When I was growing up in Ohio we called these scooter pies and I detested them.  That was because I hated marshmallow and anything with marshmallow in it.  To be honest I still hate marshmallow.  Back then it was because I didn’t like the spongy texture, as I got older is was and is because I find them cloyingly sweet.  Way too sweet for my taste, and I still am not found of the spongy texture.  My mom made a version of them where they were filled with sweetened whipped cream and we called them Chocolate Goobers.  I actually like the Goobers.  Of course, no marshmallow.  When I was in the Navy and stationed in Memphis, TN they were called Moon Pies and I think they were a national obsession in Tennessee.  Everywhere you went you would see Moon Pies or someone eating them.  I shrugged and gave them a try.  Even though I was older I still didn’t like them.  It wasn’t until I moved to California that I heard them called Whoopie Pies and they are still not my favorites although I have come to appreciate them a bit more.

These chocolate cakes are really delicious, moist and tender with a nice round chocolate flavor.  A very nice compliment to the marshmallow filling.  This was another one of those recipes where it took longer to assemble the ingredients then it did to make the batter.  Chocolate is melted.  The brown sugar, butter , egg and oil are creamed and then the chocolate is mixed in.  Flour, cocoa, salt. baking powder and baking soda are sifted together and added alternately with the buttermilk in three additions.  Then the batter is spooned onto a baking sheet in mounds and baked.  I am a lifetime member of the Cooking Club of America and throughout the years for various reasons they have sent me these cute little silicon tartlet molds and to be honest all these years I have never used them.  They were packed in the back of a drawer and I had completely forgotten that I had them until last week I had to get something out of that drawer and I saw them and I immediately thought that they would be perfect for this recipe.  Out they came and I think they worked perfectly.  They are a bit thicker than if I had just mounded the batter free form but I like the little rippled shape they add.

The baked cakelets in their tartlet molds

The marshmallow cream was much easier to make than I originally thought it would be on my initial reading of the recipe.  Sugar syrup is boiled to 250 degrees.  The egg white is whipped to stiff peaks then the sugar syrup is beaten in,  then butter and vanilla and the mixture is chilled.  In the meantime,  confectioners sugar and butter are creamed until smooth and then whipped until light in color.  The meringue is added and beaten smooth. 

The little solders lined up and getting their filling

Then the cakes are sandwiched together with the marshmallow cream and they are ready to be eaten.  I thought they were delicious but the next time I make I will substitute sweetened whipped cream for the marshmallow filling as I did find it to be much too sweet for my taste.  These are a winner.

Next Up:  Coffee Chiffonlets with Dulce de Leche Cream