Super Simple Boston Cream Cupcakes

If you can multi-task just a little, you can make these.  As said before sugar and desserts are one of Jon's favorite things in life and Boston Cream Pie is right up there; but Boston Cream desserts can be a real pain to make even if you are a seasoned chef.  And honestly, they are not always easy to find.

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and just couldn't resist trying it out.  Yes, it involves box mixes and cheats along the way, but for a college kid or grad student wanting something semi-homemade out of the oven, it's a great option.  

If nothing else, use this recipe to make one of the best chocolate ganache / hot fudge sauce I have ever had--that is made all the way from scratch and a combo worth keeping in and of itself!!

Note:
This recipe requires 3 simple, but separate, steps that you make individually.  I suggest you make the cake batter and cupcakes first.  While those bake, get your pudding set up and chilled.  The cupcakes will have to cool completely before the final assembly and that's when you start your chocolate sauce.

Skill Level: Easy, but ability to prioritize and multi-task
Cost: approx $10 / 12 cupcakes

Equipment:

Mixing bowls (a larger and smaller one, or just wash and reuse this first one)

Muffin Tin or Silicon Muffin Holder, sprayed or filled with cupcake holders.

Whisk

Spatula

Small saucepan

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Box Mix

--3 Eggs

--1/3 cup vegetable oil

--1 cup water

1 Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix 

--2 Cups of Milk

2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

6 oz of dark chocolate chips

1 Tbls of Karo syrup

Instructions:

1. Wash Your Hands

2. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

3. Make the Yellow Cake batter according to the package instruction.

---Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and water and stir until smooth.  If you have a mixer, use it!

4. Poor into your prepared muffin cups and bake for 19 minutes.

5. Make the Pudding.

---Combine cold milk with pudding mix and stir for 2 minutes.

---Chill in fridge

6. Once cupcakes are baked, set aside and cool completely.  This is critical to remove the paper easily.

7. Cut cupcakes in half and place 1+ Tablespoon of pudding on bottom half. Replace the tops.

8. Make the chocolate sauce.

---Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small sauce pan

---Add chocolate chips and Karo syrup

---Stir until smooth and let sit for 5 minutes

9. Drizzle tops with 1+ Tablespoon of chocolate sauce.

10. You did it!  Now dig in.