Chocolate Whoopie Cakes

Ingredients

• 115g butter softened
• 200g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 280g white plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch salt
• 225ml buttermilk

          Filling Ingredients

• 70g icing sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 225g light corn or golden syrup
• Pinch of salt
  
  

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) 375°F Gas Mark 5. Line 3-4 large baking sheets with baking paper or grease the wells of a whoopie pan. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in an electric mixer bowl, or use a large mixing bowl and a hand-held electric mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the bowl and stir together. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Using a level 5cm/2-inch ice cream scoop or heaped tablespoon, put the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets in 5cm/2 inch diameter rounds about 3cm/1¼ inches high and leaving at least 7.5 cm/3 inches between each round to allow room for spreading, or in the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. When the whoopies are cold, match each whoopie half with its closest partner in size. Spreading with a palette knife or using a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, cover the flat side of one whoopie half of each pair generously with the filling. Top each with its matching half, flat-side down, and press gently together.

 Filling Method

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Put the egg white, syrup and salt in an electric mixer bowl, or use a large mixing bowl and a hand held electric mixer, and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and doubled in volume. On a low speed, gradually add the icing sugar in spoonfuls. Whisk until combined. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The filling is suitable for spreading instead of piping into whoopies.