Fried doughnuts that are filled with vanilla pastry cream and glazed with luscious chocolate, these Boston Cream Donuts are a family favorite and always go fast!
The sight of donuts arranged in coffee shop shelves mesmerizes me; A box of a dozen assortment of donuts fills me with glee. So imagine my joy as I sink my teeth into these fresh Boston Cream Donuts. Not only they are soft and warm, but there is just something about these homemade version- the flavor of the pastry cream and freshly made chocolate glaze- everything is heavenly!
In our house, Boston Cream Donuts are the ones that gets picked up first out of all the flavors in a box of store-bought donuts. So I took that as a sign that I need to try a homemade version of this household favorite, and boy I am so glad I did!
Boston Cream Donuts
- This recipes uses my trusty donut dough, which is the same one I use for my White Chocolate Donuts and Tiramisu donuts. It is soft and airy but sturdy enough to hold any filling and glaze.
- I used a simple pastry cream recipe for the filling. A pastry cream is made of basic ingredients, namely egg yolks, milk, flour, sugar, cornstarch, butter and vanilla.
- The chocolate glaze is basically a ganache that is sweetened and stabilized by the addition of powdered sugar. All these elements come together to make a killer flavor combo- the classic Boston Cream Donuts.
The Pastry Cream
- The pastry cream can de done ahead, up to 2 days in advance. Just transfer it to a bowl, cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge.
- To make the pastry cream, whisk the sugar and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a glass bowl until smooth and blended.
- Temper the eggs. Once the milk mixture forms bubbles on the sides, add 3-4 tablespoons of it in a steady stream over the yolk mixture while whisking the yolk mixture to prevent lumps. Pour back the tempered yolk mixture to the milk mixture in the pan, and conitnue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Once it thickens, turn off the heat and stir in vanilla and melted butter until smooth. remove the mixtre from the heat and trasfer to a bowl. Let this cool before using.
Let’s Make Boston Cream Donuts
Make the doughnuts. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, the yeast and about 1 tsp of the sugar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or until it is thick and foamy. Add the egg, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything with a wooden spoon.
Add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, stirring well. Gradually add some of the reserved flour to the bowl, until the mixture gathers in the center into a soft and shaggy dough.
Turn the dough into a floured board. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough, until it is smooth and elastic. If you are unsure, perform the windowpane test. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and let it rise in a bowl, covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 20 small squares of parchment paper, about 3-4 inches.
Cut the Donuts. Once the dough has risen, deflate and divide it into 2 portions. Using a rolling pin, roll one portion of the dough into a rough rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 3 inches donut or cookie cutter to cut 7-8 donuts from the dough. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Gather the scraps, re-roll and cut more donuts. You can cut about 5 more extras, for a total of 20 donuts.
Let the Shaped Donuts Rise. Arrange the donuts over the pre-cut parchment paper. Place them on a large baking tray(s), cover and let rise for 40 minutes to an hour.
Cook the Donuts. After rising, preheat about 3 inches of cooking oil over medium heat on a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the oil reaches 350 F, carefully lower 3-4 donuts to the pan.
Deep fry the donuts, turning once the side is nicely golden, and continue cooking on the other side, for a total of 1-3 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Drain each donut on a wire rack and allow to cool.
Fill the Donuts with the Pastry Cream. Using a straw or a skewer, gently poke a hole on one edge of the donuts and move it around gently to make space for the pastry cream. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of cream into the centers of the donuts.
Dip the top of each donut in the chocolate glaze, letting the excess drip. Arrange the donuts on a wire rack set over a lined tray and allow the glaze to set. But actually this is the time to devour one and taste test! Enjoy these treats my friend, they are well worth it!
Tips and Storage
- During frying, maintain an oil temperature of 310-350 F. You may need to lower the heat to do this, or the donuts will brown fast and the center of the donuts will be raw.
- I store these donuts in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to a day (overnight tops). The fridge will dry them up. These are best enjoyed on the same day.
Boston Cream Donuts
Fried doughnuts that are filled with vanilla pastry cream and glazed with luscious chocolate, these Boston Cream Donuts are a family favorite and always go fast!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 F)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus up to 3/4 cup extra
For the Pastry Cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3 egg yolks (from large eggs)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp butter
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- First, make the doughnuts. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, the yeast and about 1 tsp of the sugar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or until it is thick and foamy. Add the egg, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything with a wooden spoon.
- Add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, stirring well. Gradually add some of the reserved flour to the bowl, until the mixture gathers in the center into a soft and shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough into a floured board. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough, until it is smooth and elastic. You can dust more flour as you knead to help with the stickiness but do so sparingly. To check if the dough is adequately kneaded, perform the windowpane test. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover and let this rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 20 small squares of parchment paper, about 3-4 inches.
- Once the dough has risen, gently deflate it and divide it into 2 portions. Using a rolling pin, roll one portion of the dough into a rough rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 inches donut or cookie cutter, cut 7-8 donuts from the dough. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Gather the scraps, re-roll and cut more donuts. You can cut about 5 more extras. You will have about 20 total donuts. You can simply glaze the extra 5 donuts with the chocolate.
- Arrange the donuts over the pre-cut parchment paper. Place them on a large baking tray(s), cover and let rise for 40 minutes to an hour.
- After rising, preheat about 3 inches of cooking oil over medium heat on a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the oil reaches 350 F, carefully lower 3-4 donuts to the pan. Deep fry the donuts, turning once the side is nicely golden, and continue cooking on the other side, for a total of 1-3 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Drain each donut on a wire rack and allow to cool.
- Transfer the pastry cream on a piping bag fitted with a piping attachment. Using a straw or a skewer, gently poke a hole on one edge of the donuts and move it around gently to make space for the pastry cream. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of cream into the centers of the donuts.
- Dip the top of each donut in the chocolate glaze, letting the excess drip. Arrange the donuts on a wire rack set over a lined tray and allow the glaze to set. I usually don't wait and just eat one right away!
To Make the Pastry Cream
- In a bowl, a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, flour, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth.
- Set the milk mixture over medium heat and once the sides begin to bubble, turn off the heat. Next, we temper the eggs, Gradually or in a steady stream, and add bout 2 to 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture to the yolk mixture, stirring well to avoid lumps. Then, add the resulting mixture back to the pan gradually while stirring constantly with a whisk over medium heat. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and the butter until smooth. Transfer the cream to a bowl and let it cool.
Make the Chocolate Glaze
Place the chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Heat the whipping cream in the microwave for 40-5 seconds, or until the sides begin to bubble.
Carefully pour the heated cream over the chocolate, making sure the chocolates are submerged. Cover the bowl for 5 minutes, then uncover and stir the mixture until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Gradually add the powdered sugar, stirring until no lumps remain.
Notes
- The Pastry cream is good for filling up to 15 donuts. For the extra donuts from the scraps, simply dip them in the chocolate glaze, as the glaze has some extra amount in excess.
- During frying, maintain an oil temperature of 310-350 F. You may need to lower the heat to do this, or the donuts will brown fast and the center of the donuts will be uncooked.
- I store these donuts in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to a day (overnight tops). These are best enjoyed on the same day.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 donutAmount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g
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