Queenie Whoopie Pies

Thanks to the left-over marshmallow frosting I decided to make more whoopie pies to prevent it from going to waste. This time, however, I wanted to be experimental and invent one of my own. A little odd and very out of character, I know, but I think it’s time to start living life on the edge! As anyone who knows anything about me is aware, I’m a massive royalist and a huge fan of Mary Berry, so an obviously I wanted to combine the two! I’ve thus come up with what I’ve dubbed a Queenie Whoopie Pie: an homage to the Jubilee year with the whoopie pie version of a classic Victoria sponge. I’ve sandwiched vanilla sponge with strawberry jam and marshmallow frosting, creating a simple yet effective twist on the traditionally American cake. It’s perfect for a quirky take on afternoon tea: an all-American favourite with a quintessentially British finish.

Ingredients:
For the sponge:
1 large egg
150g caster sugar
125g plain yoghurt
25ml whole milk
3 ½ tsp vanilla essence
75g unsalted butter, melted
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
275g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder

For the filling:
I used the leftover filling from my Pistachio Whoopie Pies, but if you’re starting from scratch, then you’ll need:
170g unsalted butter, softened
280g icing sugar
1 tub (around 220g) of vanilla marshmallow fluff
Strawberry Jam

Method:
Using a hand-held electric mixer, whisk the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour the yogurt and milk into a jug, add the vanilla essence and stir together, then tip the mixture into the creamed egg and sugar and mix until evenly incorporated. Add the melted butter and mix.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and then add to the mixture in 2 batches, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Then place the mixture in the fridge to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (325 degrees Fahrenheit), Gas Mark 3, and line several baking trays with baking parchment.

Like with the Pistachio Whoopie Pies, the whoopie pies need to be approximately 5cm in diameter and all roughly the same size. Because you’ll be sticking them together, it’s really important to make sure they’re an even shape: it’s a nightmare to pair them up if they’re not! To combat this potential disaster area, I drew round a 5cm diameter egg cup as a template on the parchment. Point to mention, ideally, there needs to be a 2-3cm gap between each circle to allow for spreading during baking.
Once the batter has cooled, spoon the mixture on to the circles on the trays.

Place them in the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes or until the sponges are lightly golden on top and bounce back when gently pressed. Allow them to cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack.

While they are cooling, if you don’t already have some then make the filling. Using a hand-held electric mixer slowly mix together the butter and icing sugar until fully blended. Mix in the marshmallow fluff, then increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy. Place the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

Once the sponges have cooled completely, match up evenly sized pairs. They should all technically be the same, but it’s worth making trying out all different combinations for a more uniform appearance overall. Spread the flat side of one of the sponges with about 1 tablespoon of filling, adding a little more if needed. On the other half of the pair, spread about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam onto the flat side. Sandwich them together, and then repeat with the remaining sponges and filling.

There you have it. God save the Queen, indeed!

These looked adorable! The frosting worked well with the jam, combatting the sweetness of the marshmallow well. They were similar to a Victoria sponge in texture but were less crumbly and less sweet: winning combination really!

I’m really pleased with how these turned out, and I shall be making them again in the future for sure! Next time, however, I’d like to add more vanilla – maybe using a vanilla pod instead of vanilla essence – and experiment with different jams. Even so, this has provided me with a sound foundation to build on! My photos can be found here, and let me know if you try them out – I’d love to hear how you get on.