12 Days of Christmas: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

It's Day #2 of my 12 Days of Christmas!

When I think about Christmas desserts, I always end up wanting to make something...anything

RED VELVET!

Red Velvet is not only delicious but so pretty and festive!  Red Velvet desserts scream CHRISTMAS!  

My Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are the perfect dessert to add to your holiday table!  Red Velvet Cake filled with gorgeous white cream cheese icing.  You could always add on green sprinkles if you wanted a little extra pinch of holiday cheer!

Your Shopping List for the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 recipe cream cheese icing (you could always use store bought cream cheese icing in a pinch)

Your Shopping List for the Cream Cheese Icing:

• 1 stick room temperature butter
• 1 block room temperature cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar

Now Let's Make the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for two minutes
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to drop batter onto prepared baking sheets
5. Use a knife or spatula to smooth each drop of batter into a circle
6. Bake for 10 minutes
7. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely 

Now Let's Make the Cream Cheese Icicing:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until soft and combined
2. Beat in the vanilla extract
3. On the lowest speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until combined
4. Turn up to medium/high speed and beat until icing is light and fluffy

Now Let's assemble the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

1. Turn half of the cooled whoopie pies upside down
2. Generously frost the bottom of those pies
3. Top with the other half of the pies
4. If desired, place extra icing in a piping bag and pipe around the outside of each completed whoopie pie

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

All Blakely could talk about in the weeks leading up to her birthday was that she wanted Chocolate Whoopie Pies!  If you asked her what presents she wanted for her birthday she would answer you with "Chocolate Whoopie Pies."  And if you asked her what she wanted for dinner she would answer with "Chocolate Whoopie Pies."  Seriously, my children are so simple when it comes to what they want for birthdays - all they care about is the dessert!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies was what she wanted, and chocolate whoopie pies was what she got.  A few family members remarked that these were their favorite flavor Whoopie Pie yet!  And they just happen to be Cake Mix Recipe #49!

Your Shopping List for the Chocolate Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• vanilla buttercream icing - you can buy some at the store or make my recipe HERE

Now Let's Make the Chocolate Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, eggs, water, and oil
3. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to drop batter onto prepared baking sheets - leave room for spreading
5. Take the back of a spoon or spatula and swirl the batter into circles 
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 9-12 minutes until cakes are cooked through and spring back to the touch
7. Allow to cool on pans for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely
8. Once cakes are cool, flip half of the over and spread buttercream icing on the bottom. Top with additional cake, essentially making a sandwich
9. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours if using homemade icing, after that store in the fridge

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Tuesday was Lacie's third birthday, and the only thing my sweet little girl wanted was WHOOPIE PIES!!!  She specifically asked for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies....and what the birthday girl wants, she gets!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are also CAKE MIX RECIPE #44!!!

Your Shopping List for the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 recipe cream cheese icing (you could always use store bought cream cheese icing in a pinch)

Your Shopping List for the Cream Cheese Icing:

• 1 stick room temperature butter
• 1 block room temperature cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar

Now Let's Make the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for two minutes
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to drop batter onto prepared baking sheets
5. Use a knife or spatula to smooth each drop of batter into a circle
6. Bake for 10 minutes
7. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely 

Now Let's Make the Cream Cheese Icicing:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until soft and combined
2. Beat in the vanilla extract
3. On the lowest speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until combined
4. Turn up to medium/high speed and beat until icing is light and fluffy

Now Let's assemble the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

1. Turn half of the cooled whoopie pies upside down
2. Generously frost the bottom of those pies
3. Top with the other half of the pies
4. If desired, place extra icing in a piping bag and pipe around the outside of each completed whoopie pie

A very happy birthday girl! 

My Essential Tools for making perfect Whoopie Pies are:

1. My Kitchen Aid stand mixer (in pink of course)

2. Parchment Paper

3. Really Good Cookie Sheets (this will help everything bake evenly)

Strawberry Whoopie Pies

When deciding on the main dessert for last week's Gender Reveal Party, I wanted something to represent both pink and blue since I would not know the gender of Baby #3 until right before the party started.  I could have just made cupcakes and topped half with pink and half with blue icing, but I have been loving the Whoopie Pies lately!  So I decided to make Strawberry Whoopie pies to represent the PINK and fill them with my recipe for buttercream icing simply colored blue!

Strawberry Whoopie Pies make the list for Cake Mix Recipe #42!!!  Now you can always fill them with plain white buttercream icing if you are not having a gender reveal party!  However, the pink and blue color scheme would also make these the perfect dessert to serve at a shower when the expectant mother does not know what she is having!

Your Shopping List for the Strawberry Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 eggs
• buttercream or vanilla icing

Now Let's Make the Strawberry Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, veggie oil, water, and eggs.
3. Beat on low speed 30 seconds and scrape down the sides.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Drop batter by tablespoon or cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
5. Take the back of a spoon or a knife to spread batter into flat circles.
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes (cookies should be soft but cooked through and just starting to get color on the bottom).
7. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
8. Once cookies are completely cool, turn half of the pies upside down and frost the bottom.  For this I used my homemade buttercream icing but if you are short on time you could just use store bought icing to make it easier.  
9. Place the other half of the pies right side up on top of the frosting.
10. If desired, use a piping bag to pipe extra icing around the center edge.
11. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours, after that wrap each whoopie pie individually with saran wrap and store in the fridge.

A few tools for making perfect Whoopie Pies a piece of cake:

Lemon Whoopie Pies

Last Friday was my birthday!  And since I enjoy baking so much, I did just that and made myself my own birthday treat.  I didn't mind because John did the dishes!  I was so happy with the way my Orange Creamsicle Whoopie Pies turned out that I decided to make:

Lemon Whoopie Pies

And they did not disappoint!  They also are CAKE MIX RECIPE #41!!!

Your Shopping List for the Lemon Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 eggs
• buttercream or vanilla icing

Now Let's Make the Lemon Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, veggie oil, water, and eggs.
3. Beat on low speed 30 seconds and scrape down the sides.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Drop batter by tablespoon or cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
5. Take the back of a spoon or a knife to spread batter into flat circles.
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes (cookies should be soft but cooked through and just starting to get color on the bottom).
7. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
   
8. Once cookies are completely cool, turn half of the pies upside down and frost the bottom.  For this I used my homemade buttercream icing but if you are short on time you could just use store bought icing to make it easier.  
9. Place the other half of the pies right side up on top of the frosting.
10. If desired, use a piping bag to pipe extra icing around the center edge.
11. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours, after that wrap each whoopie pie individually with saran wrap and store in the fridge.

Can you tell that Blakely is very eager to eat a Lemon Whoopie Pie?!?  She wouldn't even help blow out the candle! 

Two very happy little girls! 

Orange Creamsicle Whoopie Pies

Around Easter time I made Orange Creamsicle Cookies, and they were a big hit with my family!  Yesterday for my Dad's birthday, I wanted to use the same flavor idea but make something a bit different...

Whoopie Pies!

They came out DELICIOUS!  And they honestly taste just like a creamsicle!  Plus, they couldn't be easier to make...especially since they are CAKE MIX RECIPE #39!!!!!

This cake mix is perfect for this recipe! 

Your Shopping List for the Orange Creamsicle Whoopie Pies:

• 1 box orange cake mix
• 1/2 cup veggie oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 eggs
• buttercream or vanilla icing

Now Let's Make the Orange Creamsicle Whoopie Pies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, veggie oil, water, and eggs.
3. Beat on low speed 30 seconds and scrape down the sides.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Drop batter by tablespoon or cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
5. Take the back of a spoon or a knife to spread batter into flat circles.
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes (cookies should be soft but cooked through and just starting to get color on the bottom).
7. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely 
   
8. Once cookies are completely cool, turn half of the pies upside down and frost the bottom.  For this I used my homemade buttercream icing but if you are short on time you could just use store bought icing to make it easier.  
9. Place the other half of the pies right side up on top of the frosting.
10. If desired, use a piping bag to pipe extra icing around the center edge.
11. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours, after that wrap each whoopie pie individually with saran wrap and store in the fridge.

I found a new love in these little whoopie pies, and I will definitely be mixing up the flavor combos to make a few other cake mix whoopie pies in the near future! 

Happy Summer Baking