Whoopie! It is snowing outside, in October, which makes it a perfect day to bake! Despite the snow, it is still pumpkin everything season and time to make some more pumpkin treats for my family as well as my daughter and her college friends.
I am generally not a big Whoopie Pie fan because I just don’t like the typical marshmallow filling. BUT there are other options, such as cream cheese. Let’s hear another “whoopie” for cream cheese! So these yummy little treats not only have that wonderful pumpkin spice flavor, but cream cheese filling. The best of both worlds!
I absolutely love my cream cheese frosting recipe, so why not use that as the filling? Originally I suggested cutting the frosting recipe in half, but after listening to some reviews I am putting it back to the original way so you can really fill those cakes!
Cake Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tbsp. ground cloves
1/2 tbsp. ginger
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Filling Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 – 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
For the cakes, in a large mixing bowl mix together the brown sugar and oil. It looks like slush doesn’t it?
Mix in the eggs and pumpkin and set aside.
In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Sift all of the ingredients together and set aside. Remember what I always say, sift, sift, sift! It really does make a difference.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Mix in the vanilla. The batter should be thick. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up even more.
Use a large cookie scoop and gently scoop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Using a cookie scoop helps to keep the cakes uniform in size. I use a knife to clean up the edges if they aren’t perfectly round.
Bake for 10-11 minutes or until set at 350 degrees. Cool on the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
They look so perfect don’t they? Now cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
Using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter and cream cheese until well mixed and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the powdered sugar.
You may like the frosting sweeter and if so, just add a little more powdered sugar.
Spread a good amount of frosting onto the flat side of one of the cakes going almost to the edge and top with another similarly shaped cake.
Honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten! So good!
Keep refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!