Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
With a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of nuts, this eye-catching variation is a delightful twist on the classic cake. Sometimes I substitute canned cream cheese frosting for the filling.
With a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of nuts, this eye-catching variation is a delightful twist on the classic cake. Sometimes I substitute canned cream cheese frosting for the filling.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- toppings:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup daisy brand sour cream
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- white baking chips melted
- finely chopped pecans
- Carbohydrate 24.685100953 g
- Cholesterol 60.0301723863653 mg
- Fat 23.346838867131 g
- Fiber 1.98282615271894 g
- Protein 4.26794758459046 g
- Saturated Fat 11.5513582991528 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (118g)
- Sodium 2612.56651986814 mg
- Sugar 22.7022748002811 g
- Trans Fat 2.1998088547023 g
- Calories 315 calories
Step-by-step
- In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in melted chocolate.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
- For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread filling on the bottoms of half of the cookies, about 1 tablespoon on each. Top with remaining cookies. Drizzle with melted baking chips; sprinkle with nuts. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Substituting canned frosting for a from-scratch cream cheese filling alters the final structure significantly, yielding a sweeter, denser interior that lacks the airy lift achieved by whipping softened butter and cream cheese together with confectioners' sugar. Freshly whipped dairy incorporates micro-air-pockets that contrast against the dense, cake-like crumb of the chocolate-tinted rounds. Bakers must monitor the oven closely when these rounds bake at 375 degrees for eight to ten minutes, as the cocoa solids darken quickly and make doneness difficult to judge by color alone.
Relying on a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment simplifies the creaming process for both the batter and the rich filling, though a handheld electric mixer operates efficiently if you scrape down the bowl frequently to prevent pockets of unblended butter. Standard baking sheets lined with parchment paper are necessary to prevent the sticky, chocolate-infused batter from adhering to the metal surface during baking. If parchment paper is unavailable, thoroughly greasing and flouring heavy-gauge aluminum baking sheets provides an acceptable non-stick barrier.
Acidic components like white vinegar interact chemically with the baking soda and the cocoa powder, which heightens the distinct reddish anthocyanin pigments present in standard baking cocoa without requiring excessive amounts of artificial dye. Clear vanilla extract is specified here to preserve the bright red hue without imparting the amber tint that standard dark vanilla extract introduces to the crumb structure and the white cream cheese filling. Maintaining this pale interior color ensures the visual contrast between the cake halves and the central filling remains sharp and clean.
Storing these assembled cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator is mandatory due to the dairy-heavy filling, and they taste best when allowed to temper at room temperature for ten minutes before serving so the fats soften properly. As the confections rest overnight, the moisture from the crumb migrates slightly into the filling, softening the exterior shell into a tender texture that mirrors traditional handheld bakery treats. Careful stacking with sheets of parchment between layers prevents the decorative melted baking chip drizzles and chopped pecans from sticking together inside the storage vessel.
