Boston Creme Pie Cupcakes

I know that traditionally, Boston Cream Pie is topped with a chocolate ganache, but I decided to be different and go with a chocolate buttercream frosting. I hope y'all enjoy this as much as my family and I do!

Cupcakes:

• 1 box of Pillsbury Traditional Yellow Cake Mix

Filling:

• 1 small box Vanilla Cook and Serve Pudding
• ¾ cup French Vanilla Sugar Free Coffee Mate Coffee Creamer
• ¾ cup powdered sugar

Frosting:

• ½ cup Crisco shortening
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ Nestle Toll House Cocoa Powder
• French Vanilla Sugar Free Coffee Mate Coffee Creamer

Instructions:

Cupcakes:

Prepare as directed on make mix box. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

Whisk pudding and Coffee Mate together in boiler until pudding is dissolved. Start whisking in powdered sugar a little at a time until all of the sugar is added. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, continuously whisking. Place in refrigerator to cool. Mixture with thicken as it cools.

Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat the Crisco, half of the powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until well mixed. Slowly beat in the remaining sugar, then the cocoa powder. Mixture will be thick. Start mixing in the coffee mate a little at a time to thin it to a desired consistency. You don't want your frosting to be too thin or too thick, but bordering on thick. If you get your frosting too thick, you can thicken it with corn starch.

Assembly:

Once your cupcakes are completely cooled and the filling cooled and thickened, cut circles out of the tops of your cupcakes. Don't cut all the way to the bottoms of the cupcakes but just about an eighth of an inch from the bottom of the cupcake. Using a teaspoon, put about two teaspoons full of the filling in the hole you've made in the cupcake (do not fill all the way to the top of the hole) then place the piece that you cut out.

After you've filled all of your cupcakes, frost them with the chocolate frosting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.