Gluten Free Oreo Cakesters Style Pies

Gluten Free Oreo Cakesters. Like big, fluffy Oreo cookie sandwiches. They’re  kind of like chocolate whoopie pies in concept (fluffy chocolate sandwich cookies), and  similar to whoopie pies in texture (soft and springy, almost like Devil Dogs but more moist so they stick to your fingers a bit but not to the roof of your mouth). But they taste like soft Oreos, which are different from any other chocolate sandwich cookie and you know it! These are another recipe that could have been in my next gluten free cookbook, Gluten Free Classic Snacks. If you wanna know why you’re getting them now, instead, right here on the blog I’ll tell you…

It’s because I didn’t even think of this particular snack cake until after the Classic Snacks photo shoot was over and the manuscript was turned in. That’s the only thing.

Otherwise they would have been perfect for that next cookbook!

Part of what makes Oreos look like Oreos is their super dark color. Instead of buying black cocoa powder (it’s a thing!) I just use and recommend that you use Hershey’s Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s a pretty magical blend of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (which is not alkalized) and Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is alkalized). And it bakes up …

… black as night. The right cocoa powder is not the only thing that makes these taste like the big fat fluffy Oreos we all know and love. That takes just the right balance of just the right ingredients. But the right cocoa powder doesn’t hurt either! Oh, and these freeze perfectly so they’re great for making a big batch, wrapping them individually in plastic and pulling them out of the freezer one at a time, when the need strikes. Oreo Cakesters to the rescue!

Prep time: 15 minutes       Cook time: 10 minutes       Yield: 14 pies

Ingredients

Cakes
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, chopped

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch

1 cup (80 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Hershey’s Special Dark)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar

1 egg (60 g, out of shell) plus 2 egg whites (60 g) at room temperature, beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature

Swiss Meringue Filling
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces) water

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 egg whites (50 g) at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter,  cubed and kept cool (but not cold)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.

• Make the cake batter. In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped butter and chopped chocolate. Melt over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts at 60% power, until melted and smooth. Set the bowl aside to cool briefly. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted chocolate and butter, egg and egg whites, vanilla and milk, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter should be thick and glossy.

• Bake the cakes. Transfer the cake batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a large, plain piping tip (about 1/2-inch in diameter) and pipe mounds of batter about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, about 1 1/2-inches apart from one another. With wet fingers, press the mounds of batter into flat disks about 1/2-inch thick. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center (about 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Make the filling. While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the sugar, water and salt, and whisk to combine. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook the sugar mixture over medium-high heat, without stirring it, until it reaches the softball stage, 240°F. Remove from the heat and set it aside to cool briefly. Place the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer. Whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until beginning to thicken. Add the cream of tartar, and continue to whip until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. With the mixer speed on low, pour the warm sugar mixture down the side of the mixer (making sure the sugar doesn’t hit the whisk). Once all of the sugar mixture has been added, turn the mixer speed up to high and beat until the mixture is thick, glossy, at least doubled in size and holds a stiff peak (about 5 minutes). This is Marshmallow Fluff, and can be used on its own as filling. To make a modified Swiss Meringue Buttercream (a more stable filling), continue to the next step.

• Finish the Swiss Meringue Filling. Once the outside of the mixing bowl is cool to the touch, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding the cubed, cool butter while the mixer is on medium speed. Continue to beat until all of the butter is added and the mixture is silky smooth and thick. If the mixture looks curdled, continue to beat for a while longer until the butter is smooth (the “curdles” are actually butter that is too cold). If the mixture is runny, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and beat again.

• Assemble the cakes. Assemble the cakes into pairs and invert one cake of each pair. Transfer the filling to a large pastry bag fitted with a large (1/2-inch) plain piping tip and pipe about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the inverted cake of each pair. Place the other cake on top and press to sandwich.