I have been making Whoopie Pies, using this recipe, for over 26 years.  There are a lot of recipes for these little babies out there with numerous flavor variations but I always gravitate back to this one.  So good!

For cakes:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk (shake the heck out of it! – if you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk and add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a separate bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy and a light brown color, about 5 minutes. Add egg and continue beating until well combined.  Reduce mixing speed and add in buttermilk and flour mixtures alternately (start with flour and try to end with flour).  Scrape the bowl frequently and mix until smooth.

Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop and place small mounds of  batter unto large greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 9-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for several minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer to baking rack to finish cooling.  Cool completely prior to assembling your pies or you will melt your filling.

For Filling:

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together the butter shortening and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

To assemble pies, spread filling on the bottom (flat) side of one cookie and top with a second cookie.  Store in refrigerator.

(if you are a lover of marshmallow creme, you can use this in your filling.  Change the recipe as follows:  eliminate shortening, reduce powdered sugar to 1 1/4 cups and add 2 cups marshmallow creme – cream butter and vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until fluffy.  Add the creme, mix thoroughly).