My husband, Marlin, loves Gobs. He has been asking me to make them so I decided to whip up a batch in the kitchen today.

While Marlin calls them Gobs…I call them Whoppie Pies. While researching about this history of Gobs/Whoppie Pies I found it interesting that only in western Pennsylvania, mainly the Johnstown area, they are known as “gobs.”  The now closed Harris & Boyar Bakery in Morrellville, PA, claimed to have invented the gob sometime in the 1920s. 

The original recipe for whoopie pies does however have its own origins with the Amish. In Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not an uncommon thing to find roadside farm stands offering these delicious desserts.

The first commercially sold whoopie pies were from the Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Maine.  Labadie’s Bakery first started selling Whoopie Pies in 1925.

While some recipes use marshmallow cream for the filling – I have my own personal preference and use my own recipe for buttercream frosting instead for the filling.

Marlin loves Chocolate Gobs with peanut butter filling – he’s a total chocolate and peanut butter loving guy 🤣

Anyway you call them…Gobs…Whoopie Pies…they remain delicious treat that warms your heart.

Whoppie Pies (Gobs)

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix

One small box (3.4 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Buttercream Filling

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

5 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional: I added 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to make a peanut butter buttercream filling

Directions for the Whoopie Pies (Gobs)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl add the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs.

Use a hand held mixer to mix to combine the ingredients. Beat for at least 2 minutes.

Scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and make sure to put at least 2 inches between each cookie. I used a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop which I found to be easier to work with.

Bake for 10-13 minutes and remove from the oven.

Let cool completely before adding the filling.

Directions for the Filling

In a large mixing bowl, add the confectioners sugar, softened butter, heavy cream (or half and half or milk) and the vanilla extract. Use a hand held mixer to mix until it’s the perfect consistency.

Optional: Add the peanut butter and stir into the filling.

Assembly Directions

I used a frosting piping bag to pipe in the filling onto the bottom layer. You can, however, just spoon the filling in too!

Add the top layer. Enjoy!