Halloween spider whoopie pie

This year's baking sensation, the Whoopie Pie, has had a spooky make-over from Dr. Oetker with fun spider web icing for Halloween.


Makes: 9 portions

Prep time: 40 minutes

You will need:

For the pies:

125g (4 ½ oz) butter or margarine, softened

200g (7oz) dark brown or Molasses sugar, free of lumps

1 large egg, beaten

15ml (1 tbsp) treacle

400g (14oz) plain flour

15ml (1 tbsp) ground ginger

5.25ml (1 ¼ tsp) Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda

1.25ml (½ tsp) salt

Approx 150ml (1/4pt) low fat buttermilk

For the icing:

White Icing

Dr. Oetker Writing Icing, to decorate

For the filling:

150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened

250g (9oz) icing sugar

2-3 drops black food colouring


1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven, 350°F, Gas 4). Line three large baking trays with baking parchment. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter or margarine and sugar together until pale and creamy then beat in the egg and treacle.

2. Sift the flour, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and salt into another bowl. Gradually add spoonfuls of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring well after each addition, along with sufficient buttermilk to make a smooth, thick cake mixture. Note: you may not require the full 150ml (1/4pt) buttermilk.

3. Using a 5cm (2in) diameter ice cream scoop, drop six scoops of the mixture on to each baking tray, spaced well apart to allow for room for spreading. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes until risen, lightly golden and firm to the touch. Cool for five minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. For the topping, spread the white icing over the peaked side of half the cold pies, smoothing the icing with the back of a knife. Pipe on a spider's web and spider using writing icing and leave on a wire rack for a few minutes to set.

5. For the filling, put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until soft. Gradually sieve in the icing sugar, beating well after each addition, to make a smooth, spreadable icing. Add a few drops of black colouring. Spread thickly over the flat sides of the remaining pie halves using a knife.

6. To serve, when the iced tops are set, carefully sandwich them on to the filled pie halves and enjoy!