Is It Cake? Cookie? Who Cares.

Posted by Laura on Mar 28, 2011 in News | 0 comments

The newest baking trend to follow on from the cupcake is the ‘Whoopie Pie’.

The recipe for whoopie pies has its origins with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon to find roadside farm stands offering these desserts. Amish cooking is about old recipes that have fed families for generations, with no trendy or cross-cultural fusions or mixtures. These cake-like whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter. According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!

From History of Whoopie Pies

Seeing as the cakes originate from America, I wanted to share an American recipe with you, rather than an English one:
Traditionally the cake part is flavoured with cocoa powder and made with brown sugar resulting in a dark brown finish, whilst the filling is very light and fluffy, often made with marshmallow fluff or marshmallow crème and flavoured with vanilla.

Basic Whoopie Pie Batter Mix

The basic mixture for the whoopie pie cake recipe is similar to many other cake recipes except that the ratio of flour to fat is higher. The basic mixture consists of

• 100g/4oz Butter
• 100g/4oz sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 225g/8oz Self Raising Flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 120ml/4fl.oz. Milk

These quantities are enough to make 8 whoopie pies, (16 halves) about 7.5cm/3-inches in diameter.

The traditional method is to cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg, mixing well, before adding the remaining ingredients, or u can mix in a food processor
Then drop 2 heaped tablespoons of cake mixture dropped onto a lightly greased baking sheet, per whoopie pie half. They’ll be about 7.5cm/3-inches in diameter once they have been spread out a little with the back of a spoon. Leave plenty of space between each dollop of mixture.
Cook at 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes or less in a fan-assisted. Once baked they will need to be cooled on a wire rack before they can be filled.

Basic Whoopie Pie Filling Mixture

Below is a traditional whoopie filling which is light and airy. This version can also be coloured with a few drops of food colouring. Whoopie pies can also be filled with butter icing, ready bought marshmallow fluff or thick freshly whipped cream.

Fills 8 Whoopie Pies (16 halves)

Ingredients

• 2 Egg Whites
• 225g/8oz Castor Sugar
• 80ml/2½fl.oz. Cold water
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients in a large heatproof bowl and whisk until well mixed.
• Place the bowl over a saucepan of rapidly boiling water, then whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is thick and creamy and stands in peaks. Using an electric whisk is easier.
• Remove from heat, whisk for a further minute or so then allow cooling completely before using to fill whoopie pies

How to assemble Whoopie Pies

Spread the flat side of a cold cake/biscuit with a generous amount of filling. You can also pipe the filling for an extra decorative effect. Place another half, flat side down, on top of the filling then press both halves together lightly. There should be enough filling to form a deep layer which is clearly visible between the two layers.

There is a well-known cake stand on Brick Lane that sells these yummy treats to take away. Every Sunday at the Sunday Upmarket Off Brick Lane 11am -5:30pm.

Photography: Joyosity, Lexnger and mache