You've got your shearling- trimmed boots, camel cape and bright red lipstick – but are you up to speed in cake trends? This autumn, the truly stylish will be bypassing the cupcake, so long beloved of the fashion set, and picking up a whoopie pie instead. These bakery delights have none of the elegance and prettiness of cupcakes. Instead, they are fairly substantial pieces of cake sandwiched together with buttercream/ marshmallow filling.

Food historians say Amish housewives baked them for their husbands working in the fields, who would let out a 'whoopie' of joy when they found them in their lunchboxes. As to how they migrated from rural Pennsylvania to become America's latest baking craze is unclear but when Magnolia Bakery, the Manhattan bakery immortalised in Sex and the City and famous for its cupcakes, started selling whoopie pies two years ago, they officially became chic.

And where the States leads, we tend to follow when it comes to sweet treats. If you haven't encountered a whoopie pie yet, expect to see one soon. Marks & Spencer rolled out its version in May and sales have been good – it's selling over 40,000 individual whoopie pies a week. The Marks & Spencer version is more sponge-like than the drier Amish original because it was feared customers would think it was a stale cake.

Fresh food manufacturer Nine One One, which has 35 retail locations around Leinster, officially launched them mid- September. "We have used an original American recipe, except we drizzle white chocolate on top to make them even more delicious," Nine One One's Leslie Slye says. "The traditional whoopie pie is about the size of a quarter-pounder bun and we've stuck to tradition and are making them American size. The whoopie is made for sharing, but you don't have to."

At the Sweetie Pie bakery on Galway's Middle Street, Jennie Griffin likes to decorate them with a little glitter. Her offerings include a red velvet whoopie with cream-cheese icing and one with buttercream and Bailey's icing. "People don't really know what they are yet but when they see them, they buy them because they look so delicious."

Kay Weldon of Miss Katie's Tearooms in Blarney, Co Cork, says she'll definitely be introducing whoopies after trialling them at last weekend's Taste of Cork festival in Skibereen. "They're lovely and they're quite easy to make as well. And their lifetime is a fortnight, whereas the cupcake is four days for a regular one and one day for a mini."

But hype aside, what exactly is it about the whoopie pie that threatens to topple cupcakes from their long reign. "They're easy to hold, unlike a cupcake which is actually quite difficult to eat, and they're less sweet – there's more sponge to butter so I think that's another appeal," says Chris Seaby, head of the M&S bakery. He also points to the recession (people still want to indulge and cakes are an accessible luxury) but he doesn't believe whoopies are going to usurp the cupcake just yet. "They're two different beasts but I do think whoopie pies are going to remain in the marketplace." And, what will come after them? "Classic cakes like the Victoria Sandwich will come back. Cupcakes weren't new when they became a craze, they'd been around for a long time. It's just that old favourites come back into vogue."

Pie Chart: The evolution of the 'it' cake, decade by decade

1930s - Pavlova

Meringue topped with whipped cream and bits of fruit was always going to be a winner. Named for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, there are arguments as to whether it originated in Australia or New Zealand. It still rocks.

1940s - Rock buns

At a time of rationing, sugar and food in general were in short supply and lots of recipes for sugarless cakes abounded. These currant concoctions were inexpensive, easy and delicious.

1950s - Lemon meringue pie

Does anything scream check-apron-wearing, retro housewife like a good old-fashioned lemon meringue pie? Has spent many few years in the cake wilderness; will possibly make a return.

1960s - Black forest gateau

A sickening combination of dense sponge, whipped cream, cherries and kirsch that was all the rage. Should never have left Germany, although both Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal have been championing it in recent times.

1970s - Carrot cake

It was impossible to get through a week in this decade without a slice of carrot cake and its obligatory cream-cheese icing. It's still around but we're not terribly excited by it anymore.

1980s - Death by Chocolate

This was the decade of greed and one thing we couldn't get enough of was chocolate, whether it was warm and oozing out of a pudding, or in the form of a cake layered with fudge and chocolate mousse.

1990s - Danishes

These suddenly started popping up in every convenience store, a trend that evolved alongside our increasing thirst for cappuccinos. A far more sophisticated start to the day than cornflakes.

2000s - Muffins and cupcakes

Muffins dominated the pastry landscape and as one packed up to 400kcal they are probably directly responsible for muffin tops. As the decade wore on, cupcakes became the Jimmy Choos of the confectionery world.