Boston Cream Pie

For the cakes, heat the oven (with the oven rack in the middle) to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture along with the remaining 6 tablespoons milk. Using an electric mixer on low speed at first, mix the ingredients together. Then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. (The batter will be very thick.)

On medium-low speed, in three additions, gradually mix in the egg mixture. Make sure the egg mixture is fully incorporated after each addition, scraping the sides down as necessary.

Dividing evenly, scrape the batter into the prepared pans. Bake 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack, run a small knife around the edges to loosen from the pans, then invert the cakes onto the racks. Remove the parchment. When cool enough to handle, turn the cakes top side up. Let cool completely.

For the pastry cream, in a small saucepan, bring 1¾ cups of the milk to a boil over medium-high heat.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and the remaining ¼ cup milk until no lumps remain. Place near the milk on the stove. While whisking the egg mixture, drizzle in about ¼ cup of the hot milk (this gently warms the egg yolks so they won’t curdle). While still whisking, gradually pour in the remaining milk. Turn the heat on to medium. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Now vigorously whisk while it boils for 1 to 2 minutes more until very thick (this helps activate the cornstarch).

Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and rum, if using. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the pastry cream until melted. Scrape into a medium bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream to seal tightly. Refrigerate until completely cool.

To assemble the cake, place one of the cakes on a large serving plate. Stir the pastry cream until it’s creamy again. Spread evenly over the top of the cake. Place the other cake, bottom side up, on top of the pastry cream. Next make the chocolate glaze.

To make the chocolate glaze, in a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until very hot. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Let stand for 1 minute to melt. Whisk until creamy and smooth. Let stand a few minutes to thicken slightly.

Pour the glaze over the top of the cake. Use a metal spatula to spread the glaze to the edge of the cake, letting the excess drip down. Chill for about 30 minutes, or until the glaze is set. (This cake is best the day it’s made.)