A note first: There are many ways to make whoopie pies. Flavors are as varied as individual tastes are. Whether you use a classic whoopie pie cake and fill it with best cream filling, cream cheese, peanut butter, mint or get fancy with a black forest whoopie pie, it's all good!
I know many people are opposed to vegetable shortening but it really is a necessary ingredient. It gives the cakes their characteristic lift, lightness and the rounded shape. A good shortening has no flavor and no scent. However, I have substituted unsalted butter for these recipes for those who are adamant about not using shortening. It is also a crucial component of the classic marshmallow filling. Bake sale testers preferred the shortening whoopie pies over butter... before they knew the difference.
Also, the whoopie pie recipes below generally create a thick spoonable batter that spreads very little so you may want to dampen a spatula and slightly flatten your dough before putting it into the oven. Remember, these are going to become two to three times as thick when assembled and most people like to be able to get it into their mouth for a good bite. Williams Sonoma sells a special Whoopie Pie pan for around $20 or you can use a jumbo muffin pan but remember you want these fairly flat.
Assembled Whoopie Pies can be placed in sandwich bags with most of the air removed, and frozen for up to 6 months. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 1 hour before eating. Good luck and I hope you like these tasty little treats.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, allow to stand 5 minutes, then stir until smooth)
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
3. 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. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
4. Spoon 1/8 cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack of the oven 11 to 13 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet to prevent cracking. Allow to completely cool before handling.

Recommended Filling: Any filling.


Vanilla Whoopie Pies:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 large ...