One of the best aspects of being in the Daring Bakers is learning about new recipes you’ve never heard of or might never have thought of trying. This was the case this month, when our host Mary of Alpineberry unveiled our challenge: her favorite recipe for Bostini Cream Pie. This dessert was actually created in San Francisco by Donna Scala and Kurt Baguley of the Bay Area classics Scala’s Bistro and Bistro Don Giovanni. A twist on Boston cream pie, this recipe consists of a zesty orange chiffon cake in a pool of velvety vanilla custard, drizzled with a deep chocolate sauce. Every spoonful is pure creamy luxury in your mouth, a perfect comfort dessert for the cold winter months.
Since the recipe components were fairly straightforward and Mary gave us free reign to assemble them as we pleased, this was an opportunity to get creative with our plating techniques. My first thought when I looked at the fluffy cake, the pale yellow custard, and the rich dark chocolate was that this could be one of Pierre Hermé’s Emotions, those little test tubes in which gustatory delight are alchemized into museum-worthy perfection. I decided, what more elegant way to show off and contrast the various elements of the Bostini than layered in a glass?
Although the Emotions are presented in wider, rounder, glasses, I went with smaller, narrower vodka glasses because I liked the idea of displaying them all on ice, just like shots of vodka. Indeed, with a glass this small and narrow, you almost want to "shoot" the entire dessert at once – or at least make sure there is an appropriately tiny spoon handy!
It’s not necessary, of course, to use shot glasses – be sure to check all the other Daring Bakers to get some other very creative and lovely takes on this recipe – but you should try out the recipe at least once, as I really loved the combination of flavors and textures. The only thing I might do differently next time is to bake the cake in a smaller pan; I spread the cake batter out in a half sheet pan and cut out circles for the glasses from it, but it wasn’t quite thick enough to get the depth I needed so I ended up having to layer several cutout circles. I probably should have used a smaller pan so it would have baked up thicker in the first place. Nevertheless, the cake was wonderfully light and moist, and the orange was a nice tart note to balance out the richness of the custard and the chocolate. Thanks Mary for giving the Daring Bakers another fun challenge!
makes 8 generous servings
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean
Chiffon Cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter
To prepare the custard:
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.
To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.
Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.
Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.
Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.
To prepare the glaze:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.
To assemble:
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.
Tagged with: bostini cream pie + Daring Bakers
Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. 
So pretty, Anita! And I agree with you there are so many advantages to being a DB!
Such a gorgeous Bostini!!
Hi Anita,
Let me first of all say I *love* your blog. I first heard of your site from Sarah Phillips’ Baking 911 some months ago and I’ve been an avid reader ever since.
Your bostini is *beautiful*. The size you picked is perfect for serving this incredibly rich dessert.
Please feel free to drop by my blog and check out my bostini:
http://occasionalbaker.blogspot.com
Julius
I am with you, this dessert is excellent in glass… And they are so luxurious, too!
Beautiful presentation!! Now I have a reason to buy those incredible looking glasses at macy’s 😉
Simply stunning, Anita. =)
If I ever throw an elegant party, I’d like to hire you to make the food look gorgeous!
xoxo
As usual, your presentation is amazing! I love the idea of using shot glasses.
ah…as i thought. i was at anne’s blog, one of the daring bakers, and commented that it sounded like boston cream pie & the components were almost similar to it too. i guess in your presentation it could mean smaller sampler of a twist from boston cream pie? 🙂
oh–those are sweet! and you got all the stuff in there so neatly as well! i love them
Oh wow they look so cute. Just wonderful.
That’s the coolest way of serving this dessert – very creative, Anita!!
I love your version of this recipe because it has a lot of chocolate on top!!
Oh, those are gorgeous little shot glasses! I want some! 🙂 Really great presentation and photos!
I love this idea! Next time I will make them like this!
Oooh those are so cute! You could serve them at a tasting menu in a fancy restaurant!
Great play on the name, Anita, and such novel presentation.
I love your idea of putting them in a shot glass! I am a member of the Daring Bakers for the first time this months, and it’s lovely to see all the different things people have come up with!
http://www.chocolateshavings.ca
They look incredible in those little vodka glasses,Anita. And as rich as the dessert is, I think that is the perfect serving size.
Isn’t that just gorgeous! I wouldn’t dare dipping in with a spoon…amazing!
Excellent Job Anita. The best presentation so far. I would be too afraid to ruin it by eating it.
These look fantastic – even if I were to try something similar, I’m sure my cake would come out all smooshed and rammed-into-the-glass looking. Very delicate and elegent Bostini, Anita.
wow! they are so elegant looking! those glasses are so cute 🙂
I’d down a couple of those shots in no time Anita! Do I need to say beautiful as always?!
That is totally adorable!
Teeny Bostini – they are so cute! Love the idea of using shot glasses…
What a classy idea! Of course, they’re a little too narrow to get your tongue into, for that last bit of custard. Which isn’t classy. But oh well. 🙂
CLASSY.
So cute and original! I love your presentation on the Bostini Crm Pie–great job!
Hi Anita! I’ve been reading your blog for several months- long before I had started one of my own. You never fail to impress me with your beautiful work. These lovely bostinis are a prime example. I never would have thought to do teensy little towers like those- I love em!
Wonderful and elegant
I am compeltely captivated by your Teeny Bostinis! What a delightful way to present them, I love it! 🙂
Hands down, your presentation of Bostini crea, pie blew me off. Wow.
Stunning! :))
Beautiful! I can just imagine eating them with little demitasse spoons!
I’ve had this at Scala’s in San Francisco. Yours LOOK much nicer, and you could eat a whole bunch of them without feeling overstuffed!
You prove here that less is definitely more. Awesome way to present this rich and delicious dessert!
I love the test tube Bostini’s…great job!
Love the ini’s in the shot glass 😉
that´s just too cute, Anita! And the tiny size would actually mean this can be a 200 calorie dessert, instead of the billion calories the original servings had! haha
I LOVE the presentation. Reminds me of those popsicles we used to et form the ice cream truck int he summer..LOL
Those look amazing! Fantastic presentation! Great job!
Your presentation is elegant and fun at the same time. It would be so perfect for a “dessert” party. Great job Anita!
That is a very VERY cute way to display them! I’m seriously so inspired by it! They look delicious.
great idea for presentation they looks marvelous
What a novel way to serve it! It makes a lovely presentation, too.
Thanks for stopping by at my blog. =)
I love the ideas in shot glasses! Very cute!
What a clever way to present this decadent dessert. I’ll bring over a tiny spoon if you’ll save me one.
Great presentation! I love how creative you get with these challenges.
Wow I think the way you put this cake together is my favourite! They look so perfect and cute.
How amazingly elegant and ingenious! Well done!
These are just so teeny & cute, I could eat half a dozen. I am jealous that you have a vodka shot set.
I LOVE the shot glasses! What a fab way of presenting this! 🙂 You are truly talented 🙂 A totally agree with you on serving these in glasses…looks terrific and it’s actually simpler 🙂
How creative! I’m impressed! looks absolutely amazing!
Teeny weeny bostinis…a wonderful idea for presentation, especially served together in a bowl of ice. Simply fabulous.
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Absolutely lovely presentation, Anita! Great job and what a beautiful blog you have 🙂
I love your innovation in using shot glasses… was anybody able to have them as shooters, or were the tiny spoons needed?
Your shot glasses just might be my favorite!! They look delicious!!
a true chef!
Petit dessert élégant et raffiné! I really enjoy your picture of this dessert on ice – quite creative! Bravo!
I love you BosTINI!
These are soo cute! Little bostinis in little shot glasses with little spoons! I would probably take quite a few shots of those. yum!
Beautiful presentation! I have vodka glasses and a matching bowl, just like yours. I never though of using them for desserts but now I will! 🙂
It is cleat that the experiment you made in your test tubes had a perfect outcome.
I just read, and utterly enjoyed, your piece on EEB.
I love your plating on this dessert! I like the idea of serving them on ice, too, since the custard is best cold. Everything I see on your blog makes me so happy. And hungry!
Beautiful! I love that you used vodka shot glasses! Did you actually eat it all in one shot? 🙂
What gorgeous looking pies! Your presentation and pictures are absolutely amazing and original! Wow!
Cheers,
Rosa
Anita, I love the presentation in the vodka glass set! Lovely job on this month’s challenge and a joy to bake with you from month to month.
beautiful job! i love the little vodka glasses for serving. I agree with you about making the cake in a smaller pan next time.
Your pies are so cute in the glasses, well done =)
how absolutely adorable! i love the mini shot glasses. stunning, as always anita!
i’m just going to echo everyone else here…Anita…woaaaa these look fantastic ! classy , stylish , perfect for ending a cocktail party. I’ve seen many BCPies but your being the latest …i think its the best !
GORGEOUS! I’m off to read more of your blog!
Oh Anita…they are just so adorable!
You always impress me with your challenges.
Just lovely lovely Anita! You make these so yummy looking.
If you only knew what I wuld give to share some kitche time with you or P. Herme’s sampling/shopping in Paris with you…! I was thinking about the Emotions too. Yours are absolutely cuter than cute in the shot glasses! Beautiful as always!
These are awesome. Nice photographs too. I can’t wait to taste some in their natural habitat (a New York Restaurant dessert menu)
Niko
Thank you all for your lovely, sweet comments – you don’t know how happy they make me, that I can share some little bit of my kitchen with you all! thank you also to Mary for the great recipe, and all the other Daring Bakers who inspire me with all their creative and beautiful takes on this dessert!
Oh I love the way you have presented these. They look so elegant. Nice job sweetie!
And as a bonus, your beautiful mini Bostini’s pack all of the luxurious specialness of this dessert, without nearly the caloric impact of the full sized version. Proving that less IS more.
Wow Anita, your presentation is fabulous!
Lovely blog, lovely presentation on the Bostini!
I’m (almost) embarrassed to write this but I thought-“Hey someone is going to get his/her tongue stuck in those vodka shot glasses trying to get all the last bits out!” *blush* They’re that appetizing…Nicely done!
xoxo
I love this idea! I actually attending a Martini Tasting party this weekend and am making the Bostini in Martini glasses, instead of shot glasses. I’m planning on baking the chiffon in muffin tins (filling them up only 1/3 of the way) that they will all have the right shape for the glass. Hopefully if all goes well, I’ll have a picture to post.
Thanks so much for a wonderful and delicious idea!!!!
I love your presentation for this dessert! I tried to make the cream just last night for this recipe and found that it is a bit too “thick” for me. I guess I would have liked it if it is less of a “pudding” consistency. Maybe if I do this next time, I will try to lessen the cornstarch amount (?)
Not sure how mine will turn out, but hopefully it still ok to consume!
Thanks for posting and for sharing!
I am with you, this dessert is excellent in glass… And they are so luxurious, too!
wow they look so beautiful. I need to get a set of them.