Boston Cream Cupcakes

There was a run on cupcakes this past week at my house. These Boston Cream Cupcakes were the undoing of me, though. There’ll be no more cupcakes for a while.

While I don’t remember eating Boston cream cake when younger, Pink Rose Pastry Shop in Philadelphia has remedied that omission in my life. I love Boston cream cake. A white or yellow cake with chocolate icing is my favorite kind. The cream is an added bonus that I’ve taken to with little arm-twisting.

Thanks to a Cook’s Illustrated double subscription snafu, we’ve been receiving Cook’s Country, a cooking magazine by the same editors of Cook’s Illustrated. Cook’s Country uses the same recipe testing approach that Cook’s Illustrated uses, only with more homey recipes. Every thing I’ve cooked out of Cook’s Illustrated has been golden, so when I saw a picture of my cupcake fantasy (Boston cream cupcakes) in Cook’s Country, I needed a reason to justify making them. Weekend cookout? I’m there. With cupcakes!

Three-part cupcakes – cake, filling, icing – are major pains in the asses to make. I did this last year, and complained then, too. Last year, I hollowed out miniature cupcakes to fill and ice. I thought working with larger cupcakes would be better. Not really. I spent over three hours in the kitchen making these cupcakes. Once a year! Filling cupcakes will only happen once a year – and you better be getting married or something else grand. (Exception: The black bottom cupcakes made earlier this week are pain-free – in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes.)

I wanted to print the recipe for Boston cream cupcakes to share, because I was so excited about them, but I found the cake and cream components less than perfect. I would not put you through three hours of baking and assemblage with this recipe. Instead, I’d suggest using your favorite white cake, pastry cream, and ganache recipe to create these cupcakes. Getting the filling inside is done by cutting a cone from the top of the cupcake, hollowing the inside out a little, filling the cupcake with cream, cutting the tip of the cone off, and placing what, now, looks like a lid on top of the cupcake.

These cupcakes were very tasty, and not one was left at the end of the night, but they were not perfect. The cake sank after baking, and was too dense. The cream looked promising, but was not as velvety as expected. I’m sure pastry cream is something that needs to be mastered. I did not achieve mastery. Hopefully, there’s a more fool-proof pastry cream recipe out there. The ganache was simple. Ganache always is.

Unfortunately, the cupcake marathon ended on a slightly down note. Not what I wanted. Take this idea and run with it. I won’t be filling any cupcakes until next year.

Breakfast of Champions

Photo by hundrednorth

Update: No longer open

I remember exactly what I did for my last birthday. I woke up and indulged in an entire Boston creme cake from Pink Rose Pastry Shop for breakfast, and then went and worked the ropes for an arborist for nine hours.

The Boston cream cake at Pink Rose is my favorite. I’m a sucker for creamy middles and chocolate, and this has both. The cake is individually sized, maybe a little larger than an index card, but best if shared with someone. The chocolate ganache covering the cake makes this Boston cream cake truly rich and the reason why is should be shared.

It was my birthday and I wasn’t sharing, though. Feeling guilty, and a little ill from my huge sugar breakfast, I was ready for work.

I'm also in love the Pink Rose's éclairs. Again, I’m a sucker for creamy middles and chocolate. The larger ones are huge. I know myself, and I would eat the large ones in one sitting, so I get the small ones. Other sweets in my mouth include the lemon bars, raspberry bars, black and white cookies, carrot cakes, and various cookies from their gift tins.

Not in my mouth, but on my mind, is their banana cream pie. I’ll quote their description: “A piled high dome of banana cream covered with fresh banana slices in our delicious fresh crust with a baked banana filling. You just won't believe how good it looks and tastes.” I just want to tie some ribbon to the pie, strap it on my head and wear it as a hat. It looks that good.

I always go to the counter and order my sugar package to go, but the Pink Rose has tables where you can sit and have tea or coffee and dessert. I’ve seen people forgoing dessert after dinner at nearby restaurants to grab dessert at the Pink Rose. They’re open most nights until 10:30 or later.

They also serve breakfast until 4 p.m. I’ve never been, but a friend has taken her mother there and said she thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s definitely a “mom” place with tea, cute curtains and sugar in the air. I’m just not sure I could eat eggs when the Boston cream cake was staring at me.

The Pink Rose is fortunately/unfortunately located around the corner from my boyfriend's house. I found myself stopping by on the way to clubs, before he got home from work, or after dinner. I found myself there a little too often.

In college, I used to stop by a restaurant and get a huge chocolate chip cookie almost every day. I put a stop to that when I realized that everyone knew exactly what I was going to order. Coming out of denial about the fact that a huge cookie every day is fattening was the other reason I stopped.

Well, I had to put a stop to ducking into the Pink Rose whenever I walked past it. Now I walk past their air vent on Bainbridge St. and breathe deeply, exclaiming dreamily, ”Mmm, butter and sugar.” They really do push the best smelling air in Philly, and it’s low cal.

This year I’m eating my Wheaties for my birthday breakfast and going to work to cut back 15-foot tall grass in a gully. Yes, I am a champion!

Pink Rose Pastry Shop, 630 S. 4^th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
1-800-ROSE-383