Making donuts last week made me start thinking about other donuts I can make. Funny how that works, right? I always forget just how easy it is, as long as you have the right kind of pan.
![](https://flourandsunflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PXL_20220617_205301898-1024x768.jpg)
I was browsing cake directories, as you do, and came across a carrot cake. Now, I love a good carrot cake, but I haven’t made one before, not really. I always thought they were pretty difficult, but I never actually looked into it. Turns out? As with most things, it’s pretty easy once you give it a try.
A carrot cake has a lot in common with a tea cake or coffee cake, and in fact has a lot of similarities to the spiced pumpkin cake I already made. Really, the most difficult part of the whole thing is peeling, grating, and shredding carrots.
![](https://flourandsunflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PXL_20220617_192702292-1024x768.jpg)
My pro tip for this cake is to shred your own carrots, by the by. If you buy pre-shredded carrots, they’ll probably be quite dry, and a little larger than you actually want. Getting whole, fresh carrots works much better and really isn’t that hard to prepare. A good box grater is all you need.
What’s a carrot cake without cream cheese icing? I was going to just glaze these, but my partner insisted that I at least make a cream cheese icing for his, and I ended up icing all of them. A dash of chopped pecans on top gives it that extra bit of crunch and is perfect for a dessert.
![](https://flourandsunflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PXL_20220617_204845886-scaled.jpg)
Carrot Cake Donuts
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Mixing Bowls
- Donut Baking Sheet
- Piping Bag Or any suitable plastic bag
- Whisk
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the Donut Batter
- 1 Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Carrots Peeled and Grated
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg Room Temp
- 2 Tbsp Butter Melted
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ Tsp Cloves
- ½ Cup Milk
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Toasted Pecans Chopped
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 Oz. Cream Cheese Softened
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tsp Milk
Instructions
Make the Donut Batter
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prep your donut pan by greasing it and set it aside.
- Peel your carrots and grate them.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, gloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg and brown sugar, until combined.
- Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla, to the egg and sugar, and combine.
- Add the dry mix and stir until just combined.
- Mix in the carrots.
- Divide the batter into the donut pans. I prefer a piping bag, but it can be spooned in or poured however you like. Aim for about half full or slightly more.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then run your toothpick around the edges to loose them. Remove the donuts from the baking tray and place on cooling rack to finish cooling.
Making the Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese and butter, mixing until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar a little at a time, stirring to mix.
- Add and mix in the milk.
- Dip donuts, or use an icing spatula to ice them.
- Top with your chopped pecans, and enjoy!