Whoopie pies in Toronto seem to be encroaching on cupcake territory. Yes, the sandwich cake dessert is rising menacingly in popularity (well, as menacing as butter cream can really get), threatening to dethrone the cupcake as the trendy treat du jour. And while you may not think of Amish culture as the purveyor of all things "hip" and "in," legend traces the whoopee pie back to early 1900's Amish society.

But how, exactly, the whoopie pie came to be is somewhat in dispute. According to certain lore, Amish women would pack the treat, which they made from leftover cake batter, in their children's lunchboxes, and the kids would yell out "whoopie!" in glee once they found them. A slightly amended version of the story has wives packing the dessert in their farmer husbands' lunches, resulting in similar expressions of delight.

You may think all this origin nonsense is frivolous, but some people in Maine and Pennsylvania certainly don't think so. In fact, a row of sorts was sparked earlier this year when a legislator in Maine tried to pass a bill to make the whoopie pie Maine's official state dessert. The move irked some sweet-toothed Pennsylvanians, who actually held a rally to try to dispel the myth that the whoopie pie originated anywhere besides Pennsylvania. So it's not all sugary goodness in the land(s) of whoopie pie.

History lesson aside, whoopie pies are quickly becoming a trendy treat here in Toronto. And it's easy to see why; they're easy to make, amenable to a variety of different flavours, and messy and fun to eat. Besides, who doesn't love to ask for "whoopie" in public without being seen as a public menace?

So if you're in the mood for some sandwich cake and icing goodness, check out some of the spots listed below.

The Drake BBQ
The Drake BBQ offers the ol' faithful of whoopie pie: creamy marshmallow vanilla icing sandwiched by two giant circles of chocolate cake. A supersized Oreo, if you will. Homemade, Drake BBQ's whoopie pies are $2.49 each.

Bobbette & Belle
Bobbette & Belle takes the conventional whoopie pie and turns it up a notch. It offers whoopie pies in four varieties; red velvet, vanilla raspberry, chocolate peanut butter, and double chocolate. And like most everything at Bobbette & Belle, they're sweet and pretty to look at. $2.15 Each.

School Bakery & Cafe
For the Liberty Village crowd, School Bakery & Cafe offers its own version of the whoopie pie. It has a chocolate cake with vanilla icing whoopie, along with a pumpkin whoopie pie, which is not as unusual as it sounds (hey, Martha Stewart's done it). School's whoopie pies are $2.26 each.

Red Rocket Coffee
Red Rocket's whoopie pie is made with two carrot oatmeal cookie cakes, united with fresh cream cheese filling. So, slightly less guilt-inducing? Maybe. Available at both its Leslieville and Wellesley Street cafes, and sold for $2.36 each.

Bunner's Bake Shop
Bunner's Bake Shop does a vegan, gluten free whoopie pie. But don't worry--it'll still ooze if you squeeze it, so no fun lost there. Bunner's offers two varieties--chocolate chip and double chocolate chip, filled with dairy-free vanilla frosting. $4.25 Each.

Delica Kitchen
Delica Kitchen at Yonge and St. Clair does the whoopie pie plain and simple--chocolate cakes, vanilla centre. Like everything else at Delica, they're made from scratch and with all natural ingredients. $2.75 Each.

Frangipane
Frangipane starts with the traditional chocolate cake for its whoopie pie, but opts for a special salted caramel butter cream icing for the centre. Made with fresh, natural ingredients, they are $2.50 each.

Dufflet Pastries
Dufflet's whoopie pies come in three forms; strawberry, peanut butter, and cookie chocolate fudge. Available on Queen West, uptown, and the Beaches, meaning a fresh whoopie pie from Dufflet is never too far away. $1.70 Each.