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Carrot Cake Doughnuts

By Cindy Rahe
Created January 10, 2017
A combination of two classic treats—carrot cake and doughnuts—this recipe is one mash-up you don’t want to miss.
carrot cake doughnuts

There’s nothing like a hot, fresh, fried doughnut…but, indulging in them every time I crave one could become a huge problem, very quickly. Enter the baked doughnut. When I first got the urge to invest in a baked doughnut pan, I wasn’t sure it was worth it. After making batch after batch of tender, cake-y, goodness right at home, I could quickly see that splurging for another baking pan was well worth it.

These baked doughnuts channel one of my other favorite treats, carrot cake! The batter comes together much more quickly than cake, however, with fine bits of carrot throughout and a pleasant note of spice and sweetness from dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg and a splash of vanilla. To make these doughnuts even more like carrot cake, I frosted them with tangy cream cheese icing and a sprinkle of crunchy pecans. Here’s how to make them!

To begin, we mix up our dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

ingredients in mixing bowl

Next, we whisk up our wet ingredients: oil, milk, egg, vanilla, finely grated carrot and molasses.

wet ingredients for doughnuts

Then it’s simply about folding wet ingredients into dry to make the batter.

mixing ingredients

Pipe or spoon the batter into the doughnut pan, being careful to not overfill the tops of the centers, or you won’t get the requisite hole. Using a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off makes this job super easy.

batter in doughnut pan

After a bit of bronzing in a hot oven, we have freshly baked, homemade doughnuts.

baked doughnuts

After they’ve cooled off a bit, frost and sprinkle with pecans. These delicious doughnuts are great on their own, or as part of a full brunch spread.

carrot cake doughnuts

Ingredients

    • 1 1/4cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
    • 3/4cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4teaspoon salt
    • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1egg
    • 2/3cup vegetable oil
    • 1/2cup milk
    • 1tablespoon molasses
    • 1teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/2cup finely grated carrot
    • 1package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
    • 2tablespoons milk
    • 1cup powdered sugar
    • 1/4cup chopped pecans, if desired

Directions

  • 1Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 6-cup doughnut pan with cooking spray.
  • 2In medium bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg with whisk. In 4-cup measuring cup, beat egg, oil, milk, molasses, vanilla and carrot with whisk. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; fold until just combined. Spoon or pipe batter into donut cups, filling about half full.
  • 3Bake on center oven rack 10 to 12 minutes or until doughnuts are golden around edges and spring back when touched. Remove from oven. Turn doughnuts out onto cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
  • 4In small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread on cooled donuts. Sprinkle pecans over tops.

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