I kick things off by preheating my oven to 350°F and spraying a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Then, I mix up the vanilla cake batter according to the box instructions—easy peasy. I divide it among the cups and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, testing with a toothpick to make sure they’re done.

While the cupcakes cool, I get the pudding going. In a small bowl, I whisk the milk and vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes, then let it sit for 3 more until it’s nice and thick. It’s so simple, but that creamy texture gets me every time.

Next, I move on to the ganache. I heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it starts to bubble, then pour it over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. After letting it sit for 2 minutes, I whisk it until it’s smooth and glossy—pure heaven.

Once the cupcakes are cool enough to handle, I pop them out of the tin and slice them in half crosswise. I spoon a generous dollop of pudding onto each bottom half, then pop the tops back on. Finally, I spoon that luscious ganache over the tops and let it set a bit before digging in.