Made up of two cookie-like chocolate cakes stuffed to the gills with fluffy marshmallow filling, the whoopie pie is a sweet indulgence.

Our cakes draw inspiration from devil’s food cake, and we used Dutch-processed cocoa for its darker color and flavor. One-half cup of cocoa delivered a balanced flavor, especially when boosted with a splash of vanilla extract.

Don’t be tempted to bake all the cakes on one baking sheet; the batter needs room to spread while it bakes.

WHOOPIE PIES

By America’s Test Kitchen

• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1-1/2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

>> Filling:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups marshmallow creme

>> To make filling: Beat butter and sugar on medium until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Mix in marshmallow creme, beating about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until slightly firm, 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and adjust racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in bowl.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and beat until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Add vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk. Give batter final stir by hand to ensure that no flour pockets remain.

Scoop 6 mounds of batter onto each prepared sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake until centers spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cakes cool on sheets.

Place 1/3 cup filling on bottom of half of cakes, then top with remaining cakes, pressing to spread filling to edge.

Whoopie pies can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Makes 6 cookies.

Approximate nutrtitional information, per cookie: 923 calories, 41 g total fat, 25 g saturated fat, 141 mg cholesterol, 555 mg sodium, 131 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 81 g sugar, 9 g protein.