Filled doughnuts are the best kind of doughnuts. Don’t get us wrong, a good cake doughnut or old-fashioned doughnut is good in its own right, but the added element of a decadent filling is simply too good to resist—and Boston cream doughnuts are a classic example.
These doughnuts take the traditional pastry cream you’d find in Boston cream pie (which is actually a cream-filled cake, not a pie) and puts it in a new vessel: A fried yeast doughnut with a glossy chocolate icing. We’d argue Boston cream doughnuts are much better than the “pie” version. Here’s everything you need to know to make them at home.
Boston Cream Doughnut Ingredients
Doughnuts:Â
- Active dry yeast
- 2% milk
- All-purpose flour
- Egg
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Oil for deep-fat frying
Pastry cream:
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
Glaze:
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Heavy whipping cream
Directions
Step 1: Activate the yeast
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Let stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Create the dough
Add the room temperature egg, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and salt and mix well. Beat in the butter, vanilla and remaining 2-1/2 cups flour. Do not knead.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Step 3: Make the pastry cream
Meanwhile, for the pastry cream, mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small heavy saucepan. Whisk in the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low, cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
Step 4: Temper the eggs for the cream
In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, and return it all to the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Immediately transfer to a bowl.
Step 5: Finish preparing the pastry cream
Place the bowl of custard in an ice-water bath for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until cold.
Step 6: Cut out the doughnuts
Punch the dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut circles from the dough with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place the doughnuts on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: After you cut doughnuts from the rolled-out dough, there will be scraps that you can gently re-roll to avoid waste and squeak out a few more doughnuts.
Step 7: Fry the doughnuts
In a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet, heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Drain on paper towels after you take them out of the hot oil.
Editor’s Tip: We love the All-Clad deep fryer because it’s easy to use, keeps a constant temperature and has a deep basket. However, you don’t need to use a deep fryer to make doughnuts: Using a pot with high sides will work too, since it will prevent splatters of hot, bubbling oil. Our guide to how to deep fry at home will provide you with other tips and tricks if deep frying isn’t necessarily your forte!
Step 8: Fill the doughnuts
Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag, and insert a small pastry tip. Fill the bag with the prepared, refrigerated pastry cream. With a small knife, pierce a hole into the side of each doughnut. Fill with pastry cream, just a little less than 1/4 cup per doughnut.
Test Kitchen Tip: Use a small paring knife to pierce a hole in the side of each doughnut. A paring knife will help cut a hole that’s deep enough in the doughnut where the filling will be distributed equally.
Step 9: Make the glaze
In a microwave, melt the chocolate and heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Editor’s Tip: Our guide to how to melt chocolate provides tips so your melting experience goes smoothly.
Step 10: Dip the doughnuts in the chocolate glaze
Dip each doughnut halfway, allowing excess glaze to drip off. Place on a wire rack and let stand until set. After that, serve them ASAP—doughnuts are best fresh, after all!
How should you store Boston cream doughnuts?
If you have any left, store your Boston cream doughnuts in an airtight container in the fridge. The chocolate icing doesn’t fully set, so you’re better off keeping them in a single layer so none of the gooey chocolaty icing is lost.
Can you make Boston cream doughnuts ahead of time?
While most fried doughnuts are best eaten the same day, you could prepare the pastry cream two to three days ahead of time. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to fill the doughnuts. Keep in mind, you may need to whip it up slightly to loosen it before adding it to a pastry bag to fill the doughnuts.
Boston Cream Doughnuts Tips
Why didn’t my doughnuts turn out?
There are multiple reasons why your doughnuts could turn out anything less than perfect—whether they’re oily, burnt or even raw on the inside—and the oil is probably the culprit. Here are a few tips:
- Make sure you let the oil come back to temperature between batches. The temperature will lower a bit every time you add a doughnut—and if the temperature is too low, the doughnuts will absorb too much oil. Frying too many doughnuts at a time will cause the same thing, so be patient and only add a few at a time.
- If the oil is too hot, you’ll likely burn the doughnuts. If you test the oil and find out that the temperature is too hot, give it a few minutes to reach 375° again.
We’d recommend doing a single test doughnut at the start after your oil has reached 375°. Get the hang of it, then get frying!
Do you need a pastry bag to fill the doughnuts?
If you don’t have a pastry bag or pastry tip, don’t worry. You can fill up a plastic bag with the pastry cream and cut off the corner for a similar experience.
