Vegan Viands #12: Vegan Whoopie Pies

This summer we did a ton of driving to see family and friends (mapping our whole route shows 54 hours in the car, which doesn't count the construction-related traffic or the inland monsoon we drove through that wiped out power to over half a million people). The drive time is totally worth it for the people we get to see, the hugs we get to give, and the fun we get to have. It's also fun for me because I get different audiences for whom to cook and can make some things that Shana just doesn't enjoy, like whoopie pies.

Although Shana might be broken (who doesn't like whoopie pies?!), my parents and sister were totally on board to help me devour a batch of vegan whoopie pies. I hadn't made them in years, so I was really excited, too! It also helped to have 4 of us eating them, because these are not - I repeat, NOT - good for you. They are basically fat and sugar mixed with a small amount of flour. Thus, they are incredibly decadent and delicious. In fact, they are so delicious, here's what I found when I went to take pictures.

I ran with it, as it made perfect sense.

Vegan Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
1 box devil's food cake
1, 4 oz. box instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. softened margarine
4 Ener-G "eggs"
1 c. water
12 T. softened margarine
1 C. vegan ricemellow cream
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions
1. In a stand mixer, combine cake, pudding mix, 1/2 c. margarine, "eggs," and water. Mix until combined; about 2 minutes on a medium speed.
2. Drop a rounded tablespoon of dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake cakes at 350 for about 15 minutes or until they just spring back in the center.
4. Meanwhile, mix 12 T. margarine, ricemellow cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla using a whisk attachment for 2 minutes on high. It should be somewhat stiff.

5. After cakes have cooled, spread filling on one cake and top with another.

Helpful Hints

• As always, be careful about buying cake mixes. Duncan Hines is generally a good bet as they tend to be vegan. Betty Crocker mixes tend to have milk powder. 
• I've only used Ener-G eggs for this recipe, but you need to make sure whatever you use will bind, which is why I stick with this option. 
• LET THE CAKES COOL a good 5+ minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They are super fragile and will fall apart. See those cracks in the picture below? They are a disaster waiting to happen if you don't let the cakes cool on the pan long enough. Consequently, this process can take a while if you only have one cookie sheet. 

• Ricemellow cream is a "specialty" product that you can find in a number of grocery stores that carry natural foods. The section has to be large enough, but you can find it. If you can't, you can easily order it online from places like Vegan Essentials. 

The post "Vegan Viands #12: Vegan Whoopie Pies" originally appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.