We always try to make a birthday cake for our co-workers. It’s always best to ask them what kind of cake they love so we can “surprise” them with it on their special day. Our Executive Chef, Jonathan, is a Boston Cream Pie kind of guy. We all got together and made his favorite with a little twist—all chocolate of course.

In 1996, the Boston Cream Pie became the official dessert of Massachusetts. However, you should know it’s really not a pie at all but a cake that has been split and filled with a custard or cream filling and drizzled or glazed with chocolate. The Boston Cream Pie was originally created by an Armenian-French chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856. I fully “chocolatized” the recipe about 140 years later and improved upon it in 2012.

Prep Time: 90 minutes
Ready In: 90 minutes

Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients:
1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O™ Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding Mix
1 1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP™ Whipped Topping, divided
4 ounces Choclatique Dark Chocolate Chips, plus another
6 ounces Choclatique Dark Chocolate Chips, melted
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Prepare the cake batter following the directions on the box. Bake in 24 medium muffin pan cups that have been sprayed with pan release.
3. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes to wire racks; cool completely.
4. Beat the milk and chocolate pudding mix with wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
5. Meanwhile, use the serrated knife to cut the cakes horizontally in half. Gently stir 1/2 cup of the whipped topping into pudding mixture. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pudding mixture onto bottom half of each cupcake; cover with top of the cake.
6. Microwave the remaining 1 cup whipped topping and the chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
7. Let stand 15 minutes to thicken. Spread onto cakes. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
8. Before serving, microwave the remaining chocolate chips and oil in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until the chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
9. Drizzle mini-cakes with chocolate syrup and serve.
10. Store any leftovers overnight in refrigerator.

Chocolate Doctor