Yesterday I got together with my neighbor and we made whoopie pies and it was so much fun. I had never even heard of whoopie pies until about 5 years ago when The Girl and I saw one at a Farmer’s Market and I was like… hey, that looks like a mini cake I can eat with my hands… I think I’ll try one. And well, what do you know, I’ve been hooked on them ever since.
Most of the old fashioned recipes out there use shortening as an ingredient in both the cake and the filling. But my neighbor suggested we use marshmallow fluff in place of the shortening for our whoopie pie filling and HOLY COW MAN… it was the right choice.
This recipe for whoopie pies, it rocks, and I hope you like it as much as we did.
Have a wonderful day everyone, stay sweet. 😉
Mavis
Ingredients for the cakes
1/2 cup shorting {I LOVE Crisco!}
1 1/2 cps sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon backing powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the filling
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 {7 1/2 ounce} jar Marshmallow Fluff
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
For the cakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the shortening {we used the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to make the shortening light and fluffy}. Add the sugar, and eggs to the shorting and mix well.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup hot water together and then add to the shortening mixture. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well.
Drop the batter by the spoonful onto a lined cookie sheet {we used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for this} and flatten down a little with the bottom of a glass dipped in water. Bake for about 18 minutes or until firm. Cool cakes on a wire rack
For the filling
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy {about 2 minutes} Add the Marshmallow Fluff and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Spread filling between two cakes and assemble whoopie pies.
YUM YUM YUM!
Jeni says
My daughter and I just made whoopie pies the other day, too! I first heard about them from a PBS cooking show with Marcia Adams many years ago. She wrote several cookbooks on the Amish way of cooking and this recipe was one of them. Evidently the Amish use a cooked flour base for their filling which I think is called Ermine Frosting. It’s an interesting way to make a frosting for sure, and not nearly as sweet as marshmallow fluff makes.
I prefer the marshmallow fluff filling myself. I also put my pies in the refrigerator to firm them up and make it easier and less messy to eat 🙂 They are fun to make and even more fun to eat!!
Beryl says
I also make this flour frosting, especially for chocolate cake. An old recipe of my mother’s…
Tracy says
That is exact frosting I was going to recommend, I love that stuff!!
Terri says
My mother loved Crisco, too. I’m actually surprised it’s still around!
Lana says
My Mom is Pennsylvania Dutch so these go back to her childhood at least. At her family’s reunion the Aunts used to make two banana boxes full. One of chocolate and one of vanilla cake. My family calls them Gobs. I don’t think there is anyone left making them now. All the old Aunts have passed away.
Linda T says
I’m from Maine originally and my recipe has the cooked flour base for the filling. We moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania just in time for the floods in 1977. They called these Gobs there, too. I have also heard them called Devil Dogs. We live in Ohio now. The marshmallow Fluff sounds good.
Susan says
A few years back, my family and I planned a “whoopie pie crawl” when we were in Portland, ME. We had the names of 4-5 recommended bakeries and used those as stopping points as we walked through the city. It was so fun and actually not as over the top as it sounds, since we just got one at each place and split it 5 ways. The winner by a long shot? Cranberry Island Kitchen, which I believe has closed… alas.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
How much cocoa and hot water? Did you mean “cup” for the measure?
Mavis Butterfield says
1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup hot water. 🙂
Mary Neathway says
As a child, I thought this was a recipe my mother invented! She made them now and then, and when someone asked her if they could be frozen, she said how would she know- she had 7 kids and they never lasted long enough to need freezing. Wouldn’t the confectioner sugar, plus the fluff make the filling rather sickeningly sweet???
Tracy Britton says
These are even better with homemade whipped cream as the filling, and frozen. Marshmallow fluff just tastes like straight sugar and preservatives, to me! The whipped cream, with vanilla and just a touch of powered sugar make this more of an adult treat, to me.
Jane says
Had delicious whoopie pies in Bar Harbor last September. Lots o’ flavors, like lemon and blueberry.
Kate says
My mom often had a bunch of whoopie pies waiting for us as an after school snack. She uses cream cheese icing as the filling, and when frozen, they make amazing ice cream-like sandwiches.
Marie says
Girl, give ur moma a big hug and a kiss for her love!
Rebecca says
Wow! You seem to have the best neighbor! Was this just a streak of luck – to move and find such a gem of a neighbor? I can’t get my neighbor to remove his large dogs’s presents from my lawn.
I greatly enjoy your blog and also the comments. The readers seem nice and sincere and are such interesting people. This blog restores my faith in humanity.
Thanks for sharing your days – all of you!
Mrs. M. says
Does your neighbor run a restaurant or maybe a church? That’s an amazing sink for washing up!
And, I agree with Rebecca. You have great neighbors and readers. It’s a joy to read yourblog as well as the comments!
J says
NE Ohioan here so grew up with Whoopie Pies being the norm… When I married I only moved 1 county but that made a huge impact as the area is saturated with Mennonites! I have tasted so many different fillings! So many cake flavors! Lent the neighbors our kerosene heater when their furnace went out and was thanked with so many delicious treat!!!! (Since I was nursing newborn twins I ate without guilt! )
LaToya says
Yummmmm – AND someone sent my son a jar of STRAWBERRY marshmallow fluff for his birthday and he doesn’t like strawberry. So…. I’m gonna make these with that. Thanks for the recipe!