Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Makes: About 12 medium whoopie pies

Time: About 1 hour

Part cookie, part cake, these “pies” are a New England classic and a great alternative to cupcakes at birthday parties and other celebrations. Traditionally, the handheld treats are made with Fluffy Marshmallow Filling sandwiched between two disks of chocolate cake. Other frostings, like Buttercream or Coconut Seven-Minute Frosting, pair wonderfully, but you can even add Chocolate Ganache or Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread for fabulous—albeit less fluffy—results.

• 1½ sticks butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 1¾ cups flour
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fluffy Marshmallow Filling

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy, another 3 minutes. Fold in half of the flour mixture, then the water, buttermilk, and vanilla, then the remaining flour.

3. Drop neat tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly. Bake until the whoopie pies are set and the cake springs back when you touch it with your finger, about 8 minutes. Let the cakes cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.

4. Frost the flat side of half the whoopie pies with marshmallow filling and top each with another pie, flat side down. Store at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

VANILLA WHOOPIE PIES Omit the cocoa powder and increase the flour to 2½ cups. Substitute an additional ½ cup granulated sugar for the brown sugar. Increase the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon. Fill with Vanilla or Chocolate Buttercream.

GINGERBREAD WHOOPIE PIES The perfect treat for the holidays: Omit the cocoa powder and increase the all-purpose flour to 2½ cups. Whisk 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves into the flour mixture. Omit the granulated sugar and use ¾ cup brown sugar. Add ¼ cup molasses with the egg. Fill with Cream Cheese Frosting.

ADAPTING RECIPES

Converting Cakes to Whoopie Pies

If you simply drop cake batter onto baking sheets, it will bake into thin disks rather than the plump cakes you need for whoopie pies. To adapt a butter cake recipe for whoopie pies, you’ll need a thicker batter—aim for about 1 egg and ¾ cup liquid for any recipe that calls for around 2 cups flour, and swap brown sugar for up to half the granulated sugar. If the batter seems a bit too stiff, add a little more liquid, a tablespoon at a time.