Today I tried one of our nation’s most famous treats and The Official State Dessert of Massachusetts, a Boston Cream Pie from page 141.
This was the second recipe I’ve made from Martha’s American Food that originated at the Parker House Hotel, the first being Parker House Rolls. I decided that any hotel with such a rich culinary history was worth researching. Turns out the Parker House Hotel has a very interesting history that goes beyond it’s contribution to cuisine! Let’s take a look at some of the fun facts I discovered about this fascinating hotel:
- John Kennedy proposed to Jackie in the dining room at table 40.
- Malcom X worked there as a busboy in 1941.
- Hồ Chí Minh worked there as a baker from 1912 – 1913.
- Room 303 (now a storage room) is fabled to be haunted and is said to be the inspiration for the Stephen King short story turned super-scary John Cusack film, 1408.
Well, I guess none of this has much to do with Boston Cream Pie, but I thought this was a history worth sharing!
But now onto the Boston Cream Pie, which isn’t really a pie, it’s a cake, but why quibble over details. This is a somewhat tougher cake to make than some, I suspect because the recipe strives to capture the luxurious texture of the true Boston Cream Pie. In addition to the cake you need to make a pastry cream and a chocolate ganache to top it with. But for all the work involved, it sure is worth it! There’s a reason why some people consider this the greatest cake in the world. From the light as air cake to the creamy filling and the rich chocolate topping, this cake is outrageously good!
I’m sure that there’s easier ways to make something similar. For example if you made a yellow cake mix and used some vanilla pudding and a chocolate icing you’d have a decent facsimile of the real thing and I’m sure it would taste pretty darn good. But if you’re down for doing some hard work in the kitchen, you’re sure to be delighted with Martha’s more authentic Boston Cream Pie recipe.
