These Carrot Ginger Oat Cakes with Cream Cheese Filling are a cozy, bakery-style treat you can absolutely pull off at home. Soft, gently spiced carrot-oat cakes are sandwiched around a classic cream cheese frosting for a playful twist on a Whoopie pie.
The batter starts with pantry staples, canola oil, honey, yogurt, eggs, fresh ginger, grated carrot, rolled oats, and flour, so you get that tender, moist texture without needing specialty ingredients. Letting the batter rest gives the oats time to hydrate, which helps the cakes bake up soft and fluffy rather than dense. A quick 15 minutes in the oven is all they need before they’re ready to cool and be paired with their tangy-sweet filling.
The cream cheese layer is everything you want it to be: smooth, lightly tangy, and just sweet enough thanks to butter, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla. Once the cakes are cooled, you simply dollop the filling onto the flat side of one cake, top it with another oat cake, and press gently to create pillowy sandwich cakes that look impressive but are simple to assemble.
Serve these at room temperature for the softest, cakiest texture, or chill them slightly if you like the filling a bit firmer. They’re perfect for lunchbox treats, spring gatherings, bake sales, or anytime you want a dessert that feels special without being fussy. With one batch, you get 12 generous sandwich cakes, so there’s plenty to share or to tuck into the freezer for a future sweet moment.
Recipe adapted from Chef Jessica Armstrong’s entry in the James Beard Foundation’s “More Taste, Less Waste” competition.
Recipe courtesy of Oats Everyday
Carrot Ginger Oat Cakes with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
Carrot Ginger Oat Cakes
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 cups yogurt Greek
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Carrot Oat Ginger Cakes
- In a large bowl, stir together oil, honey, yogurt, eggs and ginger. Stir in carrots.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding together until combined.
- Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
- Using a 1/4 cup (60 mL) scoop, drop cakes onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Do not flatten the batter.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Whip cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, one half-cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
To Assemble
- Cool cakes completely before assembling.
- Spread a generous dollop of filling on the bottom (flat side) of one cake. Carefully place a second cake on top (flat side toward filling), pressing halves together gently.
- Serve at room temperature, or chill to firm up filling.
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