Most recipes call for large eggs. It’s what most people, myself included purchase. I have noticed that the sizes of the large eggs I purchase vary quite a bit, perhaps because they are organic and cage free. But still large eggs.
They are a classic go to for baking, scrambling, boiling, poaching, and everything else.
But Ina Garten uses extra-large eggs. I think she has said this is because she feels like the results are better.
Still that leaves all of us large egg buyers in a predicament. We either have to think on our baking feet, cross out fingers, and hope for the best, or remember to buy extra-large eggs when planning to make an Ina recipe.
I opted for the latter here. Honestly, I can’t complain about how my kitchen alchemy turned out. Sure the pastry cream is a little thinner than Ina’s, but this cake is damn good. Jump up and down good. Dance party in the middle of the kitchen in between bites good. Don’t even get me started on how it was still crazy good and decadent and irresistible after a rest in the freezer.
This cake is so freaking good with the classic cake that lets the super vanilla-y, orange-y vibes shine through. In fact you could totally skip the cake and ganache and eat the cream with a spoon, pudding style.
But the ganache is no slouch with the rich flavors to contrast the bright orange and the thick, rich decadence.
I’d never even had Boston Cream Pie until I made my own. And I am so glad I made it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading to the freezer, and you should head to the kitchen, no matter what size eggs you have on hand.
Orange and Vanilla Bean Boston Cream Pie
Description
Orange and vanilla cake and sandwiched with orange and vanilla pastry cream and topped with rich ganache.
Ingredients
Cake
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
Zest of 1 orange
1 ½ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Ganache
¾ cup heavy cream, plus additional if necessary
1 ½ cups carob or dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Cream
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup maple sugar
¼ cup tapioca starch
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved
Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons coconut butter
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Instructions
Make the cake. Oil 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/325 degrees F convection.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, place the milk and oil. Microwave on high until warm and the oil is fully melted. Add the vanilla and orange and stir to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until combined and lightened in texture and color slightly. Stir in half the flour, followed by half the milk mixture. Stir in the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Finish with the remaining milk and the Grand Marnier.
Divide between the two pans and bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown, risen, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool completely in the pans.
Make the ganache when ready to assemble the cake. In a medium microwave safe bowl, place all the ingredients and microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. The mixture should be pourable. If it is not, whisk in additional cream, or water, or milk, until emulsified and ready to be poured over the cake.
Make the cream. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and tapioca until combined and slightly lightened in color and texture.
Place cream, milk, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and slowly whisk into the egg mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the zest, coconut butter, and Grand Marnier. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic touching the cream and refrigerate until chilled. Cream may be ade up to 3 days ahead of time.
Once chilled, remover the vanilla bean and strain if necessary. Lumps happen – it’s okay, just strain them out.
Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on serving platter of your choice. Top with a very generous layer of cream. Place the other cake on top and pour over the ganache, smoothing to the edges. Refrigerate cake an hour or two to set before slicing and serving.
Cake may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen in slices, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature about an hour.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa
It’s funny — most recipes from the 50s – 70s, maybe even the 80s called for medium eggs. Large eggs weren’t that common, and extra large were pretty rare. Or at least that’s my memory — maybe wrong. I’m guessing that as chickens got larger (a 3 pound fryer used to be huge; now it’s small), so did their eggs. Anyway, this looks wonderful — such delightful flavor. Thanks!
That makes a lot of sense, and it’s probably not always a good thing that the chickens, and eggs, have gotten so much larger.