Boston Cream Pie

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Step 2
Make the cake: Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, shortening, egg, and vanilla at low speed, scraping the bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Step 3
Bake in the preheated oven 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.

Step 4
Meanwhile, make the cream filling: In a 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in 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 egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 5
Make the chocolate glaze: Heat chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Stir in water, one teaspoon at a time, until glaze is of desired consistency.

Step 6
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.