Classic Whoopie Pies

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a couple large baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla extract. Set both aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, shortening and egg. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and the milk mixture, alternating back and forth between the two, beating until the batter is well combined and smooth.

Scoop the batter out into mounds on your prepared baking sheets, using a scant 1/4 cup for each mound and making sure to leave a couple inches in-between. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter out into 4-inch circles. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky. Coating your spoon with a little non-stick cooking spray will help make this last step easier.

Transfer the baking sheets to your pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes. The cakes should be slightly firm to the touch when done. Remove them from the oven and allow the cakes to cool on their baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the marshmallow creme/fluff, powdered sugar and shortening until well combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Note: I ended up doubling this filling recipe, making it in two separate batches, because I wanted a thicker layer of filling.

Assemble the whoopie pies. Spread some of the filling onto the flat side of one of the cakes. Top with a second cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly. Continue until all the whoopie pies are assembled.

Whoopie pies can be enjoyed immediately, or wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in your refrigerator for 2-3 days.