Whoopie Cakes

It's recipe of the month with Nicole and she picked whoopie cakes. I know that both our families love these and who wouldn't. A chocolate sponge cake filled with buttercream, and even better no fork required! You could just run out to your local bakery and purchase some, or check your pantry and see that you probably have all the ingredients on hand. We used the recipe from www.lorrainepascale.com. It's from her Baking made easy cookbook. We did some tweaking to the recipe to convert some of the measurements to American, adjusted the flour a bit and the end result was delicious! This is where a kitchen scale would come in handy, and one is on my Christmas list. You really need to be patient and let the cakes cool before filling them. I know it's hard with those chocolate cakes sitting there so pretty just waiting for that beautiful buttercream filling to be placed between them, but if you don't, the buttercream will melt. Baking is a lot like life. You need to be patient and not get ahead of yourself, let the ingredients work together, enjoy the process and the end result will be worth the wait. Whoopie cakes are love.


The Christmas Story continued-
Luke 2:11-15 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manager. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."


I know that lots of people are starting their cookie baking and that cookie exchanges are getting going. If you are attending a  cookie exchange, encourage your group to bring an extra dozen. Make a cookie tray and donate it to a local nursing home, hospice or food pantry. You and your family could also make a cookie tray with your baked goods and drop one off together. If you are not a baker, why not pick up a box of cookies or doughnuts at your local bakery and drop them off?


Whoopie Cakes-
Ingredients-
120 ml (4.2 fl oz) milk
190 g (6.7 oz) Demerara sugar (we used brown sugar at just about a cup)
120 ml (4.2 fl oz) sour cream (a little more that a 1/2 cup)
180 g (6.3 oz) all purpose flour (we used about 2 cups to make a cake like batter)
55 g (1.9 oz) cocoa powder (we used a heaping 2 Tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 drops of vanilla extract (we used about 2 teaspoons)
115 ml (4 fl oz) sunflower oil or regular cooking oil (just under a 1/2 cup)

Buttercream filling-
200 g (7 oz) softened unsalted butter
400 g (14.1 oz) confectioners' sugar (we used about 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon milk


Directions-


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 


Heat the milk gently in a small saucepan, add the sugar, then take off the heat and add the sour cream. Stir to combine. Leave to cool to body temperature.


Put flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt together in a large bowl. Once the milk mixture has cooled add the eggs, vanilla and oil. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and fold gently. (This is where you might have to add a bit more flour to get the right consistency.)


You could transfer this mixture to a piping bag and pipe just about 2" circles on your cookie sheet or do as we did and scooped it out. They will spread out as they bake. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean.


Cool Completely!! This would be a good time to clean up your mess, start or fold laundry, pick up.....etc., etc.


Make the buttercream filling by beating all ingredients together until light and fluffy adding a touch more milk to get a spreadable consistency.


Once the whoopie cakes have cooled frost one bottom half and top with another cake. Repeat with the rest of the cakes.


Eat Well, Sonya