Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Donut Pan

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Proper preheating is crucial for even baking. Ensure your oven is at the correct temperature before placing the donuts inside.
• Grease a donut pan generously with non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease and flour the pan to ensure the donuts release easily. A well-greased pan is essential for preventing sticking and ensuring your donuts come out cleanly. If you don’t have a donut pan, you can bake these as muffins in a muffin tin, but the bake time might slightly increase.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Whisking ensures all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, preventing clumps and ensuring consistent flavor throughout the donuts. This step can be done while the oven preheats.

Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients

• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisking the wet ingredients separately helps to emulsify them, creating a smoother batter. Ensure the eggs are fully incorporated into the mixture.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough donuts. Mix until you no longer see streaks of dry flour.

Step 5: Add Carrots and Nuts (Optional)

• Gently fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts or pecans (if using) into the batter. Distribute them evenly throughout the batter, ensuring they are incorporated without overmixing.

Step 6: Fill Donut Pan

• Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a large zip-top bag. If using a zip-top bag, snip off a corner. Piping the batter makes it easier to fill the donut cavities evenly and neatly.
• Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling each cavity about ¾ full. Do not overfill the cavities, as the donuts will rise during baking and may overflow.

Step 7: Bake the Donuts

• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean. Baking times may vary slightly depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the donuts towards the end of the baking time to prevent overbaking. The donuts should be lightly golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.

Step 8: Cool the Donuts

• Let the donuts cool in the donut pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling in the pan slightly allows the donuts to firm up, making them easier to handle. Cooling completely on a wire rack prevents condensation from making the bottoms soggy.

Step 9: Prepare the Cream Cheese Glaze

• While the donuts are cooling, prepare the cream cheese glaze. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Ensure both the cream cheese and butter are properly softened to avoid lumps in the glaze.
• Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy. Adding powdered sugar gradually prevents it from puffing up in a cloud.
• Add vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream. Beat until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the donuts but still pourable.

Step 10: Glaze the Donuts

• Once the donuts are completely cooled, dip the tops of each donut into the cream cheese glaze. Allow the excess glaze to drip back into the bowl.
• Alternatively, you can drizzle the glaze over the donuts using a spoon or piping bag.
• If desired, sprinkle the glazed donuts with chopped walnuts, pecans, or a dusting of cinnamon for extra visual appeal and flavor.

Step 11: Let Glaze Set

• Place the glazed donuts back on the wire rack and let the glaze set for about 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the glaze to firm up slightly and become less sticky.