Red Velvet Chocolate Whoopie Pie Hearts

*1 box Red Velvet Cake mix, like Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe

*2 tablespoons Flour, for high altitude over 3,500 feet

*1 tablespoon Cocoa Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Special Dark

*1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*1/3 cup Extra Light Olive Oil (has to be extra light) or Vegetable Oil

*3 Eggs, room temperature

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

*8 ounce Cream Cheese, room temperature

*1/2 cup Ghiridelli Bittersweet Baking Chips, melted and cooled

*1/4 cup Whipping Cream

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*1/2 cup Powder Sugar, more for dusting

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Preheat oven 350*F

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium low-speed, add the cake mix, flour (if needed), chocolate Cocoa and salt.

Slowly add buttermilk. Then add oil, vanilla and eggs, adding one at a time. Mix together until all ingredients are incorporated and batter is smooth about 2 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.

Line a 9 X 18 inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking sprayed parchment paper. Pour batter on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool cake and remove cake with the parchment paper and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Then cut out hearts as desired. Pipe in filling or spread on filling.

Note: If using Whoopie Pie pan, spray with cooking spray and add batter and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool, and cut with round cookie cutter if desired, I like how this makes the Whoopie pies more round.

Sprinkle on powder sugar on finished Whoopie pies if desired.

Chocolate Filling

 

In a stand mixer or a hand mixer, add the cream cheese to the bowl and mix on medium-speed until soft about 1 minute. Then on medium low-speed, drizzle in the cooled melted chocolate, cream and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and salt. Beat on medium speed until the filling is fluffy about 2 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Enjoy!

Lindy