Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for a Fall Dessert Table
The challenge with pumpkin whoopie pies is matching the cake halves and leaving time for them to cool before the cream-cheese filling goes in. This version follows King Arthur’s current formula for twelve larger sandwiches rather than an untested miniature conversion.
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Source formula: King Arthur Baking. Explanatory copy is original; this project has not kitchen-tested the recipe.
Selected formula and sequence
Ingredients
- Cakes: 113 g softened unsalted butter, 99 g oil, 425 g packed brown sugar, 43 g molasses, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, 2 eggs, 425 g pumpkin puree, 390 g all-purpose flour
- Filling: 8 oz softened cream cheese, 57 g butter, 227 g sifted confectioners sugar, 1 tsp vanilla
Method
- Heat 375°F; prepare two sheets. Mix fats, sugar, molasses, leaveners, salt and spices; add eggs individually, then pumpkin, then flour in two additions.
- Portion about 67 g with 4 Tbsp scoop; leave 2 in spacing. Bake 14–16 min, rotating sheets halfway, until puffed and set.
- Cool on sheets 5 min, then rack until completely cool. Beat cream cheese and butter, then sugar in two additions and vanilla.
- Pair matching halves; use scant 2 Tbsp filling per sandwich. Chill uncovered 20 min to firm, then wrap individually.
Yield: 12 approximately 3.5 in pies; no miniature adaptation
Timing: Source 40 min hands-on, 14–16 min bake, 75 min headline total. Include complete cooling, additional tray batches and 20 min assembly chilling in actual plan.
Allergen checks: Wheat; Milk; Egg
Choose consistent portions
Use the source’s approximately 67-gram cake portions as the reference. A four-tablespoon scoop speeds the process, but rounded volume depends on how it is filled. Weigh a few portions if you have a scale, then keep the scoop treatment consistent. Leave the stated spacing and plan extra sheet loads if your oven cannot accommodate both pans.
Pair before filling
After complete cooling, arrange the halves by approximate diameter. Pair similar ones before adding filling so the sandwiches sit evenly. Warm cake can soften the cream cheese and butter; a timer for baking cannot tell you whether the centers are cool enough to assemble.
Make the dessert table practical
Wrap the filled pies after their short firming chill. Keep a small serving batch out and the remainder refrigerated. Their cream-cheese filling makes storage and room-temperature handling important. The linked source supports up to three refrigerated days, not an unlimited holiday-counter display.
Avoid an accidental mini recipe
Smaller portions change the baking relationship and the cake-to-filling ratio. This article has not tested a miniature conversion. If the table needs smaller servings, consider offering fewer of these larger pies alongside another dessert rather than presenting a guessed bake time as reliable.
Useful equipment, if you need it
Check what you already own before buying. These are source- and specification-based selections, not hands-on product tests. Check the exact variant and current instructions before use.
King Arthur 4-Tablespoon Scoop
The King Arthur four-tablespoon scoop matches the source’s nominal portion tool. Its listing describes rounded tablespoons, so the recipe’s gram amount remains the useful check. It is a portioning aid, not a guarantee of identical finished diameters.
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Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet 2-Pack
The Nordic Ware half-sheet two-pack supplies two flat baking surfaces for spaced cake mounds. Check oven fit and use suitable parchment according to the recipe and parchment directions. Keep the uncoated pans clean and hand washed.
This is a paid Amazon product link.
For related planning, see Check parchment-sheet and pan fit. Follow that article for its own use case; it does not change this recipe or product’s instructions.
Storage and serving limits
Source: tightly wrapped refrigerated leftovers up to 3 days; bring out 20–30 min before serving. Use short serving batches and applicable FDA perishable-food handling limits rather than extending countertop holding.
For perishable-food service, follow FDA buffet guidance: keep hot food at 140°F or warmer and cold food at 40°F or colder; limit time outside temperature control to two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Recipe storage advice is separate from buffet holding.