Christmas Eve Dessert | Jill's Cooking

Whoopie Pies are a New England classic. Their origin is a controversy though as both Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Maine and Berwick Cake Company in Roxbury, Massachusetts both started making them in the early 1920s claiming them as their own.

Whoopie Pies are two pieces of cake filled with marshmallow fluff frosting in the middle. The good news is that the cakes and filling can both be made ahead a stored at room temperature in airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble them. Assembled Whoopie Pies can be stored at room temperature 1 day.

I learned to make these while I lived in New England. The first I made was a Pumpkin Whoopie Pie at Halloween. Since, then I’ve graduated to my favorite flavor — Chocolate — which I’m sharing!

Chocolate Whoopie Pie

Cake Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder such as Hershey’s

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk, room temperature

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable shortening such as Crisco

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/3 cups (1 jar) Marshmallow Fluff

1/4 tsp kosher salt dissolved in 1 TBSP water

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees positioning the rack in the middle of your oven. Line two large, rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl with a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, or a large bowl using a hand-mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla on medium-high until smooth. Scrap down the sides of the bowl continually. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
Add the cocoa powder on low speed until combined.
Gradually, add the flour to the batter, alternating with the milk beating on low until you’ve used both. Scape down the sides and combined until smooth.
Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a 2″ pastry scoop. Leave a few inches between each since they will expand while baking. I add about 9 to 10 per sheet.
Bake 11 to 12 minutes until they are set and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans. Then, add them to a baking rack to continue cooling completely before adding the filling.
While they are cakes are cooling, beat the shortening, confectioner’s sugar and Marshmallow fluff in a standing mixer or with a hand-mixer. Start on low and then increase to medium.
Add the salted water to the mixture and then the vanilla. Mix until completely smooth.
Spread the flat side of half the cakes with the filling mixture. I use a piping bag with a star tip to add the filling.
Top each frosted cake with the remaining cakes, flat side toward the filling. Wrap each individually until you’re ready to serve.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

Enjoy! XOXO Jill

Rum Cake is one of my favorite Bundt Cake desserts! It is easy. It is buttery and it is boozey. What can be better than that? I associate Rum Cake with the holidays and parties at my grandparent’s with their friends — it brings back fond memories.

My tips for this recipe are: 1) use dark, spiced rum. 2) Butter and flour your Bundt plan really well (it’s super frustrating when any part of the cake sticks to the pan). 3) Check-in on the Rum Cake after 40 minutes. It is ready once you insert a long skewer in the middle and if comes out clean.

Rum Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 ups granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup spiced rum

1 TBSP plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a Bundt pan really well using a pastry brush to get all the creases.
Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and 1 TBSP vegetable oil and combine until gravel texture. (You can also use a hand-mixer.)
Stir in eggs one at a time. Scrapping the sides of the bowl with each addition.
Add the sour cream, buttermilk, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup oil and 2/3 cup spiced rum. Stir well to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes; checking after 40 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven. Use a skewer to test the cake. It is done once the skewer comes out clean when you remove it.
Allow the cake to cool completely before inverting. I usually let the cake sit for 3-4 hours. Then, I turn it over onto a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment.
To make the icing, add 5 cups powdered sugar to a bowl. Then, add 1 tsp vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup rum. Mix well until the sugar is completely dissolved. The texture should be smooth and glycinin. If it is to thick, you can add 1 tsp water at a time until it it the right consistency. Using a fork drizzle over the cake turning to evening cover in a ribbon pattern (see my photo above). Let icing harder about 30 minutes.
Transfer to a cake stand or plate. Serve.

Enjoy! XOXO Jill

Chocolate Whoopie Pie!

Christmas Eve Rum Cake