It wasn't until I moved to the West Coast, that I realized how many people had been deprived of one of my favorite childhood treats - Whoopie Pies. A New England favorite, Whoopie Pies were always part of bake sales, school lunches, and family gatherings. And, they were quite often the confection upon which many mother's were judged. The variations in the pie (which is actually cake) and the sweetness and texture of the filling can differ greatly with each recipe. My Aunt Mary would often lament about the pies turning out too flat, or the filling too runny. Our next door neighbor, Mrs. Ekberg, made a memorable Whoopie Pie, with a completely unique cooked cream filling, a recipe that she never shared, but I later discovered the method while researching frostings for Red Velvet Cake. At home, my sister has become the family champion of Whoopie Pies, and has a blue ribbon from the county fair to prove it.
"Foodies" are finally beginning to talk about cupcake's cousin - the Whoopie Pie. The New York Times' recent feature, "Whoopie! Cookie, Pie or Cake, It's Having Its Moment" claims that "Whoopie pies have been on the rise for several years, and nobody can pinpoint the reason they finally broke into the national consciousness. But the snacks evoke a more homespun era that seems to provide some comfort amid the economic gloom." I remember watching Martha Stewart make them last year on her show, listening to Barbara Walters chat about them on the View, and thinking, finally, Whoopie Pies have arrived to take their place in the display cases of our favorite bakeries.
But alas, it hasn't happened. Largely in part to the varied interpretations of this New England staple. When a friend mentioned that she had seen them on the menu at a local bakery in Manhattan Beach, I raced over - both with excitement that they were for sale, and envy that someone had beaten me to the punch of unveiling them on the West Coast. Much to my disappointment, and secret delight (there's still a chance for me to corner the Whoopie Pie market) I discovered a thin crunchy cookie with white frosting, clearly an homage to the Oreo.
I began to research Whoopie's origin in order to develop a Master Recipe. Wikipedia states, "a Whoopie pie is a baked good made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them. While considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition, they are increasingly sold throughout the United States. According to food historians, Amish women would bake these (known as hucklebucks at the time) and put them in farmers' lunch boxes. When farmers would find these treats in their lunch, they would shout "Whoopie!"
For me, the key to a successful Whoopie Pie is the marriage of a devil's food-like cake that has good chocolate flavor and not overly sweet with a fluffy buttercream filling that should include one key ingredient - Marshmallow Fluff. Marshmallow Fluff® is another New England staple, created in Lynn, Massachusetts in the 1920s.
You can read Fluff's interesting history here, including their 1966 collaboration with the Kellogg's Company to co-promote a new "Marshmallow Treat" recipe utilizing their Rice Krispies® cereal product and Marshmallow Fluff®.
For me, Fluff must be part of the filling, and there is no substitute - jars labeled Marshmallow Creme will not work in this recipe. The Fluff, however it cannot take center stage, or it will be sickeningly sweet. The trick is creating a simple buttercream and slowly adding just the right amount of Fluff to give it a "whipped" texture.
I'll always love the original Chocolate Whoopie Pie, but you can find countless versions on the web, for Pumpkin, Red Velvet, Lemon, Banana, and many more creative Whoopie Pies. The next time you're in the mood for a cupcake, give this "cousin" a try - you'll be glad you did.
Whoopie Pies
(makes 8 generously filled pies)
Cakes
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 large egg , at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Filling
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
5-8 heaping spoonfuls of Marshmallow Fluff *
(*if you can't find it, order it here - http://www.marshmallowfluff.com/pages/order1.shtml)
For the cakes:
1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
2. With stand mixer on medium speed, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, 3- 4 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as need with rubber spatula, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining buttermilk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, give batter a stir to incorporate and remaining dry ingredients.
3. Using 1/4 measure or #16 ice cream scoop, scoop 8 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet, spacing mounds about 2 ½" inches apart. Bake until cakes spring back when pressed, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool completely on baking sheets, at least 1 hour.
For the Filling:
1. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in 5 heaping spoonfuls Fluff (about 1 generous cup)until incorporated, about 1-2 minute. Add one or more spoonfuls if necessary for desired consistency and sweetness.
2. Using a #16 ice cream scoop, dollop about ¼ of cup filling on center of flat side of 8 cakes. Top with flat side of remaining 8 cakes and gently press until filling spreads to edge of cake. Serve. (Whoopie pies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
James Moore has been a cooking enthusiast since childhood and started blogging as a way to share favorite recipes with friends and family. His site, Cook Like James has grown to include restaurants, cookbooks, wines, and favorite places.