Baked Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft, warmly spiced baked carrot cake donuts made with freshly grated carrots and finished with a rich cream cheese frosting. These easy homemade donuts are perfect for Easter brunch, spring gatherings, or a sweet weekend breakfast.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 –2 tsp milk if needed
Optional Garnishes
- Finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- Finely shredded carrots
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a standard donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. If you only have one pan, bake the donuts in batches.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing, which can make the donuts dense.
- Gently fold in the finely grated carrots until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or large zip-top bag. Cut approximately ½ inch from one corner.
- Pipe the batter into the prepared donut cavities, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely for approximately 20 minutes before frosting.
- To prepare the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. If needed, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
- Spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled donuts. Garnish with chopped nuts, shredded carrots, or cinnamon if desired.
Notes
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the donuts covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Nutrition
Calories: 191 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 33 mg | Sodium: 97 mg | Potassium: 73 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 194 IU | Vitamin C: 0.02 mg | Calcium: 71 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Nutrition information has been calculated using an autogenerating online calculation and is intended for informational purposes. For accurate nutritional information, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used.
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