Traditional carrot cake can be boring, with its globs of cream cheese frosting and chunks of over-spiced carrots. This modern twist on a classic turns the traditional carrot cake into soft, cakey sandwich cookies with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats – not instant
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots – about 3 large carrots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Frosting:

• 1 stick of butter at room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 splash vanilla extract

First, cream together two sticks of unsalted butter with three-fourths cup packed dark brown sugar and three-fourths cup granulated sugar. Add two large eggs and one and one-half teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium until fully incorporated.

Toast one-half cup chopped walnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Grate about three large carrots until you have one and one-half cups of loosely packed, grated carrots.

Combine two cups flour, one teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon baking soda, one-fourth teaspoon salt, one and one-half teaspoon cinnamon, one-half teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg and one-half teaspoon ground ginger in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add the flour combination, toasted walnuts, carrots, one-half cup toasted walnuts and two cups rolled oats to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low until combined, being careful not to overmix. Chill the dough for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are brown around the edges. Rotate halfway through the baking time.

While the cookies are cooling, cream one stick of butter and one 8 ounce package of cream cheese together on medium speed for five minutes. Then, add four cups of confectioners sugar, one cup at a time. Once combined, add a splash of vanilla extract. Mix on a medium-high speed until smooth and fully combined.

Spread a generous amount of frosting on each cooled cookie and then top with another cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are frosted.

Full recipe:

Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats – not instant
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots – about 3 large carrots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

First, cream together two sticks unsalted butter with three-fourths cup packed dark brown sugar and three-fourths cup granulated sugar. Add two large eggs and one and one-half teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium until fully incorporated.

Toast one-half cup chopped walnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Grate about three large carrots until you have one and one-half cups of loosely packed, grated carrots.

Combine two cups flour, one teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon baking soda, one-fourth teaspoon salt, one and one-half teaspoon cinnamon, one-half teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg and one-half teaspoon ground ginger in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add the flour combination, toasted walnuts, carrots, one-half cup toasted walnuts and two cups rolled oats to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low until combined, being careful not to overmix. Chill the dough for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are brown around the edges. Rotate halfway through the baking time.

Frosting:

• 1 stick of butter at room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 splash vanilla extract

While the cookies are cooling, cream one stick of butter and one 8 ounce package of cream cheese together on medium speed for five minutes. Then, add eight cups of confectioners sugar, one cup at a time. Once combined, add a splash of vanilla extract. Mix on a medium-high speed until smooth and fully combined.

Recipe adapted from Quick Feet, Good Eats. All photos by Julia Berard.