Take 2 (literally) Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

As this is being posted Seth and I are in the White Mountains at the same place we were married one year ago. People keep asking me if it feels like it has been a year. I honestly can't gauge. Getting married didn't really change very much for us. I just feel like Seth has been my love for a long time, since I've known him. We just go about our lives and are happy and in love...that is all I can say! And if you know us, you know we aren't afraid to show how in love we are. It's OK to make gagging noises at us. I'm used to it at this point.

While I didn't make these whoopie pies today I chose to post them today because the recipe came from the same place we got our wedding cake; Two Fat Cats Bakery. Two Fat Cats is my favorite bakery in Maine. Not only do they have THE best cake and cupcakes but they have the coolest shop. It is exactly what imagine my bakery looking like. It is very open, you can see everything they are doing. They have their cookbooks out in the open. And of course they have their fat cats lying around in the windows to greet treat seekers.

This is my second batch of pumpkin whoopie pies this fall. The first was a Rachael Ray recipe and I thought those were pretty good. These are different. The cake part is a bit more cakey. I prefer this part of the recipe over the other. The filling is very different, this filling has no cream cheese. It is butter, fluff, powder sugar, and maple flavoring. While I really liked it I prefer to have my pumpkin whoopie pies with a cream cheese filling. That's just me. You might prefer something entirely different...like chocolate filling!

If you make these I promise you will not be disappointed...lack of cream cheese and all. They are wonderful.


Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Filling
Source: Two Fat Cats Bakery via Bon Appetit
Yield: 24 pies

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons maple extract

FILLING
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

CAKE
Sift first 7 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until blended. Gradually beat in oil. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with milk in 1 addition, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Cover and chill batter 1 hour.
Arrange 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spoon batter onto baking sheet to form cakes (about 3 level tablespoons each; about 12 per baking sheet), spacing apart. Let stand 10 minutes.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely on baking sheets on rack. Using metal spatula, remove cakes from parchment.
Line cooled baking sheets with clean parchment; spray with nonstick spray, and repeat baking with remaining batter.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling on flat side of 1 cake. Top with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.