Whoopie Pies!

I love to bake. I think everyone who knows me at all knows that about me. However, my husband is currently training for a marathon and is trying to eat healthy. I know I should be too but that means I shouldn't be baking. How can I stop baking?! I tried my hand as Whoopie pies for the first time and they were delicious!

I think they are one of the easiest things I've made. The recipe I used said it yielded 16 whoopie pies which would mean 32 cakes, right? Well, it didn't specify the size so I used an ice cream scoop (so they'd all be even sizes) which was maybe 3 tablespoons of batter. It made a TON! I didn't count but it probably made 32 pies if not more. So, next time I will cut the recipe in half and for your benefit the recipe listed here is the halved version.

 For the cakes:
          • 1 1/2 cups sugar

• ½ cup butter

• 2 eggs

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¾ tablespoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups milk

Preheat oven to 350.                                                                                       In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and eggs together until well combined. Add the oil and vanilla and beat again. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry mixture to the egg mixture and beat or stir to blend. Add 3/4 cups milk and beat again. Add the remaining dry mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining 3/4 cups milk and beat until blended. With a ICE CREAM SCOOP (*my tip), scoop out batter onto a baking sheet. (I left them as is and didn't flatten them at all) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Now for the Filling! The first batch I made was yummy but turned out to be my least favorite of the 3 I made. Honestly, any of these recipes you could do all shortening and no butter or the other way around.

I played with it a bit and did it differently each time. Personally, I would rather have butter then shortening but I've heard that shortening is traditionally used in Whoopie Pies. I'm not always the most traditional of people so I did my own thing. I have no idea if the shortening was the reason but the first batch, which I only used shortening in, was my least favorite (although, like I said before, was still very yummy!)  I was concerned butter wouldn't with stand the weight of the top cake, making it goo out. It was fine with only butter. :-)

Batch #1:
• 1 1/2 cups shortening 

                     • 3 cups confectioners' sugar

• 1 1/3 cups marshmallow topping 

• Dash salt 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 1/3 cup milk

Batch #2:
 • 1 cup butter

 • 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 

 • 1/3 cups caramel ice cream topping 

 • 1 tsp sea salt  

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

(I added a little marshmallow cream because I had it on hand and figured it could                               only make it better! What's not better with Marshmallow Cream?!)

Batch #3:
• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

• 2 cups marshmallow topping

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The amounts may not end up being accurate with how many pies the cake recipe makes. Have enough ingredients to make plenty but maybe make smaller portions to begin with until you figure out the ratio. For me to fill ALL the cake my full recipe made (Double the above recipe) I made the first batch of filling and the only HALF of the second two and had a tab bit extra filling. Oh, and another tip. . .I used my same ice cream scoop for the filling so they'd all be even. I think it was enough filling but you might want more.

Giving credit where it is due. . .I found the cake recipe here. The 3 filling recipes were pieced together in my mind by the tons of recipes I looked at. They're pretty standard recipes which you'd find almost anywhere.
Enjoy!