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A new take on the traditional whoopie pie, this apple version is sure to become a new Fall favorite! Shredded apples are added to the soft and fluffy cakes, then sandwiched together with a generous spread of maple cream cheese frosting. This Apple Whoopie Pie recipe is a fantastic way to highlight apple season.
Today we're making whoopie pies!
If you don't know what a whoopie pie is, I cannot wait to tell you all about it. This has definitely been one of my favorite things I've made for the fall season.
What is a whoopie pie?
A whoopie pie is an classic American dessert that originated in either Pennsylvania or Maine (no one knows for sure which state), but I always associate these with Maine. Whenever we go on vacation in Maine, finding a fresh baked whoopie pie is always at the top of my list.
Calling this dessert 'pie' sounds kind of funny to me, because it's not pie in the traditional sense. It is a sandwich made with two layers of cake and a creamy frosting middle. Whoopie pies are classically made using chocolate cake and a marshmallow cream frosting.
If you're thinking, "Oh wow, cake and frosting - just like a cupcake", I promise you, whoopie pies are way better than a cupcake. The cake part is better and having the frosting in the middle totally changes the flavor.
Apple Whoopie Pies
Fall flavors of whoopie pies are very popular. You'll usually see maple, pumpkin and gingerbread in the lineup.
Apple is a great add to whoopie pies though.
For this recipe, I decided to go with shredded apple to ensure you get lots of apple flavor in each bite. Shredded apple is also fine enough to soften as it bakes.
To the cake, I also added a blend of light spices but not too much so that they don't overpower the fragrant, apple flavor.
This cake is light and airy, but very moist.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
As mentioned, whoopie pies are traditionally made with a marshmallow cream frosting. I felt that cream cheese frosting would be best for this version and feel more fall-ish for this recipe. The touch of maple syrup rounds out the flavor profile and adds a touch of caramel, earthy notes.
How to make these whoopie pies
You'll need the following ingredients:
For the Cakes
- butter
- brown sugar
- an egg
- vanilla
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- ginger
- nutmeg
- whole milk
- apples (I used Granny Smith)
For the frosting
- butter
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
- maple syrup
This is a wonderful recipe. When you take a bite of an apple whoopie pie, you get the soft cake, the fragrant, lightness of the apple and nutty warmth from the spices. The creamy frosting is slightly tangy with a touch of the maple flavor.
Who can resist this?!?
Apple Whoopie Pies
A new take on the traditional whoopie pie, this apple version is sure to become a new Fall favorite! Shredded apples are added to the soft and fluffy cakes, then sandwiched together with a generous spread of maple cream cheese frosting. This Apple Whoopie Pie recipe is a fantastic way to highlight apple season.
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ c butter (or 1 stick, softened at room temp)
- 1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 egg (at room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ c all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (I prefer Ceylon Cinnamon)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ c whole milk (at room temp, measured and set aside)
- 2 apples (Granny Smith works great!)
For the Frosting
- ½ c butter (or 1 stick, softened)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 2 ¼ c powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar on high speed with a hand mixer.
- Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla extract. Combine.
- Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula again to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
- With the hand mixer on low speed, add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the wet. Once it's mixed almost all the way, add about ½ of the milk. Mix on low speed.
- Next, add another third of the dry ingredients. Mix, then add the rest of the milk.
- Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients.
- Set batter aside.
- Peel and core the apples.
- Grate the apples on a box grater. Remove excess juice by squeezing the shredded apples in cheesecloth, a linen cloth or thick paper towels. Immediately add the apple into the cake batter. Fold in the apple by hand.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto the tray with parchment paper, leaving about 3" between each cake.
- Tuck in any apple shreds on the edges so they don't brown.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.
- Allow cakes to fully cool.
For the Frosting
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy using a hand mixer.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix starting on low speed, then gradually increasing the speed to high.
- Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the vanilla and maple syrup. Beat the frosting again until incorporated.
Making the Whoopie Pies
- Spread the frosting on the bottom side (the flat side) of one cake and sandwich it together with another.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Apple Whoopie Pies are freezer friendly!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Recipe by Owlbbaking.com
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Pies
- Cuisine: American
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