Whoopie Pies have been popular for a while now, and for good reason. What’s not to like about a cute, individual serving of moist cake and gooey filling? There is a flavor combination to celebrate every time of year, too.
Chocolate is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but I also associate red foods like cherries and strawberries with it. That’s how I came up with the idea for these Heart Shaped Whoopie Pies.
They’re the traditional chocolate cake recipe baked into the classic Valentine’s shape in the Heart Shaped Whoopie Pie pan. The cakes are sandwiched with velvety cream cheese icing that is studded with chopped tart cherries.
To make them more festive, I added a few drops of rose icing color to the filling and rolled the edges in assorted sprinkles from the 6-Mix Sweetheart Sprinkle Assortment.
The recipe makes 12 Whoopie Pies, and from start to finish took me less than an hour! They’re great for tucking into a lunch box or for serving after dinner.
Whoopie Pies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Cherry Cream Cheese Filling (Recipe is below)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray Whoopie Pie Pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on low speed.
When dry ingredients are almost incorporated, stop the mixer and add the buttermilk. Continue to mix on low speed until all ingredients are almost incorporated.
Stop the mixer and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each cavity; spread batter to the edges. Cavity should be about 2/3 full.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Allow cakes to cool in pan 8 minutes. Cool completely before filling. To assemble pies spread filling on one cake and sandwich with another cake.
Makes 12 whoopie pies (24 cakes total).
Cherry Cream Cheese Filling
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup boiling water
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2-3 drops icing color, if desired
Assorted sprinkles
In a small bowl, combine cherries and boiling water; steep 5 minutes or until cherries are plump; strain. Chop cherries roughly.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar; mix well. Mix in chopped cherries and icing color. Sandwich cakes with filling; roll edges in sprinkles.
Be sure to check our website for more Whoopie Pie recipes .
Beth is the Culinary Specialist in the test kitchen at Wilton. She spends her days examining Wilton products to make sure that they are up to par, helping refine ideas for new Wilton items, and developing fun and simple recipes. The recipes on all Wilton bakeware and Wilton.com originate in the test kitchen, and it’s Beth’s favorite part of the job. Before joining Wilton, Beth worked as a cake decorator and pastry chef. She’s baked, decorated, and delivered hundreds of wedding and birthday cakes, and loves the idea that in some small way, her creations have played a role in so many celebrations. When she’s not in the test kitchen, you can find Beth cooking and baking for her friends and family, and dining out all over Chicago. 
Wilton products are attractive and i find the ideas nd recipes very useful,many thanks to Beth,the brain behind those wonderful creations!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wilton, Tina. Tina said: RT @WiltonCakes: Make whoopie this Valentine’s Day with filled heart treats! http://s.wilton.com/fMNg6f [...]
[...] [...]
I have a question. Can you use a cake mix instead of the whoopie pie recipe? Will it turn out just as well?
A cake mix will work, but the baking time might be different. Check cakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. The cakes are done when the toothpick comes out clean. I would start checking the cakes with the toothpick at 8 minutes.
Can you use something else instead of cherries?
Yes, you can substitute with any dried fruit you like. Or use an equal amount of finely diced fresh fruit that has been patted dry to reduce the amount of moisture. Or opt to leave the cherries out completely for a traditional cream cheese icing.