Boston Cream Pie

This recipe makes a beautiful and very tasty cake. It looks like it could be difficult to make but it really doesn't take very long and is not hard to make. The most difficult part is slicing the cake in half and moving the top off and back on without breaking it. Try it for a special occasion! Makes a great birthday cake. This recipe can be made and eaten immediately although I think it's best after it's been chilled for awhile so the chocolate on the top is hard and cold.

From the kitchen of Laurie Reynolds from Lee Hake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cake
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cups milk
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Split cake to make two layers. Fill bottom layer with cream filling. Place top layer on cream and spread the chocolate glaze over pie. Refrigerate.
Grease and flour 9 inch cake pan. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Beat batter on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed scraping bowl occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour into pan and bake until a wooden toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35 minutes. Cool on cake rack.

Cream center
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch salt in quart pan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mix thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute stirring constantly to avoid burning. Stir at least half of hot mix into egg yolks very gradually. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil another 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and cool to room temperature.


Chocolate Glaze
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
Approx. 2 Tbsp hot water

Melt chocolate and margarine over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in water 1 Tbsp at a time until right consistency.