk is not as bright yellow as when using milk.  I attribute this to the off white color of the almond milk.  Maybe I just noticed it more because I was the one who made it.  No one else said anything about it and no one refused a second piece.

The Boston Cream Pie recipe is from my new favorite cookbook, Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich.  She uses gluten free flours in her recipe book but still uses dairy.  I’m reprinting her recipe here with the dairy free changes.  Kudos to Alice for all the delicious recipes.

Pastry creme made with almond milk.

New Classic Boston Cream Pie

1/2 cup sugar

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup cool water

1/4 cup flavorless vegetable oil (such as corn or safflower)

1/2 cup corn flour

1/3 cup white rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups The New Vanilla Pastry Cream (recipe follows)

Cocoa Fudge Glaze (recipe follows)

Equipment

Two 8 inch round cake pans

Stand mixer with whisk attachment

Baking sheet

Set aside 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the sugar for later (to stiffen the egg whites).

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks, water, oil, corn flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly blended.  Set aside for 15 minutes to hydrate the flour while the oven is heating.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until the mixture is creamy white and holds a soft shape.  Slowly sprinkle in the reserved sugar, beating at high speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.  Scrape one-quarter of the egg whites into the batter and use a rubber spatula to fold them in.  Fold in the remaining egg whites.  Divide the batter evenly between the pans and spread evenly.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are golden brown and spring back when you press gently with a finger, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Rotate the pans in the oven halfway through the baking.  Set the pans on a rack to cool.

At your convenience (the cake can be warm or completely cool), run a small spatula around the inside of the pans, pressing against the sides of the pan to avoid tearing the cake.  Invert the pans onto the rack to remove the cakes and peel off the parchment liner.  Turn the cakes right side up to finish cooling.  The cakes may be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Set one cake layer on a cardboard cake circle or the bottom of a springform pan (so it will be easier to lift onto the platter glazing.  Spread all of the pastry cream evenly over the layer.  Top with the second cake layer, bottom side up.  If not glazing or serving within the hour, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

If the glaze has cooled too much to pour, warm it gently in a pan of barely simmering water until it is fluid but not too thin to coat the cake luxuriously.  Set the cake (still on the cake circle or pan) on the baking sheet.  Pour the glaze over the cake, leaving some of the sides exposed if you like.  Transfer the cake to a serving platter and refrigerate.  Remove the cake from the refrigerator 60 minutes before serving.

The New Vanilla Pastry Cream – Dairy Free

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white rice flour

1 cup almond milk or coconut milk

2 large egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Set a strainer with medium-fine mesh over a bowl near the stove.  Whisk the sugar and rice flour together in a small heavy-bottomed sauce pan.  Whisk in about 2 tablespoons of the milk to make a smooth paste.  Whisk in the egg yolks until smooth; whisk in the rest of the milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, sweeping the bottom, sides, and corners of the pan to prevent the mixture from scorching.

When the mixture begins to simmer, set a timer for 5 minutes and continue to cook and stir, turning down the heat if necessary to barely maintain a simmer.

Immediate scrape the custard in the strainer.  Stir the custard through it, but don’t press on any bits of cooked egg that may be left behind.  Scrape the custard clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl as well.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Let cool for about half an hour, then cover with wax paper or plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until chilled.  (The pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Cocoa Fudge Glaze

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pinch or two of salt

1 cup coconut cream (This can be purchased as coconut cream.  If you open a can of coconut milk, use only the thick cream that has risen to the top of the can.)

6 tablespoons dairy free margarine or coconut oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir in just enough of the cream to make a smooth, thick paste, then stir in the rest of the cream.  Add the margarine and stir over low heat until melted and the mixture is smooth and very hot but not simmering.  Taste and stir in a little more salt if desired.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Let cool until lukewarm but still pourable.  Store leftover glaze in the refrigerator, rewarm gently in a pan of barely simmering water or in a microwave before using.  Glaze may be refrigerated, covered for a week or frozen for up to 3 months.