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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!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 12 doughnuts

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.

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.