If you’re a fan of the warm, spiced flavors of traditional carrot cake and the comforting indulgence of a donut, the Dutch Apron® Bakery kitchen has a real treat for you. Mini Carrot Cake Donuts are a unique twist on the classic carrot cake, specially crafted to infuse your springtime celebrations with a burst of flavor. The donuts are made from a Carrot Cake Cake Roll that’s been broken down and molded into everyone’s favorite morning treat. Each one is then dipped in a homemade cream cheese icing that is just sweet and tangy enough to complement the donut base without being overwhelming. Finally, they’re topped with toasted nuts that add a satisfying crunch to the dessert for an extra layer of decadence. Simple to make, impressive to look at, and perfectly delicious, Mini Carrot Cake Donuts are the seasonal recipe you’ve been waiting for.
Need More Recipes for Your Spring Celebrations?
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The No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake is bright, refreshing, and comes together in just minutes – no baking required. It’s much lighter than a traditional cheesecake, and the addition of our lemon-flavored crème filling gives it the perfect zesty finish. This tart treat is just the thing to effortlessly impress at your next get together.
What You’ll Need
- Silicone donut molds are what you’ll use to shape your donuts. We recommend getting two sets of molds, so you don’t have to wait until your pan is clean to finish making the rest of your donuts.
- This mold can be found and ordered online. Here is the link to the one we used for this recipe: Silicone Donut Mold for 6 Donuts, Set of 2.
- A hand mixer and large mixing bowl to combine the cake and cream cheese filling. This will form the base of your donuts, so you want to make sure everything is well combined and there aren’t any large chunks. Alternatively, you can mix the cake and filling together by hand.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, use a stand mixer and bowl. Alternatively, you can use a medium-sized mixing bowl and a hand mixer.
Storage Information
Store your Mini Carrot Cake Donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for optimal freshness. They can be stored this way for 2-3 days. If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, wait to add the nuts until just before serving, so they maintain their crunch.
Tips for Making Mini Carrot Cake Donuts
- It’s important that you give the donuts enough time to harden in the freezer. Allowing them to cool and harden ensures they will hold their shape during the decorating and serving process as well as making it easier to remove them from the molds.
- If iced donuts aren’t your favorite, this recipe tastes just as good without the frosting. You could also top them with powdered sugar or cinnamon to add a little extra burst of flavor.
How to Make Mini Carrot Cake Donuts
Servings: This recipe makes approx. 8 Mini Carrot Cake Donuts for you to serve at your next spring gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 Dutch Apron® Bakery Carrot Cake Cake Roll
- 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tsp. milk
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/3 c. walnuts and/or pecans, chopped and toasted
Instructions
Prepare the Cake
- Take the Carrot Cake Cake Roll out of the packaging and let it sit on the counter to thaw for 30 minutes.
- Once thawed, break off or cut up pieces of cake roll and place them into a large mixing bowl. Then, using a mixer on medium speed, beat until thoroughly mixed. You can also mix the cake and filling together by hand if you prefer.
- Fill the donut molds with the cake and filling mixture, pressing it down gently to ensure it fills the whole mold.
- Place the filled molds in the freezer until the mixture hardens. This can take up to 2 hours, or you can leave them in the freezer overnight.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In your stand mixer, combine the room temperature cream cheese and butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar to the mixture and beat again, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add milk, one teaspoon at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add a pinch of salt if needed to balance the sweetness.
Ice the Mini Carrot Cake Donuts
- Remove the donuts from the molds once they have completely hardened.
- Use a spatula or knife to generously ice the tops of the donuts with the cream cheese frosting.
- To add even more flavor and visual appeal to your donuts, top them with chopped and toasted walnuts and/or pecans.
And there you have it – a delicious, fresh batch of Mini Carrot Cake Donuts ready to be enjoyed. Simple to make and a joy to eat, these miniature treats are perfect for all your spring occasions. Whether it’s a weekend brunch, Easter celebration, or midweek pick-me-up, the classic combination of moist carrot cake, velvety cream cheese frosting, and toasted nuts is guaranteed to please all who choose to indulge. We recommend whipping up a batch to share whenever you find yourself surrounded by family and friends. After all, good things are meant to be enjoyed together.
