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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Just Dessert ?

Following this recipe, there is an explanation about the choice of the post title.

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe. There's a few many reasons, but mostly as there's so many recipes in cookbooks and online. Nearly everyone has a favorite, better or new recipe.

Our favorite sweet treat, as many readers of this blog may know, is ice cream🍦. However, we have also been known to enjoy other delights, including some made at home.

Boston Cream Cake
Dessert 🥧 🍮 is a food group, isn't it?
 
That said, this post is for a recipe that turned out to be a not hard to prepare, delicious and a thoroughly enjoyed treat. That was the consensus of our dominoes playing friends who recently came for dinner and for dessert. 

If you enjoy Boston Cream Pie, this is not that recipe. Instead, this recipe is for a Boston Cream Cake recently featured in a local supermarket's monthly food magazine. 

While it was made at home, not everything was home made, for example the cake mix which was purchased at the grocery store. Other ingredients were purchased there too, aside from some that we (and you) may already have available like dark chocolate morsels (always stocked for chocolate chip cookies), salt, vanilla extract and honey (used as a corn syrup substitute). Heavy cream is not something usually purchased, but for the sake of trying this recipe, it was bought and leftovers would up in a mac and cheese recipe.

If you need a large sheet cake for a get together and want to give it a try, here's the recipe. 
(Of course, you could always make it for a smaller gathering with leftovers.)
Boston Cream Cake in 9x13 glass dish
Boston Cream Cake
Active Time — 45 min 
Total — 1 hr 20 min (plus chilling time)
Servings — 16

Cake Ingredients
  • 1 (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
  • 1 C water
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 C vegetable oil
  • 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding)
  • 1-2/3 C heavy cream
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache Ingredients
  • 1-1/3 C dark chocolate morsels (about 8 oz)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 C heavy cream
  • 2 tsp light corn syrup (can substitute honey or maple syrup)
  • Pinch of salt
Center a rack in oven and heat to 350°F.  
Grease a 9x13 baking pan/glass dish and set aside.

Cake: In medium bowl, whisk cake mix, water, eggs, and oil until smooth. Transfer to prepared pan, smooth top and bake until a toothpick inserted in cake center comes out clean (follow baking times on cake mix box), rotate halfway through total bake time.

After removing from oven, cool cake 5 minutes, then use handle of wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake, spacing about 1 inch apart and poking down to bottom of pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk pudding mix, heavy cream, milk and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. Immediately pour mixture onto warm cake and spread into an even layer, pressing gently into holes. Refrigerate until pudding is set, 1 to 2 hours.

Ganache: Combine chocolate morsels and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, corn syrup (or substitute), and salt to a simmer. Pour over chocolate morsels and let sit 2 minutes without stirring.

Stir chocolate mixture until smooth and glossy, pour over chilled cake and spread into even layer. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 1 hour, before serving. Cut, serve and enjoy. Repeat as necessary.

(Per serving: 440 cal, 30g fat, 75mg chol, 340mg sod 40g carb, 1g fiber, 25g sugar, 4g protein)

🍰  🍨  🥮  🧁  🍧
After titling this post, I was curious about the phrase often heard as just deserts.

No, I didn't omit a letter in deserts above. Despite its pronunciation, just deserts, with a single middle S, is the proper spelling for the phrase meaning the punishment that one deserves. The punishment sense had been in use for several hundred years by the time, the after-dinner word for sweets, dessert, was adopted around 1600.

But as most modern English speakers are unfamiliar with the older sense of desert, the phrase is often written as just desserts.

Using just desserts isn't a serious writing error, and it's much more common than just deserts in 21st-century texts. That said, there are grammarists who consider it wrong usage. Whether or not this is important is for individual users to decide.

For the purpose of this post, just dessert, worked out very sweet for me.

19 comments:

Bijoux said...

I used to make something similar, but it was a two layer cake. I liked it in the summer because it was refrigerated.

Barbara Rogers said...

What a lovely sounding treat! I love desserts which are rich over being just sweet, and this sounds like it takes the cake!

Vee said...

I'm with those that believe "just desert" is incorrect usage. It doesn't even make sense. Yes, I have a degree in English and have taught grammar for over 30 years. Thank you for pointing it out because I never would have thought twice about it otherwise. The dessert looks delicious and sounds easy enough, which is a big help.

gigi-hawaii said...

David buys Boston cream cake at Safeway from time to time. In fact, there's one in the fridge right now. It tastes good chilled. Thanks for the recipe. Gigi hawaii

Jon said...

The Boston cream cake is a novel concept. It looks delicious and I have no doubt that I'd devour it......
BUT, whenever I see a cake recipe with dozens of ingredients I'd much rather buy a cake at the supermarket.
You certainly get kudos for taking the time to make it.

BTW - Just to let you know that I got your email.
Numerous people have been having trouble leaving comments on my blog Unfortunately I haven't found any solutions. Blogger can be extremely baffling and frustrating.

DUTA said...

Looks like an easy recipe with a delicious result.I must admit I like to read recipes but when it comes to try them...that's another matter.
This one has good chances to be put in practice.

L. D. said...

Wow, that looks so delicious.

Barwitzki said...

Dessert... in any case, I would love to try a piece right away :-)))
But I think I have time for it on Saturday... then the good piece will be baked. I'm curious about the top chocolate part :-)
I am very sure... it will be delicious.
Thank you very much for this wonderful recipe... it will be served with my coffee at 3 p.m. :-))
Hug of Viola

Bill said...

The looks delicious, thanks for sharing.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

I've always loved Boston Cream Pie, which basically is about the same, except it is in layers. My mother used to make a 2 layer yellow cake and put a layer of the cream filling in the middle with the chocolate icing on top. I loved it. Now I want one. thank you for the idea! "Just Desserts" or "Deserts", I guess I never really paid any attention to which way it was spelled before. I understand the reasoning behind the "Deserts" spelling, but I like "Desserts" better, of course...who wouldn't? LOL. This was fun.

DeniseinVA said...

Oh my goodness, that looks absolutely delicious! Thanks Dorothy!

Rob Lenihan said...

Good God, this looks delicious! Thank heaven I can't cook or I'd be wolfing these things down every day!

David said...

Beatrice, I generally avoid cakes but this type/style is right up there with my favorite desserts. Moist is the key to great cake and too many of them just aren't up to snuff...and we rarely bake. I'll take a big slice! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Margaret D said...

Looks a lovely cake and mostly these days I look online for recipes rather than in my cook books unless I've got a favourite.

Christina said...

I'd like a big slice, please. I don't get to each much cakes now that the family baker has moved out. I am too lazy to bake myself!

Rita said...

I did not know about the spelling.
Looks delicious!! :)

Polly said...

I did know about the desert and dessert. Your dessert does look good. My grandson wants me to make a chocolate cake this weekend - I'm never going to lose weight!!

William Kendall said...

Sounds good!

My name is Erika. said...

Boston cram pie is my husband's favorite next to ice cream. I love this idea of making it more into a sheet cake. I am going to print this off because I might have to use this for his birthday in October. Also thanks for the book recommendation list from a comment you made on my blog. I've added a few of them onto my list. Happy weekend. hugs-Erika