Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes

From the Cake Mix Doctor. A friend brought these to a dinner party and half were gone before the main course! Being the amazing person she is, however, she conveniently tucked a few copies of the recipe in her purse to dole out! Hope all of you get as much enjoyment out of these as we did!

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• Filling and Frosting

• 1 (3 1/2ounce) 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

• Cakes

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) 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

Directions

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.