Tender spiced pumpkin cakes sandwich a tangy cream cheese filling.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Fiona Kennedy
30 3-in. whoopie pies
30 minutes
dessert
These pumpkin whoopie pies are tender fragrant with our Pumpkin Spice. The technique for the cream cheese filling is from Stella Parks, the uber-pastry chef and recipe developer over at Serious eats. For a much more detailed description of how to make her cream cheese frosting, go to: https://www.seriouseats.com/cream-cheese-frosting-recipe
A couple notes, the range of times for the baking of these little cakes kind of depends on personal preference. At 15 minutes, they are really tender and may get a little soft after filling. At 17 minutes, the cookies are drier, but they soften up beautifully after sitting out for about 30 minutes. These little cakes do get a little damp at room temperature so store any uneaten cakes in an air tight container in the fridge. Also, there will be leftover frosting, but in my house that is a bonus rather than a problem.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
- ½ cup Maple sugar (5152)
- ½ cup Turbinado sugar (5176)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 8-oz. packages Philadelphia cream cheese, chilled and each block cut into 8 pieces
Cakes:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs. Pumpkin Spice (5164)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1.5 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
To Make Filling:
Beat cream with both sugars and salt, with an electric mixer, until it has the consistency of mayonnaise, and then add the cream cheese. Stop beating and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth with only a few small lumps that will disappear in time. Refrigerate filling while you make the cakes.
To Make Whoopie PIes:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, Pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Fold flour mixture into wet mixture with a spatula, taking care not to over mix. Place batter in refrigerator for one hour to firm up.
Heat oven to 350F. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a small ice cream scoop that holds 1 Tbs., or form mounds of dough that are about 1 Tbs. in size, and place them on the sheet pans 2-in. apart. Bake one sheet pan at a time for 15 -17 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and spring back when you press them. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Let cakes cool completely before filling them.
Turn half the cakes upside down so that the flat bottoms are facing up. Spread or pipe 1 Tbs. of the filling on each of the bottoms and top with another cake. Press down gently and if desired, dust with powdered sugar. Store any uneaten whoopie pies in the fridge.