Whoopie Pies
Black Forest Whoopie Pies
One of the things I remember loving growing up was Black Forest Cake. There was just something about that cake that I ended up loving so much. Maybe it was the cherry filling surrounded by the white frosting that paired perfectly with that chocolate cake. With that memory, along with finding beautiful cherries at the farmers market, seemed to be ideal for Black Forest Whoopie Pies.
Whoopie Pies Discovery
No surprise how much I love whoopie pies, below you will find some of my fun creations in different flavors. Discovering them in an Amish market in Maryland and Virginia, totally changed my life! ha ha. Being the perfect few bits of cake and frosting sandwiched together for a dream come true in my book! Not to mention a perfect sweet treat snack.
Beautiful Cherries
My weekly trip to the local farmers market led me to find some beautiful cherries! Seeing those dark red berries you just know they are going to be so good! Naturally sweet and delicious. Cherry pies of course, is where my mind initially gravitated to, but then the idea of Black Forest came swooping in.
Black Forest-German Cake
Black Forest also has some significance personally. My husband and I’s first Army assignment was in Germany, and we made a trip to the famous German town. Beautiful dense forest packed with trees, beautiful Germany homes, shops, and a fun community with good eats. We stayed at a beautiful new Pension, and it was just a wonderful experience!
You probably know where I’m going here. We definitely had a slice of their signature Black Forest Cake and made that a point on our travel check list. I will never forget it, the cake was super delicious but very light and not too sweet. European desserts typically are not as sweet as our American versions.
Specifically, the cherry filling was so delicious, I believe it had a touch of alcohol (kirsch) as well to made it a big boozy and strong. I only wished I took a picture of it because it was beautiful and its one of those memories that has stayed with me all these years (like over 25 years….).
Oh, by the way, we left our day in the Black Forest with a traditional German Cuckoo Clock. What a special day that was. Not only did we enjoy a delicious and memorable cake, but also left with a token of the beautiful Black Forest and a great memory to boot.
Black Forest Whoopie Pie
So as you can see, that was my inspiration for these Whoopies along with seeing those beautiful farmers market cherries sealed the idea.
Staying to tradition to the German Cake, this whoopie has the three components as the signature cake:
- Chocolate Cake
- Cherry Filling
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Chocolate Drizzle and Chocolate Shavings (typically used to decorate the top of this cake)
Love Whoopie Pies? Check out this post with a collection of my Favorite Creations!
Black Forest Whoopie Pies
Whoopie pie inspired by the classic German cake and fresh farmers market cherries.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 6 minutes
- Yield: 12 pies 1x
- Category: Whoopie Pies
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
Cherry Compote Filling
1 cup cherries (pitted and sliced in half)
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS water
Vanilla Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Decorations
1 Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar (or any other chocolate bar)
1/2 cup chocolate almond bark (chopped)
Instructions
Cherry Compote
Combine cherries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and cook on medium till cherries get soft and mixture is thickened like a jam.
Remove and place in a bowl to cool at room temperature. Or place in the fridge to cool faster.
Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the oil, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment till blended.
Add in the vanilla.
Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl.
Add in half of the dry to the batter and mix.
Add in all the buttermilk.
Add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on medium low for a minute till everything is mixed well.
Scoop the batter using a small to medium scoop, place on the cookie sheets about 2″ apart.
Bake each tray 5-6 minutes. These will bake super-fast at a high temperature. The tops will also begin to crack slightly.
Remove pans from the oven and cool completely.
Make icing while cakes cool.
Vanilla Buttercream
Cream the butter till fluffy in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Add in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and begin to mix on low speed till sugar is combined with butter and not flying out of the bowl! Once all combined, mix on medium high about a minute till light and fluffy.
Assembling Whoopie Pies
Take the cooled cakes and find similar matches for pairs for the tops and bottoms. Place one side up of the pair and line the cookie sheet with pairs (tops and bottoms).
Place the buttercream in a piping bag with a medium plain tip. Pipe circles around the perimeter of the pies or a ring around. This will cause a dam so the filling doesn’t leak out. 
Place a teaspoon of the filling in each center.
Place tops on each whoopie pie to have complete sandwiches.
Take a Y peeler and shave the end of the candy bar to get small shavings of chocolate. 
Place 1/2 cup chopped chocolate bark in a disposable piping bag and seal the opening with a bag clip. Microwave in 30 second increments till fully melted and smooth. Snip a small opening at the end of the pastry bag and drizzle the top of each whoopie pie. While still wet, sprinkle with shaved chocolate.
Notes
The chocolate cake recipe is from an Amish cookbook, “Busy Mother’s Cookbook”, it never fails!
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