Some people climb up Mount Everest - I just bake cakes.

Whoo hoo!! I am becoming a Daring Baker!!

You heard me! I have once again gotten in over my head - but at least this time it is in cream, butter and eggs.

The Daring Bakers made Bostini Cream Pie this month. I want to say thanks to Mary of Alpineberry for being the hostess this month!

My family actually took off for a trip to the store to stay out of my way. When I am trying something new, I like to concentrate with everything I've got. Fielding questions about boys and homework assignments from the daughter plus having the hubby yell, "Honey! Come look at this play!" just isn't conducive to keeping mom happy while she is stressing over the detail of her latest creation.

The recipe consists of three components: A pastry cream, a chiffon cake and a chocolate sauce.

I had made pastry cream before so I wasn't too worried about the custard, but I was concerned about the chiffon cake. I rarely make cakes from scratch. My family is more of a cookie and pie kinda group - so this was a nice change of pace.

I sweated over this cake. I squeezed the oranges myself - no prepackaged juice here! I separated eggs 'til I was tired of looking at their little yolks. I got to use the whisk attachment on my Kitchenaid mixer. It was a good workout of the old culinary skills...

Here is evidence that even I - cake challenged as I am - can make a chiffon cake.



The custard on the other hand - I wish I had cooked it just a tad longer. It was a little too runny, but I hurried. A couple more minutes would have made the difference.

And by the way- WTF is a 1/3 of a teaspoon? That is not a real measurement. If it doesn't come on a regular set of measuring spoons then it don't exist!! So say I!

Would I take the time to make this again? Most likely not. I am not a big fan of Boston cream pie. My family gave it only an "It's OK" rating. And considering the time and expense - I can think of lots of other recipes that would better suit the taste buds in my household.

So here is the final picture of my creation.

I look forward to next month's challenge. Sometimes you just need to get a good workout to get the old creative juices flowing!

Bostini Cream Pie
(from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala's Bistro)
(makes 8 generous servings)

INGREDIENTS:

Custard (Pastry Cream)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the custard (pastry cream):
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the glaze:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.

To assemble:
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.