Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 8

½ cup ginger beer

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp dried instant yeast

2¾ cups ‘00’ flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

⅓ cup caster sugar

4 egg yolks

50g unsalted butter, softened

1 carrot, grated (150g)

¼ cup double cream

Poppy seeds and edible flowers, to decorate

CREAM CHEESE ICING

½ cup cream cheese, softened 2½ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted

Place the ginger beer and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat until just warmed. Add the yeast and mix to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes – the mixture should be foamy on the surface after this time.

Place the flour, ground cinnamon, allspice and caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the ginger beer mixture and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the egg yolks, butter, carrot and cream and mix for 4 minutes, or until the mixture has formed a smooth and sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1.5cm thick. Using an 8.5cm round cutter, cut out 8 doughnuts (you may need to reform and re-roll the dough as you go). Place the doughnuts on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Use a 3cm round cutter to cut the centre out of each doughnut.

Set aside to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Place the doughnuts in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese icing, place the cream cheese and sifted icing sugar mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Spread the cream cheese icing over the cooled doughnuts and decorate with poppy seeds and edible flowers to serve.