*The Cooking & Baking Lab*

*Chocolate Whoopie Pies*- with vanilla cream cheese filling

Two round rich and aromatic chocolate cakes, with cream cheese filling sandwiched between them. Decorated with sugar frosting and chocolate shavings!

Makes 10 whoopie pies

Ingredients

*Cake*

170 g– unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup– light brown sugar

1 large egg – room temperature

1 teaspoon – pure vanilla extract

1¾ cups – all-purpose flour

2/3 cup – cocoa powder

2 teaspoon – baking powder

1 teaspoon – salt

2/3 cup – whole milk

2 tablespoon – Greek yogurt 

*Filling*

57 g– unsalted butter, softened

71 g – cream cheese, room temperature

1½ cup – confectioner’s sugar

½ teaspoon – pure vanilla extract

*To Decorate*

White and dark chocolate

200g – confectioner’s sugar

(1)

-      Preheat the oven to 350F and place oven rack in the center.

-      Line baking sheet with parchment paper or if you have whoopie pie pan, lightly coat it with butter.

(2)Make the Cake

-      In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with electric hand mixer till light and fluffy.

-      Add the egg and vanilla extract to creamed mixture and beat in well.

-      In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

-      Gently fold in a spoon full of sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

-      Add a bit of milk and gently mix in. Repeat until everything is combined.

-      Gently fold in the yogurt into cake batter until well combined, yogurt helps moisten the pies.

-      Place 20 heaped tablespoons of mixture on the lined baking sheet or fill the whoopie pie pan each with one heaped tablespoon of mixture.

-      Dip a clean tablespoon in warm water and use it to smooth surface of the mixture.

-      Bake for 12 minutes, until skewer comes out clean.

-      Cool on cooling rack.

(3)Make the Filling

-      In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar.

-      Using electric mixer, cream together ingredients until smoth and fluffy.

-      Spread the filling onto the flat sides of half the cakes.

-      Sandwich together the iced with the un-iced halves to form the pies, press gently.

 (4) Decorate the Pies

-      To decorate, use a vegetable peeler to produce white and dark chocolate shavings.

-      In a small bowl, place the confectioner’s sugar and add water to form a thick paste.

-      Spoon the frosting onto the top of each pie, spread out evenly.

-      Lightly press the chocolate shavings onto the wet icing.

<3 The whoopie pies can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

(Recipe adapted from Baking)