Boston Creme Mini-Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant French vanilla pudding
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 (16 ounce) can prepared chocolate frosting
• 1 cup whipped cream (optional)
• 6 maraschino cherries, quartered (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

Stir yellow cake mix, water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Spoon cake batter into the prepared mini muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes have risen and are lightly golden brown, 15 to 19 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for about 20 minutes.

Whisk instant French vanilla pudding mix and milk together in a bowl for 2 minutes. Allow pudding to stand for 5 more minutes to thicken.

Pipe the vanilla pudding into each cupcake with about 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla pudding.

Freeze filled cupcakes for at least 1 hour to make frosting them easier.

Spread a very thin coating of chocolate frosting over each cupcake; refrigerate cupcakes for 15 minutes.

Spread second, thicker layer of frosting over the first layer. Place small dollop of whipped cream into center of each frosted cupcake and top with a quarter of a maraschino cherry. Refrigerate mini cupcakes until serving time.