Whoopie Pies, sometimes called Whoopie Cakes, taste like the delish offspring of a cake and a cookie.
This traditional US bakery treat is sweeping the world by storm and has been heralded as “the next cupcake” baked good craze.
Mama Sweet and Sister Sweet in pure gift-giving coincidence BOTH gave me whoopie pie tins for my birthday.
It’s funny to see that although both are made for the same purpose, they are really different shapes! One is deep and large, the other shallow and mini.
So with this being the Easter weekend, I had to make Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies.
It’s a well known fact that carrots are the Easter bunny’s favourite food.
The shallow mini pans are filled with a small tablespoon of mixture and the larger pans had a more generous two heaped tablespoon.
Don’t have a pan? No worries! Just put baking paper on a tray and pencil circles as guides.
Without trying this method, I would suggest about 2cm circles for mini and 5 cm circles for large. They have the tendency to spread a little, so leave a considerable gap in between.
Once these little babies have cooled, spread one side with a dollop of cream cheese icing.
I think an angled pallette knife is the best implement to use.
Every kitchen needs one!
Sandwich the icing side against the bottom of an equal sized Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie.
And then stuff your face with it’s cakey/biscuity goodness.
Or share with your loved ones. The choice is yours!
I could have sandwiched the large Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies, but I thought they would also be sweet with a dollop of cream cheese icing and sprinkled with chopped pecans.
The pecans look like candied bacon. An excellent topping idea!
Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies
This recipe was adapted from Whoopie Cakes by Susanna Tee. I have changed some of the ingredients and method.
I made 12 mini pies (sandwiched) and 8 large pies (single). This recipe would make 24 mini pies or 12 large pies (single).
Whoopies are best eaten within 3 days. Store in an airtight container, out of the fridge.
225g carrots, peeled and finely grated
50g pecans, finely chopped
115g unsalted butter, softened and chopped
200g brown sugar
1tsp vanilla bean
1 egg
350g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon all spice
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons milk
Cream cheese icing
Double this icing if sandwiching large pies.
70g cream cheese
35g unsalted butter, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla bean
225g icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. If you have a whoopie pie tin, grease with butter. If you are using the freehand method, line baking sheet with baking paper and outline circles in pencil to use as guide. I would suggest 2cm (mini) and 5cm large, spaced 5cm apart.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar vanilla, until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg and combine.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients and stir together with the wet mixture until combined. Then add the carrots and nuts and stir until well mixed.
4. Add the orange juice and milk to help combine smoothly. Be careful not to overmix, you want it to be like a muffin batter consistency.
5. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tins/trays. A small tablespoon for the minis and 2 generous tablespoons for the large. Using an angled pallette knife, gently spread mixture so that it has a flat top and fills the allocated space.
6. Bake in the oven for 8-10 mins for minis and 10-12 mins for large. Stand in tins/trays for a few minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
To make cream cheese icing:
1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese and vanilla bean, until it is light and fluffy.
2. Add the sifted icing sugar until combined. Add the milk and mix well.
To sandwich the whoopies:
1. When the whoopies are cold, match each one to it’s closest partner in size.
2. Using a palette knife, add a dollop of icing to the bottom of one side. Then sandwich it’s partner to the bottom.
