Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts
Lightly spiced and crowned with a tangy cream cheese glaze, these doughnuts are, quite simply, carrot cake baked into doughnut-shaped molds for a cuter, handheld form. (The batter could also be baked in greased mini-muffin or standard muffin tins; adjust the cooking time accordingly and bake until golden.) The floral sweetness of the golden raisins works well with the earthy carrots, but feel free to swap in your favorite chopped nuts instead. These come together in minutes without a mixer, and can be on your table within an hour. Like most doughnuts, they’re best enjoyed the day they’re made.
- Total:
- Serves: 12 persons
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 ½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼teaspoons baking powder
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- ½teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾cup/180 milliliters vegetable oil
- ¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk
- ½cup/110 grams dark brown sugar
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼cups/115 grams grated carrots
- ½cup/70 grams golden raisins
- 4ounces/115 grams cream cheese
- ⅓cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6-cavity doughnut pans or one 12-cavity muffin pan with cooking spray.Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fold the carrots and raisins into the wet mixture, then fold the dry flour mixture into the wet.Step 3
Transfer the batter to a large pastry bag or resealable plastic bag. Cut a 1/4-inch hole in the corner of the bag, then squeeze the batter evenly into the 12 cavities. Bake until golden and set, rotating the pans halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes. A toothpick inserted into a doughnut should come out with moist crumbs attached.Step 4
Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for a few minutes, then tip them out onto a cooling rack to cool.Step 5
To prepare the glaze, gently heat the cream cheese in a wide, shallow bowl in short 5-second bursts in the microwave until warm and runny. Whisk in the sugar. Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze. (If the glaze gets too thick as it cools, you can pop it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds at a time.) These are best the day they’re made.