Delicate Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts will bring smiles to your brunch table as you sit down with your cup of coffee.
I don’t know about you, but when I hear brunch, I immediately think about pastries, especially doughnuts.
I knew I wanted to develop a baked doughnut recipe, but what kind?
Soon my mind went to these Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts.
Dipped in cream cheese frosting then sprinkled with chopped walnuts, these beauties belong on your brunch table next to your coffee.
The best part? You only need 60 minutes from start to finish.
My mind has been carrot cake obsessed for the past month – carrot cake cinnamon rolls, carrot cake drop cookies, even my carrot cake cheesecake from last year.
Really though – what else do you immediately think of when you have a bag of shredded carrots, begging to be used?
If you do use pre-shredded carrots, you may want to chop them into smaller pieces for this recipe so they are more evenly distributed in the batter.
If you’re using whole carrots, shred them finely with either a grater or your food processor. Make sure you press out any excess liquid that may occur from shredding.
Normally with baked doughnut batter, you’d pipe it into the pan.
However, I knew the raisins and walnuts would get stuck in the pastry bag, so I just carefully spooned in the batter.
I remember the first time I made doughnuts with chocolate chips in the batter. 10 seconds after attempting to fill the pan, a chocolate chip clogged the tip.
So unless your piping tip is huge, save yourself the headache. Trust me.
If you’re looking for a fried doughnut recipe, please don’t use this recipe.
Baked doughnut batter is meant to be “runny” like cake batter, not sturdy like bread dough that you roll out.
That’s why you use a doughnut pan because the batter needs a mold of some sort.
That also means these doughnuts have a cake-like texture, not a fried dough texture that you’d expect from a fryer.
Some people argue that these aren’t true doughnuts. That’s ok – more doughnuts for us to eat.
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Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts
Delicate Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts will bring smiles to your brunch table as you sit down with your cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
- Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting (get recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease two six-cavity doughnut pans*.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated then beat in the sour cream.
- Gradually add the flour mixture then stir in the carrots, raisins, and 1/4 cup walnuts.
- Fill each cavity in the pans about half full with the batter. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Frost doughnuts then top with chopped walnuts. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
*If you only have one doughnut pan, bake the first six doughnuts, remove them from the pan as directed, then cool the pan in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before reusing.
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Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
How did you know that I JUST got a donut pan? AND I love carrot cake? Can’t wait to faceplant into these! Happy Brunch Week! Pinned!
Carla Cardello says
I got mine just this past Christmas and have used it multiple times. The ideas just keep flowing ;)
Lanie from The Vintage Cook says
I can imagine waking up to the aroma of these baking and pinching away at one with my coffee! Delicious!
Becca from It's Yummi! says
Between your carrot cake doughnuts and my carrot cake oatmeal, we’re gonna have some AMAZINGLY awesome eyesight when Brunchweek is over! :)
Carla Cardello says
Good because my eyes sure do need it! ;)
Jane's Adventures in Dinner says
Yum! Beautiful donuts-I would just go crazy for the cream cheese frosting alone.
Ashley @ QLCC says
I LOVE carrot cake! These are adorable.
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
I am behind anything that allows me to eat cream cheese frosting for breakfast!
Stacy says
Carrot cake in a doughnut, topped with cream cheese icing and nuts? Who cares whether or not they are fried? Gorgeous confectionary, Carla! Perfect for brunch!
[email protected] {i love} my disorganized life says
Breakfast sweets are one of my downfalls- these doughnuts look fabulous!
Shaina says
Yummm carrot cake AND a doughnut all in one – delicious!
Danae @ Recipe Runner says
I totally agree, when I hear brunch I think pastries and carbs! I love carrot cake and these baked doughnuts look amazing! That cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for them!
Susan says
I’ll take baked doughnuts. It means I can have seconds and not feel guilty. Also less filling. Also these have vegetables, so it becomes a legitimate meal correct?
Carla Cardello says
Exactly. Eat your veggies ;)
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
I am ordering a baked doughnut pan. I can’t wait to try it out. I just heard about baked doughnuts in the last month. I am trying not to over anticipate and recipes like this is NOT helping. Lol
Carla Cardello says
You won’t regret it! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve used mine.
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
These only took 60 minutes? I would deem that TOTALLY worth the time and effort!
RavieNomNoms says
Whaaaat?! These look amazing! I love love love carrot cake anything! haha
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
I can’t believe all the ingenious ways you’ve incorporated carrot cake into different desserts, Carla. This is awe-inspiring! Your doughnuts look amazing and any fool who turns their nose up at this for not being a “real doughnut”, hell, I’ll take their share!