Fourth of July Whoopie Pies

For the cakes:

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking tray with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Put the butter, shortening and both sugars into a large mixing bowl and beat using a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the eggs and buttermilk, mix until blended.

In a small bowl combine the milk, baking soda, vinegar and vanilla.

Add half of the flour mixture into the egg batter and beat gently until mixed through. Add the milk mixture and then add the rest of the flour to the egg batter. Mix until combined but don’t over mix. Once the batter is mixed, separate it into two bowls with roughly the same amounts in each bowl.

Add your red icing color to one bowl and mix thoroughly with a spatula, adding more color if you think it needs it. Repeat with the other bowl adding the blue coloring. Once the batters are ready, put each into a piping bag with a plain nozzle. Pipe the batter onto the tray, keeping the blue and the red cakes separate. The cakes should be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Place them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Take them from the oven and let them rest on the pan for another 5 minutes. When cool transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with all of the batter until it’s been used up.

Once the whoopie cakes are cool, you can fill them with the cream

For the buttercream filling:

Put the butter into a medium-sized bowl. Beat the butter for two minutes using a mixer. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on slow speed for another two minutes. Scrape the bowl down and add the rest of the powdered sugar along with the vanilla.

Beat at low speed until the sugar has been incorporated, then add the milk and then switch to high speed. Beat until light and fluffy. Use at room temperature. Buttercream can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Pipe a blob of cream onto the bottom side of a red cake and top with a blue cake gently pushing down until the cream gets to the edge of the Whoopie Pie. Sprinkle with some red and blue sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar. Best served at room temperature and these whoopies will stay fresh for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Cake recipe adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures. Buttercream recipe adapted from Savory Sweet Life.