Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
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These diminutive, brightly colored mini red velvet whoopie pies are especially perfect for Valentine’s Day celebrations, but they’re just as fun to serve at a bake sale or birthday party, or as a work or classroom treat. Fill with cream cheese frosting, buttercream, chocolate ganache, or any other filling you’d like!
What Inspired These Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies?
For South Central Pennsylvania natives like myself, an appreciation for whoopie pies is pretty much mandatory. You’ll find these classic, cream-filled PA Dutch cakes everywhere, from market houses and farmstands; to bake sales, fundraisers and county fairs; to the bakery aisle at the local supermarket or big box store.
The most traditional whoopie pie pairing features chocolate cake and vanilla frosting, but these days you’ll find recipes for every season and holiday. There are rainbow whoopie pies for Pride Month; lemon or raspberry mojito pies for summer celebrations; and chocolate-filled pumpkin spice whoopie pies for autumn. But for Valentine’s Day, red velvet reigns supreme. Last year I shared a recipe for standard-sized red velvet whoopie pies with strawberry buttercream. This year, I’ve adapted that recipe to make the miniature cakes shown here.
Notable Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour – Brands like Gold Medal and Pillsbury are good choices for US bakers; in the UK I recommend McDougall’s plain flour in the red-and-white striped bag. See this post for more on US-UK flour conversions.
- Cocoa Powder – Although the cakes are red, they actually taste like chocolate! Make sure to select unsweetened cocoa powder intended for baking, not the sweetened kind used for making hot cocoa. Do not use Dutch processed.
- Leavening Agents – This recipe includes both baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents. A large egg also helps the cakes to rise; in combination, these ingredients produce puffy cakes with a light, tender texture.
- Red Gel Food Coloring – I used Chefmaster’s Red Red gel food coloring to tint my batter. Super Red or Christmas Red will also work. Avoid water-based food colorings; they aren’t concentrated like gels, and you’ll need to add most of the bottle to turn your batter vibrant red. In addition to wasting product, too much water-based food coloring can upset the balance of liquid, creating runny batter and causing the cakes to over-spread.
- Sugars – You’ll need a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar. You can experiment with other sugars, but do not decrease the quantity; you need the full amounts for moisture and sweetness.
- Buttermilk – Acidic buttermilk helps to activate the baking soda and gives the cakes their tender texture and slightly tangy flavor. Buttermilk usually comes in large containers, but save the rest! You can use it to make buttermilk ice cream, black and white cookies, soda bread, or homemade ranch dressing.
Notes on Filling
Cream cheese is probably the most classic pairing for red velvet cake, or red velvet whoopie pies. For the batch shown here, I made my cream cheese buttercream frosting recipe (made with soft cheese, or spreadable cream cheese) but you can also use a traditional homemade or store-bought cream cheese frosting. Some other filling ideas include ruby chocolate ganache or strawberry buttercream; chocolate buttercream, rainbow buttercream, or just a basic vanilla bean buttercream. I typically make my own ganaches and buttercreams, but feel free to use a store-bought tub for a quick shortcut.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Thick batter is normal. The red velvet batter will feel thick and difficult to pipe. Do not add more buttermilk. If the batter is too fluid, your pies will spread too much and will turn out thick and flat instead of thin and fluffy. I found it easiest to divide the batter into two portions, and refill the piping bag halfway. (This gave me some space at the top to manipulate the bag as I piped.)
- Let the batter rest. Allowing the batter to rest in the piping bag for ten minutes prior to piping will produce smoother cakes with less cracks, crinkles, or lines on the tops.
- Pat, pat pat. After piping, I like to use my fingertips and gently “pat down” the peaked top of each piped batter round before baking, to create smooth tops.
- Don’t add sprinkles. I tested a version of this recipe where I garnished the tops of the unbaked cakes with sprinkles, and I don’t recommend it! The results weren’t very visually appealing (the sprinkled looked dull, and the dye ran), and sugar in the sprinkles caused the cakes to over-spread as they baked.
- Gather helpful tools. I recommend having the following available: A half sheet rimmed baking tray (and parchment or a silicone mat for lining—don’t pipe directly on an unlined tray); a wire whisk for combining the dry ingredients; a hand mixer or stand mixer to prepare the batter; and a disposable piping bag for piping the filling, and another disposable piping bag (or a small stepped palette knife) for spreading the frosting.
Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
- Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield18-20 2 1/2-inch round pies 1x
The cutest mini red velvet whoopie pies, ready to fill with cream cheese buttercream or your favorite frosting or ganache.
Ingredients
288 grams all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
113 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup; 1 stick)
100 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
120 milliliters buttermilk (1/2 cup)
Red gel food coloring
Cream cheese frosting, strawberry buttercream, ruby ganache, or your favorite frosting, for filling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C). Line a half sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, whisk all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
In a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugars, followed by the egg and vanilla bean paste, and continue mixing on medium-high speed until well combined.
Mix in the red gel food coloring.
With a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the buttermilk and continue folding until just barely combined. Do not overmix.
Set aside and allow batter to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.* Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip.
Pipe 1-inch rounds onto prepared tray, allowing space for the cakes to spread as they bake.
With your fingertips, gently pat the top of each cake to create a smooth, evenly domed surface.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until cakes are well-risen, set around the edges, and spring back lightly when touched. Cool completely on tray. Repeat with remaining batter.
Pair cakes by size. Scoop frosting into a piping bag and pipe a generous dollop of frosting on the flat sides of half of the cakes.
Place a second cake on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
Store mini red velvet whoopie pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*A short rest creates cakes with smoother tops.
- Prep Time: About 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Whoopie Pies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Pennsylvania Dutch
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Red velvet whoopie pies taste best on the day they are made, but will keep at room temperature for up to one day, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. For easy transport, wrap each whoopie pie individually in clingfilm/plastic wrap. The plastic also helps the cakes to retain their moisture when stored overnight.
To freeze: Layer cooled and filled whoopie pies between sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
Other Whoopie Pie Recipes You Might Enjoy
Rainbow Whoopie Pies
Lemon Buttercream Whoopie Pies
Raspberry Mojito Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Chocolate Whoopie Pies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tog me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
