Easy Boston Cream Pie Dump Cake With Vanilla Pudding and Chocolate Glaze

Boston Cream Pie Dump Cake With Vanilla Pudding and Chocolate Glaze

Boston cream pie dump cake gives you the familiar combination of yellow cake, vanilla filling, and chocolate topping in a 9-by-13-inch pan. A boxed cake mix keeps the baking simple, instant pudding makes a thick vanilla layer, and chocolate chips melt with cream into a soft glaze.

This is a shortcut dessert, not a traditional dump cake made by scattering dry cake mix over fruit. The cake batter needs to be mixed and baked before the pudding goes on. That extra bowl is worth using: it gives the cake an even crumb and keeps dry pockets of mix out of the finished dessert.

Boston Cream Pie Dump Cake Recipe

Yield: 12 to 15 servings
Prep time: About 20 minutes, plus cooling and chilling
Bake time: About 25 to 35 minutes, or as directed on the cake mix box
Total time: About 3 hours, mostly unattended
Pan: 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 box yellow cake mix, about 15.25 ounces (432 g), intended for a 9-by-13-inch pan
• Eggs, water, and neutral oil in the amounts called for on the box (commonly 3 eggs, 1 cup or 240 ml water, and 1/2 cup or 120 ml oil)

For the vanilla pudding layer:

• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 ounces (96 g) each
• 3 cups (710 ml) cold milk, preferably whole or 2%

For the chocolate glaze:

• 1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

1. Bake the cake. Heat the oven to the temperature specified on the cake mix box for a 9-by-13-inch pan. Grease the pan. Mix the cake batter with the eggs, water, and oil according to the package directions, then spread it evenly in the pan. Bake for the time given on the box, checking near the early end of the range. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

2. Cool it completely. Set the pan on a rack and let the cake cool to room temperature. This usually takes about an hour, depending on the pan and room temperature. A warm cake can soften the pudding and make the layers slide.

3. Make the pudding layer. Whisk the instant pudding mixes with the cold milk for about two minutes, or as directed on the packages. Let the pudding stand until it begins to thicken, then spread it gently over the cooled cake. Refrigerate the pan for 20 to 30 minutes so the surface can firm up.

4. Make the chocolate glaze. Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until it steams and small bubbles appear around the edges; do not boil it hard. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it stand for two minutes. Stir slowly from the center until smooth. Let the glaze cool until it is fluid but no longer hot.

5. Top and chill. Pour the glaze over the pudding and spread it with a spoon or offset spatula. Cover the pan without touching the chocolate, if possible, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Keep the cake refrigerated.

The milk amount is deliberately less than the four cups normally used to prepare two packages of pudding. With three cups, the pudding sets firmly enough to serve as a filling on top of the cake. It will still be creamy when the dessert is cold.

What makes this a Boston cream dessert?

Despite its name, traditional Boston cream pie is a cake: two layers of sponge cake with pastry cream between them and chocolate on top. This pan version uses the same flavor combination in a different arrangement. The pudding sits above the cake, where it can be spread without splitting a sheet cake into layers.

Yellow cake is a good fit because its mild flavor leaves room for the vanilla and chocolate. Plain vanilla cake mix also works. Chocolate cake mix will taste good with the filling, but the finished dessert will no longer resemble Boston cream pie as closely.

There is no need to poke holes in the cake. Pudding for a poke cake is usually made loose enough to run into the holes. Here, the thicker pudding is meant to stay in a distinct layer, giving each square cake, vanilla filling, and glaze in one bite.

Getting clean layers

The cake must be fully cool before the pudding is added. Touch the center as well as the edge of the cake; a pan can feel cool around the outside while the middle is still warm. If you need to make the dessert in stages, bake the cake earlier in the day and cover it once it has cooled.

Use instant pudding, not cook-and-serve pudding. The two products are prepared differently, and the milk quantity in this recipe is intended for instant mix. Whisk the pudding before it becomes fully firm, then spread it promptly. Once it has set in the bowl, it takes more work to smooth it across the cake.

The chocolate should also have a chance to cool. Hot glaze poured onto cold pudding can soften the top of the filling and pull it into the chocolate as you spread. It need not be cold, which would make it too thick to pour. Barely warm and flowing easily from a spoon is about right. If chocolate streaks through the pudding, the dessert will still taste fine; a short chill before glazing simply makes a cleaner top.

Chocolate chips are convenient, though they may take a little longer to melt than chopped baking chocolate. If the mixture still has small lumps after stirring, warm it gently in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring between each one. Avoid overheating it.

Serving and making it ahead

A cold cake is easier to portion. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, then cut squares with a sharp knife. Wipe the blade between cuts if you want the vanilla and chocolate layers to show clearly. A small serving spatula helps lift the first piece, which is usually the least tidy one.

For a gathering, the cake can be made the day before. Cover it and refrigerate overnight; the pudding and glaze will have plenty of time to set. If your pan has a lid, check that it clears the chocolate. Otherwise, insert a few toothpicks near the edges to keep plastic wrap from resting directly on the glaze, removing them before serving.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Because the dessert contains milk, cream, and prepared pudding, do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours. Freezing is not a good choice: thawed pudding can separate, and the cake may become soggy.

This easy Boston cream cake is at its best when the layers are given time to cool and set. Bake the cake first, keep the vanilla pudding thick, and pour on the chocolate only after it has lost its heat. Those few pauses turn a boxed cake mix dessert into neat, creamy squares that are simple to serve straight from the pan.