These chocolate whoopie pies are soft cocoa and buttermilk cakes sandwiched around a fluffy filling of butter, powdered sugar and marshmallow creme. The recipe makes 12 whoopie pies in about 40 minutes: 25 minutes of prep and 10 to 12 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Two things decide whether they look right. Scoop every mound with the same 1.5 tablespoon scoop, so the halves match. And let the cakes cool completely before the filling goes on. I have tried versions with shortening, melted chocolate and sour cream over the years, and this cocoa and buttermilk one is the batter I kept.
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- Makes: 12 whoopie pies (24 cake halves)
- Oven: 350°F (175°C), two lined baking sheets
- Portion: 1.5 tablespoon scoop, mounds 2 inches apart
- Bake: 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back
- Filling ratio: ½ cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ cups marshmallow creme
- Keeps: up to 2 days airtight at room temperature
The Chocolate Cakes: Cocoa, Buttermilk and Brown Sugar
Whisk the 2 cups flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cocoa powder mixes straight into the flour and keeps the cakes light. When I tested melted chocolate instead, the batter spread unevenly and the cakes turned dense.
Buttermilk is what makes the baking soda work. Its acid reacts with the soda and lifts the cakes, so natural or Dutch process cocoa both rise well here; Dutch gives a darker, milder cake. No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Cream the softened butter with the 1 cup packed brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light, then beat in the egg and vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mix in three parts with the buttermilk in between, starting and ending with flour. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick enough to hold a mound on the spoon.
Scooping and Baking Even Halves
Drop level 1.5 tablespoon scoops onto parchment or silicone mats, 2 inches apart; they spread a little. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back when you press them gently with a fingertip. Fine cracks across the domes are normal for this batter and do not mean they are overbaked.
Leave them on the sheets for 5 minutes. They tear if you move them sooner. Then cool them completely on a rack. Warm cakes melt the butter in the filling, and the tops slide off.
Marshmallow Fluff Filling for Whoopie Pies
The filling is ½ cup softened butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ cups marshmallow creme such as Marshmallow Fluff, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat the butter alone until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Then add the marshmallow creme and vanilla and beat on medium-high until smooth, thick and holding a soft peak on the spatula.
Stop there. Marshmallow creme turns loose and glossy if you keep beating, and then it oozes out of the sides. A soft batch firms up after 10 minutes in the fridge, which I do anyway on warm days. No jar in the cupboard? My homemade marshmallow cream works cup for cup.
Marshmallow Filling or Buttercream?
The marshmallow filling is lighter and sweeter, with that chewy pull people expect from a whoopie pie. A buttercream such as this marshmallow buttercream frosting is firmer and holds up better on a warm dessert table or in a lunch box. For a tangy version, use a cream cheese filling, and keep those whoopie pies in the fridge.
Filling and Pairing the Cakes
Lay the cooled cakes out flat side up and match them in pairs by size before you start. Spoon the filling into a piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner cut off. Pipe a thick swirl just inside the edge of one half, then press the second half on top until the filling reaches the edge. A 15 to 20 minute chill sets the filling and gives you cleaner edges on the platter.
Flat, Domed or Sticky: What Went Wrong
- Cakes spread flat: the butter was too soft or the batter sat in a warm kitchen. Chill the batter for 15 minutes before scooping.
- Tall, bready domes: the batter was over-mixed after the flour went in, or the soda was heaped. Mix on low and stop at the last streak of flour.
- Tops slide off: the cakes were still warm or the filling was beaten too long. Cool fully, then chill the filled pies.
- Sticky tops the next day: moisture moves from the filling into the cake overnight. It is normal; put parchment between layers so they do not stick together.
Storing and Freezing
Keep filled whoopie pies in an airtight container in a single layer, with wax paper or parchment between layers if you have to stack them. They keep for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the fridge. I do not freeze them filled, because the marshmallow changes texture. Freeze the baked cakes instead and fill them on the day.
Other Whoopie Pies From the Same Method
Once the scoop and pairing feel easy, the same steps work for other flavors. In fall I bake apple cider whoopie pies next to these, and I have made pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling in October. For Valentine’s Day or a party there are red velvet whoopie pies, and 4th of July whoopie pies for summer. You change the flavor, not the method.
Whoopie Pie Questions
What is the filling in a whoopie pie?
Usually a marshmallow filling. This one is butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow creme and vanilla, beaten until thick enough to pipe.
Are whoopie pies a cookie or a cake?
A cake. The batter is a soft chocolate cake batter baked in small mounds, so the halves are tender and springy rather than crisp.
Can I make whoopie pies ahead?
Yes. Bake the cakes a day ahead and keep them airtight, or freeze them. Make the filling and assemble on the day you serve them.
Pin this recipe for your next bake sale or cookie box. If you try a different filling or a flavor swap, tell me in the comments how it went.
Whoopie Pies Recipe
These whoopie pies are soft chocolate cakes made with cocoa powder, brown sugar and buttermilk, sandwiched around a fluffy marshmallow filling of butter, powdered sugar and marshmallow creme. The recipe makes 12 chocolate whoopie pies in about 40 minutes, baked at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes from 1.5 tablespoon scoops. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda so the cakes stay tender and springy, and the marshmallow whoopie pie filling is beaten until thick so it pipes cleanly and stays put. Serve them at bake sales, in cookie boxes, at fall parties or as a lunch box treat. Swap in a cream cheese filling for a tangy version. They keep 2 days at room temperature.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKES:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- FOR THE MARSHMALLOW FILLING:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- PREHEAT AND PREP: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- MAKE THE BATTER: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together using a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry mixture, mixing just until incorporated after each addition.
- PORTION THE CAKES: Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to drop even mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking. Try to keep each mound uniform in size for easier pairing later.
- BAKE THE CAKES: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed with a fingertip. Allow the cakes to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- MAKE THE FILLING: In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high speed until the filling is smooth, thick, and holds its shape well.
- ASSEMBLE THE WHOOPIE PIES: Once the cakes are completely cool, match them in pairs by size. Transfer the filling to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe a thick swirl of filling just inside the edge of one cake half. Gently press the second cake half on top until the filling spreads to the edges.
- SERVE OR STORE: Serve the whoopie pies immediately, or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For cleaner edges, chill briefly before serving.
Notes
Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for even halves and match the cakes in pairs before filling. Let the cakes cool completely; warm cakes melt the filling. No buttermilk: stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let it stand 5 minutes.
Beat the filling only until smooth, thick and holding a soft peak; marshmallow creme loosens if overbeaten. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the filling for 10 minutes before piping.
Store filled whoopie pies airtight in a single layer for up to 2 days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge. Do not freeze them filled; freeze the baked cakes and fill them on the day.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 378Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 57mgSodium 281mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 1gSugar 32gProtein 4g
