Strawberry Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been trying to find a good whoopie pie recipe for a long time.  I tried several using cake mixes, one from scratch and every time they came out either too flat or too crunchy and just NOT right.  Its been frustrating because I like to think of myself as a good baker and some of these recipes I was embarrassed to say I was the one who made them.  The last time I tried to make whoopie pies I swore I wouldn't even give it another try because I was so tired of failing.

Today, as the sun went in and out of clouds and every-other minute it looked like it might rain I decided it would not be a Saturday spent at the pool.  The house was cleaned yesterday, I grocery shopped in the morning, we played games, ate lunch and then came the point where I was looking for something to do.  Oh, why not give those darn whoopie pies one last shot!  I just happened to have a strawberry cake mix in my pantry ...weird!!, I know, but my 2 year old daughter loves anything pink so it went into the grocery cart at some point months ago.


This is it!  Voila!  Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!  I FINALLY found a great whoopie pie recipe that uses a cake mix - woohoo!!!!   They came out PERFECTLY FLUFFY!  I used the frosting recipe I use for my Easter carrot cake.  The sweet strawberry flavor pairs well with the cream cheese frosting.  These would make a perfect dessert at a baby shower for someone who is expecting a girl.

You can use any flavor cake and any flavor frosting.  I think I will try devil food chocolate next time with peanut butter frosting.  mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Now that I've mastered whoopie pies, what should I try next???  :-)  Happy baking!

Ingredients:
1 box strawberry cake mix (or any flavor)
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 400'F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Mix ingredients in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes using a mixer.  Drop by spoonful (I used the Pampered Chef medium scoop - approximately 2 tablespoons) onto the parchment paper leaving 2 inches between each drop.  Bake for exactly 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip (8 oz size)

Mix ingredients until smooth.  Drop by spoonful onto the bottom of one cookie and top with a second cookie, press together to assemble your whoopie pies.  Wrap individually with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Wilton has a great vanilla filling recipe that works well with the strawberry whoopie pies as well as the classic chocolate whoopie pies.  It can be found here:  Wilton.com  I love the cream cheese frosting recipe, however, if you want something that doesn't need to be refrigerated the vanilla filling is the way to go.