Vanilla Whoopie Pies from Scratch

3 from 2 votes

Deliciously soft and sweet cakes loaded with vanilla bean marshmallow cream, everyone will love these vanilla whoopie pies.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vanilla bean whoopie recipes, vanilla whoopie pies

Servings: large cakes

Calories: 903kcal

Author: Katie

Equipment

Parchment paper
Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
Baking sheets (2 or more, depending on cake size)
cooling rack
Cake tester or toothpick (for checking doneness)

Ingredients

The Cakes

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk (whole preferred but not essential)

The Filling

¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups marshmallow cream (such as marshmallow fluff brand)
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or inner portion of vanilla bean, scraped out

Instructions

Make the Cakes

Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, position the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Next, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes). Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Next, scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Then, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, ½ cup at a time, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Scoop the batter. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing scoops about 2 inches apart. You should have 12 large cakes. For smaller cakes, use 2 tablespoons of batter and make about 24 cakes.
Bake the pies. Bake for 15-18 minutes for large cakes (or 10-13 minutes for smaller cakes). Rotate the baking sheets halfway through for even baking. The pies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center is clean and soft. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack completely.

Make the Filling

Beat the butter and sugar. In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
Add the marshmallow cream. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and marshmallow cream. Beat until smooth and fully combined.
Incorporate the vanilla bean. Add the vanilla bean paste or seeds from the vanilla pod. Mix on low speed until evenly distributed.

Assemble the whoopie pies

Spread the filling. Spread about ⅓ cup of filling onto half the cake's flat side. If the filling is too soft, refrigerate it to firm it up for 10-15 minutes.
Make the sandwiches. Place the remaining cakes on top of the filled cakes, gently pressing to spread the filling to the edges.
Serve or refrigerate. Serve immediately or refrigerate the whoopie pies for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, allow the pies to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Notes

Make sure your butter and egg are not cold before you start. Room temperature ingredients mix better, giving the cakes and filling a nicer texture. Cold stuff can make the mix lumpy.

If your filling feels too runny, a short time in the fridge or a little more powdered sugar can fix it.

Adding too much flour can make the cakes too heavy and not moist. To measure flour correctly, spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off. Don’t scoop it straight from the bag because you might get too much.

Don’t put the batter too close to the baking sheets. They need room to spread out when they bake. They might stick together or not cook right if they're too close.

To avoid lumps in your filling, sift the powdered sugar before mixing it with the butter. This makes the marshmallow cream filling fluffy.

Even though it’s tempting, don’t start putting them together until the cakes are completely cool. If they’re warm, the filling will melt and get messy.

Use a piping bag or a cut corner of a plastic bag to add the filling for a neat look. This way, it’s easier to control, and you won’t get filling everywhere.

Once you’re comfortable making the basic kind, try adding new flavors! For example, mix a teaspoon of instant coffee to the filling for a mocha flavor or almond extract to the cakes for something different.

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