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Not yet heard of the whoopie pie? Put down your cupcake at once. London's Hummingbird bakery has been selling them for months and even M&S is launching a range in July. The New England cake and cream sandwich (like two chocolate cookies bound together with plenty of cream) is here to stay.
HARRODS
(Harrods Food Halls, 87–135 Brompton Road, SW1 , 020 7730 1234 Harrods.com)
Exactly as you'd expect from an upmarket department store, Harrods has turned the original whoopie into a couture cake in pistachio, pumpkin and gingerbread flavours at £2.50 a pinch.
OUTSIDER TART
(83 Chiswick High Road, W4, or Putney Market, SW15, 020 7096 1609, Outsidertart.com)
Being a “US-style boutique bakery”, Outsider Tart has expert knowledge of this inside-out cupcake. Its signature whoopie is the classic American oatmeal pumpkin (£3) but there are another six flavours to choose from if the combination of veg and cream isn't quite to your liking.
SWEET THINGS
The Cakery, 3 Primrose Hill Workshops, NW3 (020 7722 2107, Sweetthings.biz)
Natalie Allen says she only decorates hers with edible glitter rather than extra icing so come here for the lighter whoopie pie. £1.75 each or £1 for mini pies in chocolate, vanilla and oreo flavours.
THE CRAZY BAKER
(Order from 020 8964 1712 or Crazybaker.co.uk)
Sophie Grey caters for those desperate to get their hands on a whoopie to share with colleagues but no time to run down to the shops. Hers are around 10cm wide, baked and packaged by hand and delivered to your door. £3 in chocolate or red.
Reader views (6)
Come on guys - there's nothing new in the baking world! Before we all had all this technology at our fingertips and could find out about baking the world over, people made recipes that have been handed down through the generations. We made these at home in the 70s, but we didn't follow Amish traditions and I had never heard of the Tropezienne!!! We just baked dollops of our cake mix on a baking sheet when we had no bun cases! End of!
Bake them and enjoy them!
- Melinda at Fantasy Cupcakes, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, 26/05/2010 04:00
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Blimey, how can a thread about a whoopie pie turn into "racism"! Have a whoopie pie and lighten up Steve P!
- Carly, London, 19/03/2010 13:03
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Whoopie pies originated as a part of the Amish food culture, but were made commercially viable in Maine. They are not at all related to the french tropezienne, as they are supposed to be a humble sweet snack that were made from leftover cake batter. They are not supposed to be at all outlandish or pretentious, and should definitely not have a frosting on top, as this defeats the point of a whoopie pie.
- Chef Girl, London, 13/03/2010 00:38
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I do wish people would make sure of their facts before they start using remarks which could be constued as a racist. As an American I find Hansels understanding of History somewhat disturbing.
Tropezienne were born in 1955 as a Polish pastry chef (Alexandre Micka) opened a bakery in the glamorous St Tropez.
Nany Beckett reveals whoopie pies originated in the 1920s in Boston
- Steve P, Gloucester, UK, 03/03/2010 14:08
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Got ours. Took a trip all the way to Harrods today from the City for them.
- Sandra, London, 26/02/2010 14:23
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These are a complete rip-off from the French tropezienne. Like the 'Muffin' and 'Cup Cake', something else fattening the Americans have invented that already exisited in europe for year.
Give it a cute name and hey presto you can charge what you want for it.
- Hansel, London, 26/02/2010 12:58
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