Boston Cream Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Beat an additional 3 minutes on high speed and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium to high speed until soft peaks form. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg white mixture and fold in. Gently pour the batter into a 9-inch greased pie pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
• Pastry Cream Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. (The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.)
• Ganache: In a medium bowl, pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.
• To assemble pie, remove the cake from the pan. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on a serving plate or board, and spread with the pastry cream. Top with second cake layer. Pour chocolate ganache over and down the sides of the cake. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch-round cake pan. Line with parchment paper; set aside.
• Sift together the cake flour and the salt. Sift again, twice; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the eggs and sugar until well combined. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water; whisk until mixture is warm, about 110 degrees, and the sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; place bowl on mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the egg mixture on high until thickened and pale, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk and split vanilla bean. Place over medium heat until hot, being careful not to let boil. Remove and discard vanilla bean. With egg mixture beating, pour the hot milk into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Turn off mixer. Transfer to a medium bowl; fold in the flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla extract.
• Transfer filling to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap against the filling to prevent a skin from forming; chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Split the cake into two layers; spread the bottom half with chilled filling. Place in refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes. Wrap remaining half of cake with plastic wrap; set aside.
• In a medium-size heat-proof bowl, or the top of a double boiler, set over a pot of gently simmering water, combine the chocolate and the heavy cream. Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• Remove cake from refrigerator; top with reserved layer. Transfer cake to serving plate; pour chocolate glaze over top. Allow to set 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Combine milk, instant pudding mix, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat mixture with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until it thickens. Place mixture in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip. Fill cupcakes with vanilla pudding filling by inserting tip into top of cupcake and squeezing a couple of tablespoons of filling into each cupcake.
• Heat cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate morsels to pan, and whisk until smooth. Spoon or drizzle glaze over cupcakes, or dunk the tops into the glaze. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour, before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• For the filling: In a medium saucepan off-heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the whole egg and the 3 yolks, and then stir in the milk. Turn the heat on to medium high and cook the mixture, uncovered, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the cake. Be sure to place the plastic wrap directly onto the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until completely combined. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• For the topping: To make the chocolate ganache, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Add the chocolate chips to the cream and stir until completely melted.
• To assemble, slice the cake layer in half horizontally. Spread the custard filling onto one layer, then top with the second layer of cake. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
• In a deep bowl cream 6 tablespoons of the butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the 2 eggs, one at a time, then beat in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture alternately with the 1/2 cup of the milk in 3 additions, Beating the batter smooth after each addition. Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cakes begin to shrink away from the sides of the pans and centers spring back when lightly touched. Turn the cakes onto wire racks to cool.
• To Make The Filling: Combine the 1/2 cup light cream with 1/4 cup of the milk and cook over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Immediately add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt, stirring until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
• In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and whisk to remove lumps. Whisk in the 2 eggs. Add the hot cream mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Return to the mixture to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and is smooth (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature.
• To Make The Chocolate Frosting: In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons butter until they are completely melted. Remove from the heat and, stirring constantly, add the 1/4 cup light cream in a thin steady stream. When mixture is smooth, stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat vigorously. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• To Assemble Cake: Spread the cooled filling over one the cooled cakes and place the second cake on top. Pour the chocolate frosting evenly over the top allowing it to spill down the sides.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 inch round cake pan.
• Beat the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup milk, shortening, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla at low speed, scraping bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
• To Make The Cream Filling: In a 2 quart saucepan, mix 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and salt. Stir in the milk gradually and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least 1/2 of the mixture slowly into the egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 teaspoons vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
• To Make Chocolate Glaze: Heat the chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the water, one teaspoon at a time, until glaze is of desired consistency.
• To Assemble the Cake: Split the cooled cake in half to make 2 thin layers. Fill the layers with the filling. Then spread the chocolate glaze over the top. Refrigerate any leftover cake.

Steps:

• For custard, in a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch; whisk in milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium heat; bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Immediately transfer to a clean bowl; stir in vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of filling; cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold., While custard is chilling, make cake layers. Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper and dust with flour., In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For glaze, in a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a simmer; immediately remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth; cool slightly. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with cold custard. Top with the second cake layer. Spoon chocolate glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spray 2 (8-inch) cake pans with cooking spray.
• Stir yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, water, and vegetable oil in a bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes have risen and are lightly golden brown, 33 to 38 minutes. Check for doneness after 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean. Allow cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool cakes completely, about 40 minutes.
• Whisk 3 eggs, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and lemon colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whole milk, and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil.
• Reduce heat to low; pour egg mixture into cream mixture and whisk until thick, about 1 minute.
• Pour egg and cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard any chunks.
• Whisk vanilla and salt into the egg and cream mixture until combined. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Chill in refrigerator to form a pastry cream texture, 3 to 4 hours.
• Place chocolate in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside until cooled, but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a plate, flat side up. Spread pastry cream to within 1-inch of the edge of cake. Place second cake layer on top, rounded side up. Press gently to push pastry cream to the edge. Pour chocolate mixture over top of the cake and spread so it drips over the edge.

Steps:

• For the donuts: Sprinkle the yeast over the 2 tablespoons warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Add the pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the flour, salt, nutmeg, buttermilk, shortening, egg, vanilla, 150 grams (2/3 cup) water and yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Beat on medium-high speed until a smooth ball of dough forms around the hook and only slightly sticks to the bottom of the bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray; cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with flour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 9-by-11-inch rectangle that's 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-inch round cutter to cut out 12 donuts. Transfer the donuts to the prepared baking sheet, cover with a towel, wrap with plastic wrap and let rise until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.
• For the chocolate glaze: In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water, combine the chocolate chips, butter and salt. Let mixture gently heat until the chips are melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
• To fry the donuts: Heat 6 inches of oil in a large heavy pot fitted with a candy thermometer over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 to 375 degrees. Fry the donuts in batches, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the donuts to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes.
• To fill and decorate the donuts: Once the donuts are able to be handled, but still warm, fill them with the vanilla pudding then dip the tops in the chocolate glaze. Sprinkle with the sprinkles and enjoy!

Steps:

• To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, and set it aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl, and set it aside.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and citrus zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a rack. Turn the cake out of the pan to cool completely.
• To make the cream filling: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. While whisking, gradually pour the milk into the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan. While whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and vanilla. Put the custard in a medium bowl, and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Whip the cream until it holds a soft peak. Lightly whisk the chilled custard to loosen it up. Fold the cream into the custard; refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
• To make the glaze: Put the chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool slightly before glazing the cake.
• To assemble the cake: Slice the cake in horizontally with a serrated knife, into two pieces, starting about 5/8ths of the way up the sides of the cake. (The top piece should be slightly thinner than the bottom.) Place the bottom of the cake on a 9-inch cardboard cake round or flat plate. Spread the cream just to the edges of the cake and cover with the top layer. Pour all the glaze over the cake. Tilt the cake so the glaze covers it evenly and runs down the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cornstarch & salt in saucepan. Add milk, vanilla & egg yolks, stir with wire wisk until blended. Cook over medium heat, strring constantly until thickened. Cool completely.
• You can also add a cup of whipped cream to make a fluffier, moussie type filling, or 2 oz. of baking chocolate for a chocolatey one.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans or make it easy on yourself and trace the bottom of the cake pans on a piece of waxed paper and cut to fit then place on bottom of pans. No need to grease; the cakes will fall right out.
• For the cake layers: Separate eggs; place whites in a small, clean bowl free of any grease or oil and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a small bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Very gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Add egg yolks, oil and 1/2 cup milk to flour mixture. With electric mixer, beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk and vanilla. Beat just until combined. Carefully fold beaten egg whites into batter. Divide batter into prepared pans.
• Bake cakes 20 to 25 minutes or until centers spring back when gently pressed. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen cake around edges with a sharp knife then turn cakes out onto racks and remove waxed paper, if used; cool completely. (Tip: I make the cake layers in advance, wrap and freeze. Defrost in wrapper for a couple of hours then proceed with the filling and glaze.).
• While cake is baking, make cream filling: In a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup milk to boiling. In cup or small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, cornstarch, sugar, pinch salt, egg and vanilla until blended.
• When milk comes to boiling, gradually stir in cornstarch mixture with wire whisk. Return to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minutes or until thickened to pudding consistancy. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Make chocolate glaze: In 1 quart saucepan, heat water and sugar to boiling. Add chocolate chips; stir until glaze is smooth; remove from heat. Cool 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• To assemble, place one cake layer, upside down, on a serving plate. Spread with cream filling. Top with remaining cake layer, right side up. Spoon glaze over top; spread to edges of cake. Refrigerate.

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions, adding lemon extract. Pour into a greased and floured 9-in. round baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes; refrigerate. In a heavy saucepan or microwave; melt chocolate and butter, stir until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth. Split cake into two horizontal layers. Spread pudding on bottom layer. Place second layer over pudding. Pour chocolate glaze over top, letting it drizzle down the sides. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375.
• For the glaze, whisk together 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze, and let it harden on a rack.
• Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in 2 eggs and 2 cups cream. Continue cooking, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil and thickens, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently; cook until it coats the back of a spoon (when you draw your finger through this coating, the resulting line should hold its shape). Stir in 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and cool to room temperature before using.
• To fill the doughnuts with the pastry cream, insert the tip of a pastry bag filled with cream into the side of the doughnut, and squeeze. (Alternatively, poke a chopstick into the side of the doughnut, and wiggle it around to hollow out some space inside. Plunge a small funnel into the hole, spoon some filling into the funnel and use the chopstick to push it into the doughnut. If the filling clumps up toward the center of the doughnut, just press lightly on the top to distribute it evenly.)

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°; grease and flour an 8" round cake pan.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff in a large bowl; in a small bowl beat the egg yolks until light; add to the whites and beat together; slowly add the sugar, beating for 5 minutes.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together; in a saucepan heat the milk and melt the butter.
• Stir the dry ingredients and milk mixture into the egg mixture as quickly as possible; stir in vanilla and lemon extract if using.
• Pour batter into pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until toothpick tests clean; cool 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack; slice the cake into two layers.
• Filling: In a double boiler over medium-low heat, cook sugar, flour, salt and milk for 15 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
• Temper the egg with the cooked mixture and pour back into the pan; cook another 3-5 minutes until thickened; remove from heat, stir in vanilla or orange extract and cool completely with plastic wrap on custard surface; spread on bottom cake layer, add top layer.
• Frosting: Bring the sugar, cornstarch, chocolate, salt and water to a boil; cook, stirring, 3-5 minutes or until thickened enough to coat a spoon thickly; remove from heat, add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
• Cool a bit, but while still warm, pour and spread frosting over the top of cake, allowing some to drip down sides if desired; there may be more frosting than you need, use it for another purpose.

Steps:

• For the dough, hand whisk the water and yeast together in the bowl of an electric mixer and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve the yeast.
• Whisk in the milk and shortening.
• Stir in the eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups of the flour.
• Mix to make a soft dough.
• Knead with the dough hook on the lowest speed of the mixer for 8 to 10 minutes, gradually adding more flour as required to form a soft but elastic dough.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled.
• For the filling, whisk the sugar, flour, and egg yolks together in a bowl.
• In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.
• Stir 2 TBS of the hot milk into the eggyolk mixture to temper the yolks and prevent curdling.
• Stir the egg mixture into the milk and stir constantly until thickened and beginning to boil gently.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in the butter and vanilla and let cool.
• Place in a bowl, covering with plastic wrap to help prevent a skin from forming.
• Put in the fridge until needed.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
• Pinch off pieces and form into small balls, about the size of golf balls.
• Cover and let rise for 25 minutes.
• In a dutch oven heat 4 inches of oil to 375*F.
• Add the doughnuts a few at a time and fry for 30 to 40 seconds, until deep brown on first side.
• Turn and fry on the second side for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain and let cool.
• Whisk the custard to smooth and fluff it.
• Put the custard in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip.
• Split each cooled doughnut in half and pipe or spoon in some custard.
• For the glaze, melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water.
• Add the sugar and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
• Add enough water to make a thin glaze.
• Let cool for 1 minute, then drizzle over the doughnuts.
• If the glaze gets too stiff, add more hot water to make it workable again.
• Enjoy!