Each year, come March, I ask our oldest daughter what she’d like for a birthday treat. Never once has she requested any kind of a traditional birthday cake. In recent years, we’ve done Fudgy Mini Brownie Fruit Pies with Almond Cream Cheese, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, brownie towers, and make-your-own ice cream sundaes. I love the variety and fun that Hatti’s ideas bring to our table of celebrating.
Hatti has been wanting to make whoopie pies for a number of years now, and I have no idea why it took so long to finally make some in our own kitchen. This Whoopie Pies Recipe with Fluffy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cream, Hatti’s 2013 birthday treat of choice, is some kind of milk guzzlin’ fun!
The chocolate cakes are soft and tender, and not particularly sweet. They make the perfect means to deliver that fabulous sweet and marshmallowy peanut butter filling to your mouth. We even made our own homemade marshmallow cream for the filling… this whoopie pies recipe was so much fun!!
It seems like only yesterday that Hatti fit into the palm of her daddy’s hand…
…those sweet dark eyes, all Daddy, gazing back at us.
We love you, girl.
Oh, how we love you.
Happy Birthday!
Whoopie Pies with Fluffy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cream
Ingredients
- For the Chocolate Cakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1.25 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- For the Fluffy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cream:
- 1 cup marshmallow cream homemade or store bought
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or butter the baking sheets. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, beat together butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. If using a handheld mixer, beat for a couple extra minutes. Then add egg and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
- On your prepared baking sheets, spoon mounds of batter (equalling a generous 2 tablespoons each – this will give you a nice large pie that isn’t overly huge), leaving close to 2 inches between mounds. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, about 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cakes cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring with a thin spatula to a rack to cool completely.
For the Fluffy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cream:
- In a medium bowl, with a mixer at low speed, combine marshmallow cream, peanut butter, butter, and salt until well blended.
- On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, alternately with cream, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
To Assemble the Whoopie Pies:
- Place a tablespoon of peanut butter marshmallow cream onto the center of one of the flat sides of a cake, and then spread the cream almost out the edge.
- Top with another flat side of cake and press very gently, spreading the frosting out just a bit more to the edge. Repeat with remaining cakes.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Stay tuned! Later this week I’ll share the easy and delicious recipe we used to make homemade marshmallow cream!
Dear Hattie,
I completely agree with you, these are FAR better than birthday cake any time. I made these and WOW, they were a big hit with my family and church family. So much so that one of my very best friends asked me for the recipe. These whoopie pies are amazing. This weekend our church is having our Fall Fest and we are having a Chili contest and a Dessert Bake Off and I am making Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin Spice Marshmallow filling. I love the peanut butter, but since it is Fall, I think the pumpkin Spice would help me win the Bake Off. The clincher will be a touch of coffee and cinnamon in the chocolate cookie. That is my signature for my cakes. People love it. So, your favorite birthday dessert has inspired me to make these for our bake off and to go the extra mile and add my signature and do more. Many more Happy Birthdays to you Dear Sweet Hattie!!
From a very big fan of yours,
Melissa
I was wondering in a pinch can box cake mix be used
I made these yesterday. Along with the homemade marshmallow fluff. Awesome!! I took them to bible study and they were gone before we started. Thanks for the recipe. Love your site. Beautiful photos as well. :)
You made my day! Thank you SO MUCH for coming back to let me know, Alice. I’m so happy you enjoyed these. :)
Such a sweet, sweet happy birthday to Hatti! xoxoxo
I’m with your girl, I’d rather have these whoopie pies than a boring old cake any day. Had I dreamed as a kid that such a thing as peanut butter marshmallow creme existed, I would have asked for it for my birthday!
Such a great birthday treat! And such a beautiful daughter! :)
Oh yum! My kids never ask for a traditional birthday cake either — my oldest asked for a carrot cake for his birthday last week.
What a great idea! I’ve been making quite a few Whoppie pies lately, and never though of peanut butter for the filling. Great idea! Happy Birthday Hatti!
What a great idea! I’ve been making quite a few Whoppie pies lately, and never though of peanut butter for the filling. Great idea! Happt Birthday Hatti!
I’ve wanted to make whoopie pies for a long time but haven’t done it. These look like the best ones ever! Happy Birthday to your sweet girl and I have to tell you those baby photos just melted my heart.
Awwwwwwww! Happy Birthday to your beautiful girl! These whoopie pies look divine!!! You’re a good mama.
Happy Birthday to Hatti! The whoopie pies look so delicious! I’ve made a few sandwich cookies, but never a real whoopie pie. I must try this some time.
Oh wow… these look divine! Happy Birthday Hatti!
Aww your girl is such a sweetie! Happy Birthday Hatti!! And these look fabulous too :)
Happy Birthday Hatti! The whoopie pies look amazing :)
Love these whoopie pies, what a fun birthday treat!
Happy birthday to your oldest!! Such cute pictures!! And I want three of these whoopie pies right now! :)