Whoopie Pie Fail... then Success!!! ;) (recipe included)

I was lucky enough to be gifted a Kitchenaid Pro Standing Mixer from my brother for my birthday.  Needless to say... I am extremely excited about it! I've been thinking of something special to make for my family since I got it and I finally decided on: Whoopie Pies!

For those of you that know me, I am not a big baker.  I don't have a ton of experience with making baked goods from scratch besides cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies.  Making cakes from scratch is unknown territory to me, but I wanted to challenge myself.

I did a lot of research on a variety of recipes for Chocolate Whoopie Pies and decided to try Classic Whoopie Pie recipe I found on foodgawker.  I followed the recipe to the T, but the results were really disappointing.  My little cakes came out extremely dry and chalky tasting.  I think the temperature was too high and the cooking time was too long.  Oh well! Lesson learned! :)

I did not want to give up that easily, so I took an hour or so to look for another recipe.  I ultimately found Epicurious's recipe and made some small alterations to the recipe.  I watched the little cakes like a hawk and made sure to not overcook them.  The results were amazing!!! They were spongey, a little gooey on the inside, and not overly sweet.  Sandwich these babies with cream cheese frosting and your taste buds will thank you!

My version of Epicurious Whoopie Pie recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups of dutch-process cocoa powder or any kind of cocoa powder
1 cup of well-shaken buttermilk
1 package of dry chocolate pudding mix
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 stick or 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter
1 cup of packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg


For the Cream Cheese Frosting, the recipe is linked above :)

Preheat oven to 350°F

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and half of the dry pudding mix in a bowl until combined. 

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. 

Mix 1 cup of buttermilk and vanilla with half a pack of dry pudding mix with a whisk until a smooth consistency.  Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and pudding in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop up the dough and place on parchment paper about 2 inches away from one another on an inverted cookie sheet.  Place in the center of the oven, one sheet at a time for about 3 minutes to 3 minutes and 30 seconds, before rotating the cookie sheet.  Once rotated, bake for another 3 minutes to 3 minutes and 30 seconds before taking them out to cool on a wire rack.  

 I rolled my dough to form a circle and flatten the dough down before placing into the oven.  

This was my first attempt at a whoopie pie.  Dry and chalky... :(

My successful whoppie pie! Make sure to cool your little cakes on a wire rack completely before adding your frosting! The cakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature.  Add chilled frosting when ready to serve.  The pies can be assembled and placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but make sure to take them out of the fridge at least 15-20 minutes before serving.  Now pour yourself a glass of milk and eat these babies!