Thursday, October 16, 2008

Martha Stewart's Boston "Scream" Pie (sorta)

Pumpkin Boston "Scream" Pie
Inspired by Martha Stewart's Boston "Scream" Pie

In the October 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living, she has a cute Boston "Scream" Pie. It's a Halloween themed Boston Cream Pie: chocolate-pumpkin cake filled with a spiced pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache.

Well... I came close!

Pumpkin Boston "Scream" Pie
By the way, I brought this into work on Wednesday, but I think this cake is really appropriate today considering the Red Sox and Tampa Bay game! What a comeback by Boston!

Pumpkin Boston "Scream" Pie
Cake: The chocolate-pumpkin layers (8-inch rounds) came out moist and a perfect blend of chocolate and pumpkin (it uses a full 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree!)

Filling: Okay, the spiced pastry cream...Ugh. I tried to make this TWO times but it was Fail. Fail. I thought I took it to exactly 160 degrees, but it jumped into the pastry cream abyss and fell way, way down into a truly messed up pile 'o yuck. Luckily, no photos of the mess!

So, I ended up making a spiced cream cheese filling: 1 block of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar (sifted), 1/4 t each cinnamon and ground ginger, and a bit of nutmeg and vanilla.

Pumpkin Boston "Scream" Pie
Cake + Filling + Ganache

Topping: I made the ganache in the morning before toting this heavy weight cake into the library. I cut the recipe in HALF and still ended up with too much. Wow, perhaps Martha and her staff have a chocolate addiction or something. (I only used cream and chocolate and skipped the corn syrup).

Pumpkin Boston "Scream" Pie
Boston "Scream" Pie. It's frighteningly good.
Recipe here on Martha Stewart's website!

32 comments:

kim said...

yum!! it looks soo delicious. great pics! also, cream cheese filling is much better than pastry cream anyway ;)

lyndsay said...

wow! this looks incredible. what kind of camera do you use for your pics BTW?

CB said...

Ditto kim. Way to adapt the recipe and come out smelling more sweet! I am drooling just looking at the pictures. I bet your CWs loved you. ;)
/Clara

Janssen said...

I agree that cream cheese anything is the higher road :)

Patricia Scarpin said...

I prefer your version. By far!

2.46% said...

Ditto with the previous comments...cream cheese sounds so much better than pastry cream! This cake looks so good. I'm really happy that it's pumpkin-eating season...yum!

Maria said...

If I scream really loud can I have a piece?? Looks divine!

Jenny said...

Now that, my dear is one gorgeous looking pie/cake! I'll have a slice to go!

Ashley said...

That looks really good! I, as another commented, prefer your filling also :)

Snooky doodle said...

wow delicious cake. The top photo is really really nice.

Amanda said...

Looks absolutely incredible!!

Ingrid said...

Your photos look like something from Martha's site!! Talk about good!

Sorry to hear about the pastry cream. Cream cheese sounds just as good and way easier!

I'd really like a slice, please!
~ingrid

Indigo said...

That slice is so perfectly cut! I adore the second picture; fantastic photography and the whole cake looks to die for. Ganache, mmmm...

Pamela said...

This looks simply luscious! I like the change you made for the filling. It sounds scrumptious, not to mention the ganache! I have an award for you...check out my blog when you can.

Isa said...

That sounds even better than Martha's pie and that's a big compliment in my book! Haha, really, it looks delicious. Great pictures too =D

Di said...

I'm with Kim--I'll take cream cheese filling over pastry cream any day. I don't think I've ever tried pumpkin with chocolate, but I may have to give it a try after seeing your cake. Yum! =)

PheMom said...

Mmmm... I've been dreaming about Boston Cream Pies lately. This looks great! I'm with Kim and CB -I think I'd rather have the cream cheese in this case too.

Jules Someone said...

That looks just delicious!

Cakebrain said...

Oh I so hate it when a part of a recipe doesn't work properly! I think your filling is better anyway. The dessert looks so good. What fantastic pics!

Leonor de Sousa Bastos said...

Your cake looks divine!!

The pictures are beautiful and the cake must had been fantastic!

Audrey said...

I wish my cooking disasters would turn out so well...What a gorgeous cake!

Go SOX!

toxobread said...

Mmm, I would prefer your cream cheese filling over pastry cream anyday. Your cake looks amazing!

Lupe said...

I totally agree w/ Audrey, but the best part is that I tasted it and LOVED it. Thanks for letting us be your guinea pigs.

Prudy said...

My husband is leaning over my shoulder and begging me to make this. All right, all right! It looks fabulous!

Patsyk said...

That cake looks incredible! I love a cream cheese filling... makes it so decadent!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Mary Ann said...

This dessert looks sooo good and the flavors sound even better! I want to try it!

The Blonde Duck said...

It looks terrifyingly addictive!

eatme_delicious said...

Wow this cake looks stunning! I love the second photo. Sorry to hear the pastry cream didn't turn out.

Satisfying my Sweet Tooth said...

This looks amazing. It is so beautiful and adding the pumpkin is a great idea. Go Martha! Your pumpkin muffins look great too. I do like your name for them a lot better!

Katie said...

Oh wow this looks utterly delicious. The cake layers look so tender. Love the pumpkin chocolate combo.

Y said...

Ooh I love those photos of the chocolate icing in mid drip. The spiced cream cheese filling sounds brilliant too.

Donna-FFW said...

Had to let you know I posted bot this today on my blog .. I remembered it from a while back, it looked so delicious, even though you had to change the filling:)