Vegan Boston Cream Pie – Fluffy vanilla cake layers, a thick custard filling and chocolate ganache to top it off!
Don’t let the name fool you, Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake and not pie at all! I’ve learned that the name originated back in the 1800’s when pie plates were the most common bakeware, and were often used to bake cakes.
The cake is made with 3 important parts:
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Custard (Pastry Cream)
- & Chocolate Ganache
While it may seem a little intimidating, it’s not that difficult to put together. Vegan Boston Cream Pie is a fabulous dessert that is sure to impress!
If you love the vanilla-custard-chocolate combination, make sure you check out my Vegan Boston Cream Donuts recipe as well!
How to make Vegan Boston Cream Pie
First, make your vegan vanilla cake layers.
While the cakes are baking, prepare the vegan custard, then chill it in the refrigerator. Once the cakes are done, let them cool completely. You can speed up the process by placing them in the refrigerator.
Take the chilled custard out of the refrigerator and use a mixer (or immersion blender) to make it smooth again, as it can get clumpy in the refrigerator.
Spread the thick custard onto the first cake layer, then place the other cake on top. Top with chocolate ganache.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Boston Cream Pie need to be store in the refrigerator? Yes, store it in the refrigerator. The custard needs to stay cool, and will go bad if left out.
- Can I freeze the cake? Yes, you can freeze some or all of this cake. Wrap it very well to prevent freezer burn. Wait to freeze until the ganache has hardened.
- Can I make it gluten free? Substitute a quality gluten free flour mix in the cake layers to make it gluten free.
More vegan cakes to love
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Funfetti Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- 1 Bowl Vegan Coconut Cake
Vegan Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Vegan Vanilla Cake with cake flour if possible
- 1 Recipe Vegan Custard
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup vegan creamer*
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup, optional
Instructions
- Prepare vegan vanilla cake according to instructions. Let the cakes cool completely before filling with custard layer.
- Prepare the vegan custard and let it chill in the refrigerator while the cakes cool, about an hour.
- Once the cakes have cooled, remove the custard from the refrigerator and use a hand mixer, or stand mixer with whisk attachment and mix to make it smooth again. It can get a little clumpy while chilling.
- Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, then spread most of the thickened custard over the cake, saving 1/2 cup or a little more. Place the other cake layer on top and gently push down, just a little so it sticks.
- To get the thick custard look from the outside of the cake, fill in any empty spots with more custard, using a butter knife. You could skip this part, it just makes the cake prettier for presentation. Spread it on smoothly, until it looks even all the way around.
Make the ganache
- Place the chocolate chips and corn syrup in a medium bowl.
- In a small pot, heat the vegan creamer until just simmering, then immediately pour it over the chocolate chips and corn syrup. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk or stir until smooth. You could also warm the creamer in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- Let the ganache sit for 20 minutes until it thickens somewhat. You want it thick enough that it will just drip down the sides without being too runny.
- Stir the ganache once more before pouring over the cake, spreading it gently to the edges. Let it drip down the sides. Slice and serve.
Notes
- You can use full fat coconut milk or cream, or even another non-dairy milk in place of vegan creamer, if desired. I used Silk Soy Creamer.
- Corn syrup is optional for the ganache, but it makes it very shiny and pretty, so don’t skip unless you have to.
-
Refrigerate the cake until serving. It will last for about 2 days. You can freeze leftovers if it won’t get eaten before then. Make sure to cover it well so it doesn’t dry out.
I love coconut so this cake was fine, but I just wouldn’t call it Boston Cream Pie since the coconut flavor is so strong. I think it needs a different base for the custard filling. Additionally, I used cake flour so the cake was fluffy but it could have used more vanilla flavor in my opinion. Coming off the peppermint mocha cake which was fabulous, this was a but underwhelming. 🙁
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this cake Lisa.
This was a vanilla cake with vanilla custard. The recipe states, “Unlike other vegan custard recipes, my version isn’t overly thick or runny and is coconut-free and gluten-free.” We are given the choice on whether to make it with coconut milk or not. This was a misunderstanding on your part and should not be reflected in a posted review.
Wow!! I made this yesterday for a New Year’s Eve party and it was a huge success. The pastry cream was delicious and so easy!!
Awesome that the pie was a hit for your party! Thanks for sharing your fabulous review!
This recipe is great! It was easy to follow and fun to make. I used country crock vegan heavy whipping cream for the ganache and it turned out so well. The pastry cream is delicious and I can’t wait to use it in other recipes too. I will definitely be making this again!
That’s great to hear, Lillian! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!
Excellent cake but I had to bake my cakes almost twice as long as recommended. This is the best site for approachable recipes. I also added yellow food coloring to the custard for aesthetic reasons. Delicious Boston cream pie.
This is the #1 requested dessert in my family for the vegans birthdays.
The others don’t know it’s vegan. It’s absolutely amazing!
I add a little turmeric to the custard to make it a soft yellow, like standard custard.
Thank you!
How wonderful that this dessert is a hit with your family! Thank you for your fantastic feedback and review!
Made this cake and it’s delicious! However, my cakes weren’t very thick and they were super soft and stuck to the plate a bit. I did add some food coloring but would that cause the issue? Were they underbaked? The toothpick came out clean… Or maybe too much nonstick spray? The taste is wonderful though!
It sounds like the cakes weren’t quite ready to come out of the oven if they were really soft or gooey still. Your cake pans might not have been greased quite enough either. I like to grease the bottom and sides of the pan with oil or butter and lay a piece of parchment paper on the bottom to prevent sticking. Hope this helps!
Very tasty. I used oatmilk. The custard didn’t really have enough structure to stay in the middle & kinda squeezed out. Just served it on the side. Also, the custard tasted even better the next day.
Thanks for your lovely review, Elizabeth! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake 🙂
Made this for my hubbys birthday and WOW it was the best cake I’ve ever made. Everyone loved it and asked to take an extra piece home with them!
I’m so glad the pie was a hit for the birthday! Happy birthday to your husband! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
My son surprised me with this cake for my birthday. Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for posting the recipe.
You’re welcome, Carol! So glad you loved the pie, and thanks for sharing such wonderful feedback!
My husband made this for my birthday. So delicious!!! I think the best cake I’ve ever had.
Hi Rachel! Happy birthday to you! I am so glad the pie was delicious for you! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review!
Everyone loved it! Perfection
I’m so glad! Thanks for sharing your review!
Hi
I tried making this cake yesterday and everything turned out great but the cake had a bitter taste to it. Do you know why this would be. I followed the recipe exactly.
I’m not sure, but make sure you are using fresh baking powder, as sometimes that can cause a bitter taste if it’s old or you got a bad batch.
Such a great recipe! I’m new to the vegan world and this tastes amazing! It’s moister than cakes I’ve made in the past with eggs and butter.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing your review!
Hi Nora. I am wondering if there is a replacement I could use for the corn syrup?
Thanks!
You can actually leave it out if you want, it just makes the chocolate shiny and look better.
My husband and son are not vegan but have sensitive tummies. My daughter and I are vegan so most desserts are vegan. This one is a winner. It’s amazing and disappears rapidly 🙂 no Omni would even know!
So glad you all loved the cream pie! Thank you for sharing your review!
Would this recipe work with your gluten free vanilla cake recipe as the cake portion?
I’ve never tried it, however, it should work!
This is the best vegan Boston Cream Pie recipe I’ve tried by far! Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing your great review!
Wow! I made this as my birthday cake this year, and it did NOT disappoint. My husband and I both loved it. The cream is perfect, the cake is light and fluffy, and the chocolate ties it all together. Yum! I will be making this again. Note: We didn’t have creamer or corn syrup, so I made the ganache with just chocolate chips and almond milk. Turned out just fine.
Hi Liz. Happy birthday to you! I love the details of your comments! I’m glad you like the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Love it. A gluten free, dairy free treat to the palate. Thank you!!!!
Hi Anthony. I’m glad you love it! Thank you!
Boston Cream Pie is not a dessert; it is an entire meal!