Welcome to our series featuring Food Holidays: November 22nd, 2022. Today is National Boston Cream Pie Day which would be a unique dessert to prepare for Thanksgiving and something my family hasn’t had. Have you had a Boston Cream Pie and if so what did you think of this dessert and why?
National Boston Cream Pie Day arrives on October 23 and if you’ve never heard of Boston Cream Pie it’s a Yellow Butter Cake, filled with Custard or Cream and topped with Chocolate Glaze. I know what you’re thinking: Why is this Cake called a Pie, when it’s actually a Cake?
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY
When Boston Cream Pie was first invented, Cakes and Pies were baked in the same types of pans. Even the words Cake and Pie were used interchangeably. As a result, Boston Cream Pie kept its old-fashioned name, in addition to its flavor. BOSTON CREAM PIE was first invented in 1856, by an Armenian-French Chef named Sanzian.
At the time, Chocolate Frosting was a fairly new idea, so the delicious dessert took the world by storm. To this day, BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY remains a popular menu selection. BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY is the official dessert of Massachusetts!
Back then BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY consisted of French Butter Sponge Cake filled with thick Custard and brushed with a Rum Syrup. The same Custard overlaid with toasted sliced Almonds coated the sides, while Chocolate Fondant topped the dessert off. While other Custard Cakes may have existed at that time, Baking Chocolate as a coating was a new process, making it unique and a popular choice on the menu.
According to the website, What’s Cooking America,: “Cooks in New England and Pennsylvania Dutch regions were known for their Cakes and Pies and the dividing line between them was very thin. BOSTON CREAM PIE was probably called a Pie because in the mid-19th Century, Pie tins were more common than Cake pans. The first version of BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY might have been baked in Pie tins. Boston Cream Pie is a remake of the early American”Pudding-Cake pie.”
Five facts about Boston Cream Pie:
- A Boston Cream Pie is a Cake that is filled with Custard or Cream filling and Frosted with Chocolate.
- Although it is called a Boston Cream Pie, BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY is in fact a Cake, and not a Pie.
- Boston Cream Pie was created by Armenian-French Chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856,
- The Boston Cream Pie is the official dessert of Massachusetts, declared as such in 1996.
- A Boston Cream Doughnut is a name for a Berliner filled with Vanilla Custard or Crème Pâtissière and topped with Icing made from Chocolate.
NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY ACTIVITIES
- If you’re someone who loves to bake, then this is the perfect opportunity to give a delicious dessert a try. If you’re trying BOSTON CREAM PIE for the first time, or if you’re improving on an old favorite, baking your own Boston Cream Pie is the perfect way to celebrate.
- Invite your fellow Cake enthusiasts to join you in celebrating Massachusetts’ official dessert. Bring along other Boston-themed foods as well including Clam Chowder, and Sam Adams Beer. If your guests are of age. If you really want to give BOSTON CREAM PIE that revolutionary vibe, invite your guests to party in period-style clothing!
- Well, what better place to get an authentic Boston Cream Pie than in its official birthplace? While you’re there, check out some of the other excellent experiences that Boston has to offer.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY
- The recipe is so simple you only need three ingredients and yet there’s something about the combination of Chocolate, Cake, and Custard that’s comforting and tasty. Not only that, but the simplicity of the ingredients gives you a lot of room to experiment. How many ways can you jazz up a Boston Cream Pie?
- Boston has always been a rich cultural hub and Boston was the site of some of the most important events in the Revolutionary War, and Boston has continued to be the birthplace of American traditions ever since. With every bite of a Boston Cream Pie, you are continuing a tradition of wicked Bostonian trend-setting and innovation that’s 260 years strong.
- You don’t really need an excuse to eat Cake but it’s handy to have one sometimes. Go ahead and treat yourself.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
