Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Buttercream Filling

Hey guys! It's the last night to see The Rimers of Eldritch! We've already had two very successful days. Last night I signed up to bring a dessert to sell at concessions, and I decided to bring whoopie pies. If you don't know what I whoopie pie is, it's like a giant cake oreo, except even better and more delicious. They're typically an east coast thing. My friend Alyssa bought me a whoopie pie pan and recipe book a few years ago, and they are so much fun!
First you sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Next, with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment, beat together butter, shortening, and brown sugar until just combined.

Add an egg and vanilla.

Now, add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk.

  When that is mixed in, add the remaining flour and milk.

Make sure you scrape down the sides between every step! Next, drop 1 T (for 2 inch cakes) or 2 T (for 4 inch cakes) of batter onto a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. I made 4 inch cakes for selling.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until pies spring back when pressed gently.

Here I got a little rushed for time and forgot to take pictures of the filling process. However, it's really easy to make. Just beat together butter and powdered sugar until crumbly, then add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, and beat on high until smooth. How long you beat it after it is all combined is up to you. If you beat the filling for less time, it is thicker, but if you beat it for a while, it is fluffy, and you can fill two batches of whoopie pies with one batch of filling. That is what I did. Pipe the filling onto the flat side of one cake, and then top it with another cake, flat side down.

That's it! They are best the first day of making them, but if you wrap them with plastic wrap, they stay good for longer. They also freeze really well, and if you eat them while they are frozen, they taste like ice cream bars :).

Here's the recipe:

Classic Chocolate Whoopie

Makes about 48 two-inch cakes

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

4 T unsalted butter (at room temperature)

4 T vegetable shortening

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1 t vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.
4. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and beat until completely combined.
5. Drop about 1 T (for 2 inch cakes) or 2 T (for 4 inch cakes) of batter onto a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, or until pies spring back when pressed gently.
6. Remove from oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
7. Fill the whoopie pies by piping filling onto the flat side of a cake. Top it with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.
8. Eat.

Source: Whoopie Pies

Classic Buttercream Filling

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3-4 T heavy whipping cream

1 t vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the confectioners' sugar with the butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed, until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.
2. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Source: Whoopie Pies