Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are one of the signature dishes from Baked in Brooklyn. They have quite a following, and this recipe replicates them very well. I brought these to work and they were a big hit, but I have to be honest—these aren’t my favorite (although that hasn’t stopped me from eating them). I think that I like pumpkin things less that I am supposed to. Maybe it’s a texture thing? For the pumpkin fans out there, I think you will really love these.
Despite by moderate enthusiasm for the cakes, the frosting in the center of these is AMAZING. Like really, really AMAZING. If nothing else, just make the frosting and eat it with a spoon—it is that good. It is a caramel cream cheese frosting that is surprisingly easy to make. I can imagine using it on a variety of cakes. I think it would be a delicious topping for a basic yellow, or buttermilk cake recipe. If I were to attempt these again, one thing I might try doing is adding a little orange zest to the batter. It might brighten these a little and make them even tastier.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
(The recipe says this makes 12 pies, I ended up with more like 20. I guess it depends on the size of the cookies. These are rich and I can’t imagine them being any bigger than what I made.)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk sugar and oil together until combined. Add the chilled pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, form sandwiches using Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 pound box of confectioners sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 stick of butter at room temperature
Sprinkle 1/2 cup powdered sugar over bottom of small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts (do not stir). Continue cooking until sugar turns deep amber, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Carefully stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Strain into small bowl. Cool caramel to room temperature.
Sift remaining powdered sugar into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add cooled caramel and beat well. (I only used about 3/4 of the caramel, taste as you add it until it gets to desired amount of caramel flavor.) Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.