Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts

By srumbel

Delicate Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts will bring smiles to your brunch table as you sit down with your cup of coffee.
from chocolatemoosey.com

Ingredients

• Doughnuts
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 4 tablespoons (half a stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Step 1

For the doughnuts:
Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease two six-cavity doughnut pans*.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated then beat in the sour cream. Gradually add the flour mixture then stir in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
Fill each cavity in the pans about half full with the batter. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

For the frosting:
In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and salt until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar then add the milk. Beat until smooth.
Dip (or spread with a knife) each cooled doughnut into the frosting then top with chopped walnuts.

Notes
*If you only have one doughnut pan, bake the first six doughnuts, remove them from the pan as directed, then cool the pan in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before reusing.