• Get the eggs, butter, and cream cheese out of the fridge 1 hour before you plan to bake to let them come to room temperature
• Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) for conventional oven. If you use a convection oven please lower the temperature by 20 F/15 C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper
• Position the oven racks, 3rd from the top and 3rd from the bottom
• Prepare a piping bag with a large piping tip about 1-inch wide or use a sturdy plastic bag and snip the tip to make an opening about 1-inch wide
• Make sure the carrots are finely grated and pat dry with absorbent paper towel to absorb any excess moisture

Prepare the cake batter:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside
• In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until creamy. Add the egg, one at a time and beat until just combined, scrape the side of the bowl before adding the second and beat again until just incorporated.
• Then add vanilla, carrots, and raisins and mix to combine
• Turn down the speed to the lowest and gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Use a rubber spatula to help you scrape the side of the mixing bowl to incorporate everything

Shaping:

• Transfer the thick cake batter to a piping bag. Pipe about heaped tablespoons of the mixture (about 35 grams to be exact), about 2 1/2-3 inches wide onto the prepared baking sheets. Leaving about 2 inches in between the cake batter as they will spread. Use a tip of your wet finger to round off any pointy top, but don't flatten the batter

Baking:

• Place the baking sheets in the positioned oven racks and bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are just slightly golden around the edges but still soft to the touch
• Let them cool on the pan set on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then loosen the bottom with an offset spatula and transfer to a cooling rack to cool down completely

Prepare the cream cheese frosting:

• Use a sturdy spatula or a spoon to mix the softened cream cheese to make it smooth and creamy. It is important that cream cheese must NOT be cold
• Beat the butter and powdered sugar with paddle attachment in a standmixer for about 5 minutes on a medium speed. They should be light and fluffy, but don't overbeat it
• Add the cream cheese and orange zest into the creamed butter and beat until just combined. DO NOT overmix them. Keep them chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes to let it firm up a little bit before using

Assembling when ready to serve:

• Once the cookies have cooled down completely, try to find similar size and pair them up. Spoon about 1- 1 1/2 Tbsp or pipe a generous amount of filling on the flat side of the cookies and top with the flat side of the other cookie to make a whoopie pie

How to serve:

• Dust the top of the assembled cookies with some powdered sugar just before serving

How to store:

• Keep the assembled cookies in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for about 3 days. The assembled cookies can also be kept frozen. I let them freeze partially for about 30 minutes on a baking sheet and then wrap each assembled cookie with a cling wrap and store them in a freezer bag for up to one month

How to make ahead:

• Store the baked cookies in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. The filling can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. Simply assembling them when ready to serve
• Both the cookies and filling can be kept frozen separately for up to one month in the freezer. Wrap the cookie pairs tightly with a cling wrap and keep them in a freezer-friendly bag. Simply let them thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before assembling