Whoopie Pies: The Forgotten Battle Over Who Really Invented Them

Who really invented the whoopie pie? Depends on who you ask. It could be Maine or Pennsylvania. For nearly a century, two states have fought over this forgotten history, and both still lay claim to its founding. Today the Iron Spoon is in a classic whoopie pie recipe: two soft chocolate cakes sandwiching a cloud of marshmallow creme filling. But long before it was a bakery staple, the whoopie pie sat at the center of one of America's tastiest rivalries. Maine's claim: Labadie's Bakery in Lewiston says they baked the first one in 1925, and the state was confident enough to make the whoopie pie its official state treat in 2011. Pennsylvania pushes back stating generations of Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch bakers tucked them into lunch pails as a surprise. And the name? It was originally spelled "whoopee". The double-e spelling you still see in vintage cookbooks yielded to "ie" in the 1980s. That spelling shift is a small piece of food history most people never notice. #forgotten recipes #WhoopiePie #FoodHistory #Nostalgia #vintagerecipes Recipe Adapted from America's Test Kitchen 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon table salt 1 cup packed light brown sugar 8 tablespoons salted butter (1 stick), softened but still cool 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk FILLING Ingredients 12 tablespoons salted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ½ cups Marshmallow Fluff Prep Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may only be able to put 5 pies on each one. They need room to spread so you don't want them too close to each other. Set oven to 350° - Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Using an electric mixer: Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated, then mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining buttermilk. Using 1/3-cup measure or smaller for smaller pies, scoop 5 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet, spacing mounds about 3 inches apart. Bake until cakes spring back when pressed, about 18 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets, at least 1 hour. Filling: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Beat in Fluff until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate filling until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes. (It will be too soft to spread otherwise.) Spoon about 1/3 cup filling on center of flat side of 6 cakes. Top with flat side of remaining 6 cakes and gently press until filling spreads to edge of cake. Wrap extra pies individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate. They will be good for at least 3 days.