Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package cook and serve chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box plain devil's food cake mix
• 3 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 make the filling and frosting: place the pudding mix and milk in a 2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 4-5 minutes. turn off the heat.
• 2 add the chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla and stir until the chips and butter melts, 2 minutes.
• 3 remove the pan from the heat and cover the pudding with plastic wrap placed directly on its surface. let cool for 45 minutes at room temperature.
• 4 meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°f line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.
• 5 make the batter: place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.
• 6 stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. batter will be thick.
• 7 scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake well~you should get 24.
• 8 bake for 17-20 minutes, until tops are springy when lightly pressed. cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
• 9 remove 4 cupcakes from the pans and crumble them into a bowl, making coarse crumbs.
• 10 loosen the remaining cupcakes from the pans and cool them on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• 11 divide the pudding mixture into 2 portions. fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and spoon 1 cup of the filling into the bag. gently push the tip into the center of each cupcake and squirt a generous amount of pudding inside. refill the bag as needed and repeat for all 20 cakes.
• 12 place a heaping tablespoons of the remaining pudding portion on the top of each cupcake and spread to cover the entire surface. top the frosting with a sprinkling of cupcake crumbs, pressing down slightly so they stick.
• 13 store uneaten cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.