Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts – Deliciously soft, moist, and fluffy doughnuts packed with grated carrots and warm spices, topped with a sweet, creamy cream cheese frosting. A delicious twist on classic carrot cake!

If you love carrot cake, you’re going to adore these Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts! They’re wonderfully soft and fluffy, packed with freshly grated carrots and a delicious blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Each doughnut is finished with a generous layer of smooth, sweet cream cheese frosting for that classic carrot cake flavour in every bite.

These homemade doughnuts are incredibly easy to make, and because they’re baked instead of fried, there’s no messy oil or complicated preparation involved. They’re ready in just 40 minutes, making them perfect for Easter celebrations, weekend brunches, or whenever you’re craving something sweet and comforting. Add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans for an extra delicious finishing touch!

Looking for more delicious carrot cake recipes? Try my Carrot Cake Cookies, Carrot Cake Muffins, or Carrot Cake Blondies.

Happy baking,

Marsha x

From the recipe box

Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Deliciously soft, moist, and fluffy doughnuts packed with grated carrots and warm spices, topped with a sweet, creamy cream cheese frosting. A delicious twist on classic carrot cake!

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Prep 30 minutes minutes

Cook 10 minutes minutes

Total 40 minutes minutes

Yields 12 doughnuts

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Ingredients

For the Doughnuts

• 187 g plain/all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 large egg
• 100 g caster or granulated sugar
• 120 ml buttermilk
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 80 g freshly grated carrots

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 57 g cream cheese, softened
• 28 g unsalted butter, melted
• 125 g icing/powdered sugar
• 1 – 2 teaspoons milk
• Chopped walnuts or pecans, for topping (optional)

Instructions

For the Doughnuts

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F/Gas 6. Grease a doughnut tin and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until combined.
• Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth and combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots. Avoid overmixing.
• Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared doughnut tin, filling each cavity almost to the top.
• Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the doughnuts are risen and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese and melted butter until combined.
• Add the icing sugar and whisk until completely smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add a little milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Dip the tops of the cooled doughnuts into the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired, and leave to set before serving.

Recipe notes

Buttermilk: To make your own, add ½ tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to 120ml milk. Stir and leave for 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled.

Storage: Store leftover doughnuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing: These doughnuts freeze well for up to 2 months. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.