Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts with Mascarpone Frosting

Whether you spell it doughnut or donut, that's what we're talking about today! I am a bit partial to doughnut because of my blog being DOUGHvelopment, but either way you spell it I'll eat them up! I am still testing recipes for a basic doughnut recipe, I think I have finally found it, but in the mean time I am sharing a carrot cake baked doughnut recipe I came across!   

I was really excited to try this recipe because I really like carrot cake, as long as it doesn't have raisins in it, and I haven't had it in a long time. In fact if I remember correctly, I don't think I have had carrot cake since last Easter. And you may remember that last Easter I completely forgot the sugar in the carrot cake…my family wasn't very happy that day. That carrot cake wasn't very good, okay it was truly terrible, so it's been awhile since I have had actual carrot cake. Enter this recipe, obviously I had to make it with my love of doughnuts and all! Also it's not a layer cake, so it's pretty easy!
Now for a side note, feel free to toast the coconut for topping. I opted not too because the last time I tried toasting coconut I set my toaster oven on fire. That was the end of that toaster.
Also this recipe yields six donuts and six mini muffins, or around eight doughnuts. You could also make them all muffins if you don't have a doughnut pan, adjust cooking time accordingly.
And, final side note, promise, I chose to do a mascarpone frosting which is lighter in flavor than cream cheese, but feel free to check out the original recipe for a cream cheese frosting!

Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts

Ingredients:

Doughnuts:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

¼ teaspoon cardamom, optional

¼ cup sugar

2 Tablespoon honey

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

½ cup grated carrots

shredded coconut for topping

Frosting:

3 Tablespoons mascarpone cheese

½ cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

Doughnuts:

1.    Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Spray doughnut pan with non-stick spray, set aside.

2.    Melt butter and set aside to cool.

3.    In a large bowl, whisk together whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.

4.    In a medium bowl, whisk together cooled butter, sugar, honey, egg, vanilla, buttermilk and grated carrots.

5.    Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer batter to a piping bag. Pipe batter into prepared doughnut pan, filling wells about 2/3 of the way.

6.    Bake 7-9 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

1.    In a medium bowl, whisk together mascarpone, powdered sugar and milk until smooth.

2.    Once doughnuts have cooled completely, dunk in frosting or spread with frosting. Sprinkle with shredded coconut if desired.

Doughnut Recipe Adapted from The Faux Martha

Frosting Inspired by Blahnik Baker

Print Recipe Here