Maine Whoopie Pies with Whipped Chocolate Caramel
A twist on a classic Whoopie pie in a square format with whipped caramel frosting
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 4 oz 80 - 100% dark chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coffee
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter until lightly browned. Pour into a heat safe container and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water. stir to combine and turn heat up to medium/high.
- Cook caramel until it turns a deep amber color. Be careful not to burn.
- Remove from heat and add butter, chocolate chips, cream, and sea salt, being careful of splattering hot caramel.
- Whisk to combine and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Allow mixture to cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
- Sift cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl.
- In a stand mixer, beat reserved brown butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, coffee, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, with adding the buttermilk, 1/2 at a time.
- When your batter comes together, it should be a thick cake batter. Grease and line a baking sheet and spread cake mixture evenly and thinly over the surface.
- Cook for 11-15 minutes until cake springs back lightly. Allow to cool slightly.
- With a ruler (or by sight) cut cake mixture in half once vertically and then in equal rectangles horizontally. Each shape should be the same size. Cover with a tea towel until ready to fill.
- In a stand mixer, whip your cooled caramel and chocolate mixture for 2-3 minutes on high until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer whipped caramel to a piping bag and frost half of the whoopie pie halves. Sandwich the whoopie pies with another cake half and press gently. Run a knife along the sides to smooth.
Notes
- If the walls of your caramel pan builds up with sugar crystals, take a pastry brush with water and brush the sides while cooking to allow sugar to dissolve.
- Before spreading the cake batter in your sheet pan, adhere parchment paper to the surface with grease or butter. It should lay completely flat. Then, grease the edges of the pan. Use an offset spatula to spread your cake batter in your sheet pan.
- If your whipped caramel is running out of your whoopee pies, place the halves in the fridge for 10 minutes before placing the second half on top to firm the texture.