Whoopie Pies

I love whoopie pies, and that’s pretty much all I have to say about that.  I also love baking things from scratch, but sometimes I like a quick fix.  This recipe uses Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free chocolate cake mix, it saves time as well as the cost of individual ingredients.  You don’t have to use Bob’s Red Mill, but you may need to cut back on the overall amount of liquid that this recipe asks for.  You want to make sure the batter is a bit thicker than normal.  After some trial runs, I also discovered that the best way to make the cakes is to use a cupcake tin, lubed up with butter or oil.

Ingredients for Cakes:

½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1 (16 oz) package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free chocolate cake mix
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for Frosting:
¼ cup shortening
3 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cupcake tin with oil or butter

Cream the butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth.  Gradually add the cake mix, milk, lemon juice, and eggs at a low speed.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend ingredients thoroughly.  Add the warm water and vanilla and blend until mixed.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin and fill each hole about ¾.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (stick in a toothpick, if it comes out clean, they are done).  Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely.

While they cool you can work on the frosting.  Using your electric mixer, beat the shortening and confectioner’s sugar until blended.  Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla.  Mix until it is light and fluffy.

Once your cakes are cooled, cut each in half and spread frosting on each cake.  Sandwich the cakes together and dust the tops with leftover confectioner’s sugar if you’re feeling fancy.  Enjoy!