Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I had intended on making these for Valentine's Day.  But there are so many sweets around the office that day, I thought I'd wait.  It certainly wasn't because I got lazy or anything.  Um....yeah.

Of course I decided to make these late at night because that's how I function.  They came together quickly, and it's always fun to assemble treats like this!

The recipe mentions using a small cookie scoop so the cakes are the same size and shape.  I don't own such a contraption, so I figured I'd pipe them to attempt to achieve the same effect.  (In our apartment, when in doubt, pipe it!)

I wasn't quite prepared for how many cakes the recipe makes, so I ended up using every sheet-pan-like-thing I had, including a pizza pan, and every flat space available (which isn't much, by the way).

The results were tasty, and my coworkers are enjoyed them immensely.  I may have spotted one of the finance guys coming back for thirds.  :-)

This weekend we were cat-sitting for our neighbors, so I left a little baggy of whoopie pies for our neighbors, to welcome them home.  I later found out the cats had completely shredded the bag to get at the whoopie pies.  So, apparently, kitties like them too...

I think that this recipe is a great base, and a lot of fun could be had with some slight tweaks.  I'd love to play around with the filling a bit more as it's a bit sweet for me (did I really just say that?)  Perhaps a little cinnamon in the filling?  Or some orange zest to brighten them up a bit?  If you find a fun combination, let me know!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
(from Brown Eyed Baker)
Makes 24 - 30 whoopie pies

Cakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice)

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and both sugars on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring and beat until just blended.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and remaining ½ cup buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon or pipe from a Ziploc bag, drop a tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high; beat until creamy and smooth, about 4 minutes.

To assemble:  Pipe filling on flat side of a cake and top with another cake, flat side down.  Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

Storing: Assembled whoopie pies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you need to stack layers, place a piece of wax paper between layers.

Enjoy!