carrot cake whoopie pies.

I've been having the weirdest dreams. Usually, they're random, but lately they've been reflecting what goes on during my days ... and I have to say, it kind of worries me.

Two days ago, I was volunteering at a hospice. I chatted for a while with this 100 year old lady who was so so sweet and kept giving me life advice that was pretty applicable (except for the part where I have to marry my [nonexistent] boyfriend, have kids, and stay at home to raise them). I also chatted with and kept company to some people who unfortunately had dementia. That night, I dreamed I was losing my memory and had to be placed in a nursing home .. at age 21. 

Another night, I was reading a novel (House of God) that has to do with the psychological breakdown of a medical intern. I'm pre-med, mind you, and am not looking forward to the lifestyle detailed in the novel. You can imagine the depressing dreams I had that night. 

As a result, I decided I need to start focusing on more positive things, things I know make me happy. I would say carrot cake whoopie pies make me happy.

Carrot cake is great, when it's not dense, artificial-tasting, and super oily. Cream cheese frosting is great ... all the time. Whoopie pies are cute, and solve the problems cupcakes have - too little frosting:cake ratio.

So combine them all, and you're guaranteed something pretty delicious. 

I took these pictures with my new camera, actually. Canon Rebel Ti3!!! I seriously need to take a photography class. Mishandling or not using the camera to its fullest extent is just a plain waste. 

Anyway, I'm liking how the pictures are coming out! I took a picture of a sliced eggplant, focusing on the sliced part. I wanted something with detail .. I don't know where eggplant came from, but whatever, it worked and the picture was awesome. 

See? Unedited, in the raw. 

Hope you try out these little cushions of deliciousness. The cake is perfectly and puffs up nicely instead of spreading out all crispy & non-whoopie pie-like. The filling is just cream cheese frosting I added some lemon zest to - you can't taste the lemon unless you know it's there, but it's just refreshing. And together ... mmm.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies 

from here. 

• 2 cups flour 
• 1 1/2 tspns baking soda 
• 1 tspn baking powder 
• 1 tspn ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tspn ground ginger 
• 1/2 tspn ground cloves 
• 1/2 tspn nutmeg 
• 1/2 tspn salt 
• 1/2 cup (8 Tb ; one stick) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tspn vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot (grate using the setting you see fit - they are whoopie pies, not cake, so maybe use a smaller than usual grate setting) 

• 6 oz. cream cheese, room temp 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar 
• 1/2 tspn vanilla 
• a few grates of lemon zest (not too much, maybe 1/4 - 1/2 tspn, but eyeball it)

1. Whisk dry ingredients (flour - salt). Set aside. 
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 4 - 5 mins. 
3. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add eggs one at a time. Beat well and scrape down sides after each addition. Beat in vanilla. 
4. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in carrots. 
5. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop out batter (I used ~1 1/2 Tb worth) onto greased baking sheet. Flatten out slightly, as the cake does not spread that much. Bake 10 - 12 mins. Cake should spring back when gently pressed. Let cool completely on cooling racks. 
7. Make filling: Beat together the cream cheese and butter. Add sugar, beating out any lumps. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let it firm up to ease assembly. 
8. Assembly: Once cakes are cooled, arrange in pairs. Frost one side liberally (with piping bag or spoon), then sandwich whoopie pie closed. Store in airtight containers in the fridge.