Is a Whoopie Pie a cake, cookie or pie? It’s made with two round mound-shaped pieces of cake, but filled in between with cream like a cookie sandwich or a pie filling. So, I guess it can fall under which ever category you want, but whatever you want to call it, it’s indulgently delicious when baked fresh.
It’s actually a New England classic and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition that is alternatively called Black Moon or Gob. The Whoopie Pie recipe comes from Amish and Pennsylvania German culture that has been handed down through generations.
Now we have this classic treat to enjoy throughout the country. I’ve seen recipes that add flavor to the cream, creating pumpkin chocolate whoopie pie, or some whoopie pies are made with pumpkin or gingerbread cake, which is great for the fall and holiday seasons. However, I like the original and most common the best, mounds of chocolate cake sandwiched together with fresh icing.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extra
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
- Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets.
- Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes.
- Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.
- In a saucepan, combine milk and flour and cook, stirring constantly until it forms a thick paste. Let cool.
- In a medium bowl, beat sugar and shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until double in volume.
- Turn the little cakes over on their backs. Spoon a dollop of filling onto half of the little cakes. Place the other half of the cakes on top of the filling to form sandwiches.
