This recipe was not a one-try, instant success. It took some extra creativity and recipe testing to get to the final product. While I know that not all of my recipes will be published (I’m looking at you beet and goat cheese dip), I really wanted this one to succeed. This recipe is my birthday gift to myself.
Strawberries have been my favorite fruit for as long as I can remember. My mom has a photo of me at my sixth birthday dinner, and among the mashed potatoes and corn on the cob is a pile of strawberries. With a new recipe publishing on my birthday this year, I wanted it to be a dessert that was full of strawberries.
Strawberry whoopie pies- a new nemesis
Whoopie pies seemed like a simple way to produce a strawberry dessert. Use a bunch of freeze dried strawberries in the cake and in the buttercream filling, and it would be a dessert that wowed. Except, it didn’t.
I have learned to bake in small amounts when trying a new recipe. Thus, I made the batter and scooped one cake’s worth onto the baking tray. Once baked and cooled, I tasted the cake and thought, “Meh.”
I added more freeze dried strawberries and baked another cake. Again, it was mediocre. I made the filling, thinking that another layer of flavor might be what it needed. Yes, it was better, but it wasn’t good enough.
Time for the secret ingredient
I could have thrown in the towel, but this was to be my strawberry birthday dessert. I needed to find a way to succeed. Strawberry extract may have been an option, but it is harder to find. I also was concerned that it would have an artificial flavor. It was then that I considered the “secret” ingredient: strawberry Jell-o. I never keep it at home, never make Jell-o, but as a child of the 70s, I have had my fair share. I knew it was full of bright strawberry flavor.
A box of strawberry Jell-o was acquired, a new batch of cakes was made, and the first bite delivered. As I tasted the cake, it was pure perfection. This cake had the strawberry flavor I was craving. I proceeded to make and assemble the entire batch of cakes. I made sure my assistant taster (AKA my husband) liked them as well, and then I packaged the remainder and sent them to friends. They were so good I needed to get them out of the house.
And now, my birthday gift to me is complete. Strawberry Whoopie Pies (with a Secret Ingredient) are exactly what six year old (and 53 year old) me want.
To try another strawberry recipe I adore, check out these Grownup Strawberry Shortcakes.
Strawberry Whoopie Pies with a Secret Ingredient
Ingredients
CAKES
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons strawberry Jell-o powder
- 1-1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries 1/2 cup ground
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- red food coloring optional
FILLING
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries 1/2 cup ground
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make cakes
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Place melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat with paddle attachment on speed 2 until smooth.
-
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated on speed 2.
-
Add extract, Jell-o powder, strawberries, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing well on speed 2.
-
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides, and add 1½ cups of flour.
-
Mix on low; scrape sides with spatula, add milk, and mix until fully blended.
-
Add remaining cup of flour, and mix.
-
Add food coloring, if desired, and mix until fully integrated.
-
Scoop approximately 1-1/2 tablespoons batter, and place spaced evenly onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Will take two batches to bake all of the batter.)
-
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cakes spring back when touched.
-
Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet.
-
Transfer to baking rack to cool completely.
To assemble
-
In a stand mixer combine butter, powdered sugar, strawberries, milk and vanilla extract; mix on low speed until combined.
-
Spread the flat side of 10 cakes with the frosting.
-
Top each with another cake.
-
Serve or store in a sealed container.
