Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Put a red velvet spin on a classic baked treat! These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are filled with a marshmallow cream cheese frosting – they’re delicious!
February. The dead of winter. February in upstate New York is cold. Very cold. Before we moved south to Asheville, I spent most days under a wearable Sherpa blanket…and that’s indoors! My sister gave us those wearable Sherpa blankets a couple of years ago as gag gifts. They do indeed look ridiculous, and I don’t think my sister thought we’d actually wear them. She was wrong.
Other than the snow and the retrieval of the Sherpa blankets from the closet, there’s not much to say about February in upstate New York. At least we have Valentine’s Day half-way through the month to brighten things up a bit!
We all know February 14 is the day for remembering St. Valentine, but do you actually know who St. Valentine was? I don’t. I am a huge Roman history buff, and even for me the story of St. Valentine is a bit murky.
We know that Valentinus (as he was known in those days) was a martyr. Beyond that, we don’t know much. For starters, there are at least 12 saints with the name Valentinus. (Valens in Latin means strong or powerful, so it’s easy to see why the name Valentinus would’ve been a popular name.)
One of the more accepted stories is that a Roman priest named Valentinus lived around 265 AD. At the time, young Roman men were conscripted into military service. Valentinus was caught performing marriage rituals for these young men – apparently marriage was a way to avoid forced military service.
Well, the emperor caught wind of Valentinus’ secret marriages, and that was the end of that. According to legend, Valentinus was martyred on February 14, thus the connection between Valentine’s Day and February 14. How much of this is true? Unknown. I’d venture to guess that there are elements of truth in there, but we may never know the real story behind Valentine’s Day.
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
While the origin of Valentine’s Day may remain murky, that won’t keep me from celebrating this holiday! To be fair, we don’t go all out for Valentine’s Day here – usually just flowers and a card. Perhaps we’ll cook steaks for dinner.
But I always make sure to have some sort of fun red velvet dessert around! This year, these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are taking center stage. They barely had enough time for a bow before they disappeared!
Whoopie pies traditionally feature two pieces of chocolate cake with a sweet frosting in between. However, given the time of the year, I thought it might be fun to put a red velvet spin on this sweet treat.
Like St. Valentine, the origin of the whoopie pie is also quite murky. It is generally accepted that whoopie pies come from Amish communities, and many whoopie pies feature marshmallow fluff in the filling.
For these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, I put a red velvet spin on the cakes by using buttermilk, cocoa powder and a bit of white vinegar. Oh, and red food coloring. As I was cleaning the mixing bowl, my sink looked like something from a bad horror film.
Once the red velvet cakes were baked, I set about making the filling. I wanted to keep with whoopie pie tradition by using marshmallow fluff in the filling. However, I also wanted to keep with red velvet tradition by using a cream cheese frosting. In the end, I combined both together into a marshmallow cream cheese frosting. Let me tell ya – this frosting is amazing! I wish I could package this frosting and sell it. It’s that good!
If you’re looking for a fun treat for Valentine’s Day, then put these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies on the menu. Happy Baking!
Did you make these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Whoopie Pies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp red food coloring i.e. 1 ounce
- ½ Tbsp white vinegar
For the Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1¾ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1¾ cups marshmallow fluff
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Whoopie Pies
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set mixture aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add egg; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract, food coloring and vinegar; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Spray 2 parchment-lined sheet pans with non-stick baking spray. Spoon ~2 Tbsp mounds of batter onto pans. (Note: Leave ~1” in between mounds of batter.)
- Bake for 112-15 minutes, or until tops of the cakes spring back when touched.
- Let cakes cool completely.
For the Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth.
To Assemble
- Spread the frosting onto the flat side of one cake. (Tip: For a smoother look, pipe the frosting on top of the cakes using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.)
- Lay another cake on top, flat-side down.
- Repeat process with remaining cakes and frostings.
- Assembled whoopie pies can be stored at room temperature for 3 days. If you need to stack them, place a piece of wax paper in between each layer.
Looking for more tasty red velvet dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the pies can i use vegan butter and coconut milk and frosting can i use vegan butter and cream cheese and what is marshmallow fluff as i dont have that in Singapore i never had red velvet whoopie pies before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Whoopie pies are a fun dessert idea that are decently popular here in the US. I put a Valentine’s Day spin on these with the red velvet, and they turned out really well. I do think vegan substitutions would be just fine here! Happy baking!
ooh yes delish cream cheese frosting! and i love a really red cake/pie.
Oh that marshmallow cream cheese frosting in the middle? It’s the stuff of dreams! If I knew how to package and sell it, I would! 🙂
Yeah, February. After relatively mild winter – above zero most of the times – here in Nova Scotia, we’re expecting low temperatures on Friday / Saturday. Super low temperatures. ~25 C below zero with the windchill being ~ 40C below zero.
Yeah, we urgently need those wearable blankets (Do they also have for cats? I think Daisy needs one too LOL).
Anyway, I’m not planning on making any Valentine’s recipes this year, so instead I could enjoy these Whoopie Pies. I mean the outside temperature will promote my decise to turn the oven on!
It’s actually been warm here in North Carolina this winter, too. What I can’t figure out is whether this is just unusually warm this year or is it really that much nicer here in the winter. Those wearable blankets look ridiculous – but I swear we used them quite often back in New York!
I do think you should make a batch of these whoopie pies for Valentine’s Day this year. They might not warm you up, but they’ll be delicious!
Perfect for Valentine’s Day! They’d be sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face! 🙂
These definitely brought a smile to our faces! 🙂 Thanks, Kathy!
So how’s the February weather in Asheville? I bet you hardly even need a jacket! I used to go hog wild on Valentine’s Day, but now I think of it as having been promoted by flower, chocolate, and jewelry sellers to stimulate the economy after Christmas. So romantic! But anything that keeps chocolatiers afloat is a good thing in my book. So that’s the way I roll on VD. However, these whoopies have turned my head, for sure! I had no idea that they were Amish. 🙂 That marshmallow cream cheese idea sounds spectacular.
Oh Asheville winters are amazing, Jeff! I think I’ve only pulled out my ‘normal winter jacket’ (i.e. not even the heavy-duty one) once. Funny story, though. We had a flurry about 2 weeks ago. Literally just that. A light dusting of snow that didn’t accumulate at all. Sure enough – within 5 minutes of the snow starting, we got a note that Robbie’s school was delayed. 🙂
I do tend to agree with you about Valentine’s Day and the commercial side of things. However, it’s February, and there’s not much else to get excited about it. I mean maybe Groundhog Day instead??
I highly suggest making a batch of that marshmallow cream cheese frosting and then hiding in the closet with the bowl. No one needs to know it ever existed.
This is a new one to me. A “whoopie pie”! Love the name… 😉 The fact it comes from the Amish, of all peoples, makes it even more hilarious!
Btw, I didn’t know you were a fellow Roman history buff. Are you familiar with the YouTube channel called “Told in Stone”? If not, I think you’d really like it. Hosted by a Roman history professor I learn a lot there. Also Maioranus, which focuses on late Roman history. Both fascinating if you like the period.
Hah – you make a good point about the irony of whoopie pie and its origin in the Amish community. I have no idea what it actually refers to, but I do know that a whoopie pie is quite delicious. Think two pieces of thin cake filled with cream cheese frosting.
Oooo…thank you so much for the YouTube references here. I feel like “Told in Stone” sounds vaguely familiar for some reason. I’m adding it to my list right now!
What a fantastic spin on whoopie pies for Valentine’s !! Love that colour!
Thanks so much, Michelle! These whoopie pies were a fun way to put a twist on a classic dessert…and they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day with the red!
I’m powerless to resist a whoopie pie and I’ve never had a red velvet version! So delicious and I love your cake to frosting ratio.
Haha – I hear ya, Marissa! A good whoopie pie is indeed hard to beat. This red velvet one turned out quite well, and that marshmallow cream cheese frosting? SO good!!
I remember that story about Valentinus performing marriages too and Asterius’ daughter being healed (supposedly) by him – did you hear that story?
However, I had never heard of the origin of whoopie pies – so thanks for that tidbit, David! Speaking of which – wow, these are gorgeous! And YES – I think YOU SHOULD Sell that cream cheese marshmallow frosting! In fact, I’m on my way there – make sure you have 5 mason jars filled – name your price!
Hmmm, Asterius’ daughter is not ringing a bell. I’ll have to go google that! I probably knew that part of the story at one point…but I forget things these days. 🙂 One thing I won’t be forgetting, though? How good these whoopie pies (and that marshmallow cream cheese frosting) were!!
How you liking that Asheville winter my friend? Bet you haven’t been living under the blanket this winter, seeing as how you’ve only gotten snow, what, 1 day?!
These look like a fun V-Day treat!
Oh my gosh – Asheville winters are amazing! Yes, we’ve had a couple of cold snaps where we had to pull out legit jackets, but for the most part it’s just sweatshirts. We took a walk around the neighborhood yesterday! That wouldn’t have been possible this time of the year in NY.
I bet you’re even warmer out there – AZ right now??
Hi David- I’ve seen your name come up on several blogs that I follow (Karen from Back Road Journal, etc) and I thought I’d say “Hi” and introduce myself. My name is ‘Fran’ from G’day Souffle’ blog. It looks like you’re my kinda guy with these Whoopie Pies (I also like Whoopie Cushions)! I’m impressed with your credentials- a Ph.D. who loves to cook! I hope to follow your blog and see more of your recipes!
Hey Fran!! So nice to meet you! Your blog name sounds very familiar, too, and I’m really glad you stopped by. Definitely looking forward to following along with your recipes!!