Easter Donuts

These Easter donuts are moist, flavorful and packed with the familiar spices of a classic carrot cake, with the added bonus of a delicious cream cheese frosting. They can be made traditionally, whole wheat or gluten-free.

Ingredients

Frosting:

▢ 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened
▢ 2 ounce (56 grams) cream cheese softened
▢ 1-2 cups (120-240 grams) powdered sugar
▢ 2-3 tablespoons milk
▢ 1 pinch salt

For optional piped carrots:

▢ orange and green food coloring

For optional bunnies:

▢ 18 marshmallows
▢ pink sanding sugar or freeze-dried strawberries or powder

Instructions

Toast the pecans, if using:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Stir, then bake for an additional 3-6 minutes or until they become fragrant. Remove the baking sheet and place it on a cooling rack. Let the pecans cool for about 10 minutes, or until they're cool enough to handle, then chop them into medium-sized pieces.
1/2 cup (55 grams) pecans

Make the donuts:

Lightly grease a donut pan and set it aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg until well combined.
2 cups (240 grams) flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract, milk, and eggs until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Stir in the grated carrots.
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, 1/3 cup (66 grams) oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup (57 grams) milk, 2 large, 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) finely grated carrots
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until a thick batter forms. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Using a spoon or a small scoop, fill each cavity of the donut pan about 3/4 full (approximately 1/4 cup or 75 grams of batter per donut). Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Carefully remove the donuts from the pan and transfer them to a cooling rack. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Make the frosting:

Add the softened butter, cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed to blend until the frosting is smooth. Taste and add more powdered sugar, if desired. Add more milk until it's your desire consistency. The frosting should hold its shape and not be runny. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, 2 ounce (56 grams) cream cheese, 2-3 tablespoons milk, 1-2 cups (120-240 grams) powdered sugar
If making the piped carrot version, add 1/4 cup (58 grams) of frosting to two separate small bowls (1/2 cup total). Add orange food coloring to one bowl and green food coloring to the other, stirring until the colors are evenly distributed.
Frost the ever-so-slightly warm donuts with the white frosting, allowing the frosting to melt slightly for a glazed appearance.

For piped carrots:

Place the orange and green frostings into separate piping bags. I used Wilton Tip 5 to pipe carrots with orange frosting onto each donut to and Wilton Tip 3 to pipe a green "V" shape at the top of each carrot.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

For the bunnies:

If using berry powder, I recommend doing this step on the day of serving. Using a sharp knife, cut a marshmallow diagonally. Dip the freshly cut, sticky sides into the sanding sugar or berry powder. If you don’t do it when the cut is fresh, then it won’t stick.
Place the two pieces on top of a frosted donut to form the ears. For the tail, cut another marshmallow in half lengthwise, and place it on the back of the donut. Repeat this process for all donuts.

Notes

For the flour, you can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat, white whole wheat or for gluten-free, King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour.
You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or olive oil. I used Aldi organic extra-virgin, and the donuts didn't taste of olive oil. But I wouldn't recommend a fancy, strong-flavored olive oil.
You can use any milk you'd like except for canned coconut milk, which is too thick and would give the donuts coconut flavor.
I use freeze-dried strawberry powder, but I've also tried crushing freeze-dried strawberries, and that worked well too. For this method, ensure the strawberries are crisp; old or soft ones won't work. If your strawberries have absorbed some moisture, the powder at the bottom of the freeze-dried strawberry bag will still be useful.
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator. Nutritional info doesn't include the bunny decoration.