Carrot Cake Hot Cross Buns
We’re combining hot cross buns with carrot cake! Here, tangzhong buns are filled with carrots, fruit & spices then topped with cream cheese frosting crosses.
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If you’re a carrot cake fan, you’re going to love these carrot cake hot cross buns!
These carrot cake hot cross buns are made just like regular ones except we’re adding grated carrot into the dough & replacing the classic flour & water crosses with a vanilla cream cheese frosting, which is piped on top of the buns once they are glazed & cooled down. There’s also plenty of rum soaked sultanas & toasted walnuts in the dough which really takes these hot cross buns to the next level!
For more bread & baking recipes, take a look at our ever growing collection of baking recipes! There’s lot to choose from here, from cakes, cookies, brownies, bread rolls, sourdough & lots more. Or for more Easter food, check out our collection of Easter recipes…
Ingredient Notes
- Bread Flour – To make hot cross buns, it’s best to use a strong white bread flour with a protein content between 12-14%. I use a Canadian bread flour from Shipton Mill.
- Yeast – This recipe works with either instant or dried active yeast. Dried active yeast will need to be activated in the warm milk whereas instant can be added straight into the flour.
- Milk – Whole milk works best for these buns but semi skimmed will work as well.
- Sugar – We’re using light brown sugar in the dough, like you would in carrot cake!
- Spices – Hot cross buns & carrot cake use similar spices anyway, which is handy! We’re using ground cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg in the dough.
- Salt – A good quality sea salt work best for all breads! I like to use Maldon salt.
- Fruit – We’re adding either raisins or sultanas into the dough, plus some candied peel.
- Carrots – Make sure to grate your own carrots for this recipe!
- Nuts – I added walnuts to my buns but feel free to leave them out if you’d prefer (use extra fruit instead).
- Skimmed Milk Powder – Adding a small amount of milk powder to the dough gives the buns a deeper colour once baked. This is optional though!
How To Make Carrot Cake Hot Cross Buns
These homemade hot cross buns combine the traditional Easter bun with a classic carrot cake! Here, we’re making an enriched tangzhong dough that’s full of rum soaked sultanas, grated carrots & toasted walnuts. Once baked, they’re glazed with jam then we’re piping cream cheese frosting crosses on top, to finish.
Mix Ins
Before making the dough, we need to prepare the mix ins (soaked fruit, grated carrot & toasted nuts). I find that it’s best to soak the sultanas/raisins the night before making the hot cross buns but the grated carrots & toasted nuts can be done just before making the dough. Feel free to swap out the nuts for extra fruit if you’d prefer.
- Soaked Fruit – I like to soak my sultanas in rum but black tea, orange juice or even boiling water will work instead. If you’re using rum, you won’t need to warm it up, unless you give them a shorter soak.
- Grated Carrots – To prep the carrots, we peel them then grate them on a box grater. Then to remove some of the water from the carrots, we wring them out in a tea towel then pat dry.
- Toasted Nuts – For the best flavour, we’re going to be toasting the walnuts before chopping them up & adding to the dough. The nuts can be toasted either in the oven or in a frying pan on the stove. Make sure to let the nuts cool completely before using!
Tangzhong Hot Cross Buns
These carrot cake hot cross buns are based on my tangzhong hot cross bun recipe but with some adjustments to incorporate the grated carrots. The main thing that you have to keep in mind when adding carrots into bread dough is that carrots contain a high percentage of water so they’ll need to be wrung out & dried before being added. Otherwise, the dough will be too sticky & hard to handle!
A tangzhong is an Asian technique where a small amount of the flour & liquid in bread dough is cooked on the stove like a roux then cooled down & added into the flour when the dough is mixed. This makes our hot cross buns even softer & fluffier!
How To Make Tangzhong Hot Cross Buns
- Tangzhong
To make a tangzhong, we add strong white bread flour & whole milk into a small pan, whisk to combine then cook over a low heat, stirring frequently until a thick paste forms. Then we transfer the tangzhong to a bowl & let it cool to room temperature before using. - Mix Dough
To make the dough, we add flour, milk, yeast, sugar, salt, milk powder, an egg, orange zest, spices & the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer then mix with the dough hook until a smooth dough forms. Next, we gradually add soft butter into the dough then continue mixing until it passes the windowpane test (more on this below!). - Add In Mix Ins
Next, we add the soaked fruit, grated carrots, nuts & some mixed peel into the dough then mix gently to incorporate. I find that the best way to do this is to start mixing by hand then use the stand mixer to incorporate them more evenly (on a low speed). - 1st Rise
Once our dough is mixed, we cover the bowl with a tea towel/clingfilm then leave to prove at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This will take 1-1½ hours. - Knock Back & Divide
Once risen, we knock the dough back, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface then use a dough scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Each piece of dough should weigh around 110 grams. - Shape
To shape the buns, we take a piece of dough & bring the edges into the middle. Next, flip the dough over & use cupped hands to shape the dough into a tight ball. Dragging the bottom on the work surface as you shape, helps increase surface tension. Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough then place onto a lined baking tray in 4 rows of 3. Make sure to leave a few centimetres gap between each bun. - 2nd Rise
Next, we cover the buns & prove them at room temperature again, for another 1-1½ hours until they have risen by around 75%. The buns should be just touching each other & will spring back slowly when lightly pressed. - Bake
Once the buns have risen, we brush them with egg wash then bake at 180°c/356°f for 20-25 minutes, until they are well risen & golden brown all over.
The Windowpane Test
We use the windowpane method to assess how the gluten is developing in bread dough. To do this, take a small amount of dough & stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to see through, it’s ready. If it tears, it needs to be kneaded for longer.
Glaze
The best time to glaze hot cross buns is as soon as they come out of the oven, as this will give them a glossy, shiny finish. Brushing the buns with glaze whilst they are still warm gives them an even finish & helps the glaze set.
I brushed my hot cross buns with my apricot & vanilla jam, which I warmed up with a splash of water but feel to use marmalade, golden syrup or a simple sugar syrup instead.
Cream Cheese Frosting Crosses
We’re topping our hot cross buns with cream cheese frosting crosses, instead of the classic flour & water ones that are normally piped on top before baking. This cream cheese frosting is pretty much the same as the one used for a regular carrot cake, expect we’re making it a bit thicker so we can pipe it on top of our baked & glazed hot cross buns.
To make our cream cheese frosting, we use a stand mixer to beat soft butter & icing sugar together until fluffy then we mix in cold cream cheese, vanilla paste & a pinch of salt. Once mixed, the frosting should be light & whipped then it can be piped on top of the hot cross buns once they are cool. If you’re not serving your buns straight away, I’d recommend piping the frosting on just before you do.
Tips & Tricks
- Squeeze as much water out of the carrots as possible, to avoid making the dough too wet. The best way to do this, is to wring the carrots out through a tea towel then pat them dry.
- Soak the dried fruit in rum (or black tea or orange juice), to make them extra plump & to add extra flavour.
- Toast the nuts before adding to the dough, for a deeper flavour.
- Brush the hot cross buns with warm jam as soon as they come out of the oven, to give them a glossy finish.
- Let the buns cool completely before piping on the frosting, to prevent it melting.
- Serve the hot cross buns at room temperature but store them in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook carrot cake hot cross buns in an Aga, use the simmering plate to cook the tangzhong then bake the buns in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.
Carrot cake hot cross buns will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. However, because of the cream cheese frosting, they’ll need to be stored in the fridge. They’re best served at room temperature though, so I’d recommend letting the buns sit out for 30 minutes or so before serving.
The key to making a pipeable cream cheese frosting is to use cold cream cheese & plenty of icing sugar to make it thick enough. To avoid over mixing the cream cheese, I find that it’s best to beat the butter & sugar until fluffy then mix in the cream cheese last.
To make hot cross buns, it’s best to use a strong white bread flour with a protein content of at least 12%
Yes, to properly develop the gluten & to incorporate the mix ins properly, it’s best to use a stand mixer. However, it is possible to mix the dough by hand, it will take some effort though!
Equipment Used
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More Easter Recipes To Try!
- Brown Butter Mini Egg Cookies
- Mini Egg Stracciatella Ice Cream
- Hot Cross Buns
- Tangzhong Hot Cross Buns
- Fried Hot Cross Bun Bread & Butter Pudding
- Cheese & Marmite Hot Cross Buns
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Carrot Cake Hot Cross Buns
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Box Grater
- Large Baking Tray
- Digital Scales
- Dough Scraper
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Mix Ins
- 100 g Sultanas (Or Raisins)
- 30 g Rum (See Notes)
- 180 g Grated Carrots (Roughly 3 Carrots – See Notes)
- 75 g Walnuts
Tangzhong
- 25 g Strong White Bread Flour (See Notes)
- 100 g Whole Milk
Dough
- 190 g Whole Milk
- 8 g Dried Active Yeast (Or Instant Yeast)
- 500 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 45 g Light Brown Sugar
- 8 g Fine Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Skimmed Milk Powder (See Notes)
- 1 Large Egg (50g Out Of The Shell)
- Zest Of 1 Orange
- 1½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 55 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
- 30 g Candied Peel
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Whole Milk
Glaze
- 60 g Apricot Jam
- 2 tsp Water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 100 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
- 200 g Icing Sugar
- 165 g Cold Cream Cheese (Full Fat)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- A Pinch Of Table Salt
Instructions
Mix Ins
- The night before making the buns, place the sultanas & rum into a small bowl, mix to combine then cover and leave to soak overnight.
- The next day, peel the carrots, grate with a box grater then weigh out 180 grams. Place the grated carrot onto a tea towel then wring out, to remove some of the water. Tip the carrots out onto a tray, pat dry if needed then set to one side.It's key to remove as much moisture from the carrots as possible otherwise it will make the dough too wet & sticky!
- Next, toast the walnuts, leave to cool then roughly chop. You can toast the nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat or in an oven set to 180°c/356°f. They'll take 3-4 whichever method you use.
Tangzhong
- Place the flour & milk into a small saucepan & whisk to combine. Cook over a low heat until you have a thick paste, stirring constantly with a spatula. Transfer to a bowl & leave to cool to room temperature.
Hot Cross Buns
- Warm the milk to 38°c/100°f (either in the microwave or on the stove) then whisk in the yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes, to go frothy.
- In the meantime, place the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the brown sugar, sea salt, milk powder, egg, orange zest, spices & cooled down tangzhong.
- Next, give the activated yeast another whisk then add into the flour.
- Mix the dough on a medium speed for 4-5 minutes until smooth then mix the softened butter in, a small piece at a time. Make sure that each piece of butter is fully incorporated before adding in more.
- Continue mixing on a medium speed until the dough passes the window pane test. This will take around 5 minutes.To perform the window pane test, stretch a small amount of dough between your fingers. If the dough stretches thin enough so that you can see your fingers through it without tearing, it's ready.
- Next, add the grated carrot, rum soaked raisins, chopped nuts & candied peel into the dough then knead by hand to incorporate the mix ins into the dough. If needed, you can use your stand mixer to incorporate the mix ins more evenly.
- Once mixed, cover the dough then leave to prove at room temperature until doubled in size. This will take 1-1½ hours.
- Once the dough has risen, knock it back, tip out onto a clean work surface then divide into 12 equal pieces, using a bench knife. Each piece should weigh around 110 grams.
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball then place onto a lined baking tray, in 4 rows of 3, leaving a couple of centimetres between each bun. Cover the tray lightly with clingfilm (or an upside down roasting tin) & leave to prove for another 1-1½ hours, until almost doubled in size.The buns should have risen by about 75% & should just be touching.
- Whilst your buns are rising, preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
Baking
- To make the egg wash, add the egg & milk into a small bowl then whisk to combine.
- Once risen, brush the hot cross buns with a light coating of egg wash then bake for 20-25 minutes, until a deep, golden brown.
- Whilst your buns are baking, add the jam & water into a small bowl then microwave to warm up slightly. This makes it easier to brush onto the buns.
- Once baked, brush the jam over the hot cross buns then leave to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer then sift in the icing sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes on a medium speed, until light & fluffy.Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down regularly with a spatula!
- Next, add the cream cheese, vanilla & salt into the butter then continue mixing on a medium speed for another 2-3 minutes, until everything is combined and the frosting is light & whipped.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag then pipe crosses on top of the hot cross buns. Serve straight away!
