Spiced Carrot Cake Scones 🥕 Cream Cheese Orange Glaze: Simple with Elegance

These spiced, sweet, and decadent Carrot Cake Scones are based on the combination of the English carrot cake using (British) mixed spice and Scottish scones. Keep them simple or elevate their elegance with a cream cheese orange glaze and toppings to include toasted coconut and shredded carrots. Why not add chopped walnuts or pineapple for additional crunch and flavor? Consider making a batch of Carrot Cake Scones for your Easter breakfast table, an afternoon snack, or any day of the week. 😉

A Little Carrot Cake Origin

Carrots were first used in dessert as a sweetener during the 10th century. Due to a honey shortage, an Arabian chef began using carrots as a “sweet” substitute. During World War II when England was rationing food including sugar, carrots began making an appearance in those sought-after sweet cakes since carrots could be grown in most anyone’s garden. We can thank the Americans for that added indulgence of cream cheese frosting to those orange-y British delights.

Scottish Scones are Royalty! Who Knew??

Scone Royalty

Scottish scones are actually a royal treat! Well, sort of. The word “scone”, given to this bread, comes from the medieval town of Scone located in southeastern Scotland about 50 miles north of Edinburgh. It was once the royal hub for Scottish coronations (hence royalty😉). The scone bread we know today likely derived from the Scottish “bannock”, a simple, thin, round flatbread. The first recording of a type of a bread called a “scone”, was in 1513 by King James V of Scotland. Royalties ate this bread likely while in the town of Scone suggesting the reason for its name.

Scottish Scones versus American Biscuits

If you are American and have never eaten a scone or Scottish and have never eaten an American biscuit, then… you almost have. Scottish scones and American biscuits are very similar. Scottish scones are generally a little sweeter and often have mix-ins like currants or raisins. They are typically served during teatime with clotted cream and fruit jam or preserves. The American biscuit is generally not sweet and often served with butter and jam for breakfast or used as the bread in a breakfast egg and sausage sandwich.

My Carrot Cake Scones Recipe Inspiration

It’s the Season!!

Since spring is the season for introducing warmth, more fruit and vegetables, and Easter, I wanted to create a recipe that encompasses it all. I’ve made carrot cake scones before, but I wanted to create my own version that tasted more English using (British) mixed spice and common carrot cake ingredients with the texture of a Scottish scone (American biscuit). Let’s not forget the “clotted cream” topping and additional textures.

(British) Mixed Spice You Say?

British Mixed Spice (though technically not labeled as “British” in Great Britain) is used all over the United Kingdom in many sweet baked goods. It consists of a combination of many warm spices, some of which are more difficult to find in the United States (like mace). However, if you can find all the spices, it’s an incredible addition to your sweet treats. You can check out my recipe for mixed spice in the “notes” section of the recipe at the end of this post. In fact, I use it in my Hot Cross Buns recipe. The Carrot Cake Scone recipe I’m sharing in this post is based on common flavors and cuisine eaten in Great Britain.

My Carrot Cake Scones Recipe Description

These scones are light and tender, filled with grated carrots and brown sugar for sweetness, orange zest for freshness, mixed spice for warm flavors, and butter cut throughout for moistness, richness, and outer crispiness. The cream cheese orange glaze and optional toppings (coconut, walnuts, shredded carrot, or orange zest) elevate these scones to shear indulgence like a cake. Let’s check them out!

Carrot Cake Scones Ingredients

This recipe has quite the list of ingredients, but the list includes common pantry or refrigerator items. The scone dough includes all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, butter, freshly grated carrots, orange zest, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, egg, and traditional British mixed spice (or cinnamon). The cream cheese glaze also includes cream cheese, powdered sugar, and juice from the zested orange.

Prepare the Baking Sheet

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add 420 grams (3½ cups) of all-purpose flour. Add 12 grams (1 tablespoon) of baking powder, 2 grams (½ teaspoon) of baking soda, 3 grams (½ teaspoons) of salt and 2 grams (~1½ teaspoons) of mixed spice or cinnamon. Whisk all the ingredients until combined.

TIP: Mixed spice is a common spice used in British baking though not as popular in other parts of the world. You can easily make it from scratch using a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace, cloves, ginger, and coriander. You can find this mixed spice recipe in the Carrot Cake Scones recipe at the end of this post.

Whisk in Brown Sugar

To the dry ingredients, add 128 grams (⅔ cup packed) brown sugar. Whisk until mixed well and coated with the other dry ingredients.

Cut in Butter

Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or food processor to cut in 170 grams (¾ cup / 1½ sticks) of diced cold butter. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles small peas.

Stir in Carrots & Orange Zest

To the dry ingredients, add 110 grams (1 cup) of freshly grated carrots and the zest from 1 small- to medium- size orange. Stir until the carrot and orange bits are separated and coated with the flour mixture.

TIP: Be sure to use carrots that you grate or shred yourself because fresh carrots contain more moisture and are finer/thinner than the store-bought shredded or julienne versions. The extra moisture embedded in each carrot shred contributes to the tenderness in this recipe.

Combine Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, add 177 milliliters (¾ cup) of heavy whipping cream or half and half. Pour in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Crack 1 large egg in a small bowl, beat, and pour it into the whipping cream and vanilla mixture. Whisk or stir until well blended.

Stir Wet into Dry Ingredients

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the whipping cream mixture into the well. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Quickly Knead the Scone Dough

Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times to ensure all flour and moisture are mixed in well.

TIP: If you have dough sections with too much moisture, those areas will spread more in the oven when the scones bake resulting in unevenly shaped scones.

Pat Out Dough & Cut into 12 Rounds

Pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness. Use a large 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter (or drinking glass) to cut out rounds. Place the rounds 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You should get 12 large round scones. Continue to knead, shape, and cut out rounds with any extra dough.

TIP: If you don’t have a 3-inch biscuit/cookie cutter, use anything round that’s a little smaller or larger. As a result, you may have a little more or less than 12 scones.

Brush Cream on Scones & Freeze

Pour 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream or milk in a small bowl. Brush the cream or milk over the top of each scone. The cream keeps the scones wet allowing them to expand upwards as they bake. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

TIP: For a make-ahead option, you can store the scones frozen for several days or weeks until ready to bake them. If you intend to store them longer than a couple of hours, remove them from the baking sheet once they are frozen and place sealed in a bag or container to avoid freezer burn.

Preheat Oven & Bake

While the scones are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C). Remove the scones from the freezer and place them in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Once removed from the oven, allow the scones to cool.

Make the Cream Cheese Orange Glaze

Combine the Cream Cheese & Powdered Sugar

In a small bowl, add 113 grams (4 ounces / ½ package) of softened cream cheese. Mash it down with a spoon or fork to increase the softness. Then, add 180 grams (1½ cup) of powdered sugar. Use a fork or whisk and mix until smooth.

TIP: For ease, you can use an electric hand mixer to combine all the glaze ingredients.

Whisk in the Orange Juice & Vanilla

Pour in 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) of orange juice taken from zested orange. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add more orange juice as needed to reach a thick enough consistency to hold its shape and stay on the scones but thin enough to easily spoon it on the scones. Cover and store the glaze in the fridge until you’re ready to eat the scones. You can make the glaze days ahead of time.

Close-Ups of Baked Carrot Cake Scones

Exterior Perspective

Notice the even brownness on the tops, sides, and bottoms. This sturdy bread rose and gained height in the oven (they shrink some as they cool). You can spot the grated carrots. The exterior is crispy thanks to the caramelized butter and brown sugar.

Interior Perspective

On the inside, they are tender from the butter and heavy whipping cream. You can spot the grated carrots and the orange zest. The brown coloring is due to the mixed spice and brown sugar.

Add Elegant, Flavorful Glaze & Toppings

Once the scones have cooled completely and when you’re ready to serve them, you can add the toppings. Spoon the glaze generously over each scone that will be consumed at that time. For added elegance, texture, and décor, you can add toppings. I like to top the glaze with toasted or shredded coconut. If you have extra orange zest or shredded carrots, add those too. If you want a bit of crunch and nutty flavor, try adding some chopped walnuts. There are so many ways to go from simple to an indulgent, elegant scone with this recipe. Now that’s a gorgeous scone from simple to elegance.

Carrot Cake Scones Final Close Up

Storage Suggestions

If consuming later, store the glaze covered in the fridge separately from the scones until ready to serve them. You can store scones sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days while storing the glaze in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, place the scones sealed in a bag or container in the freezer for up to several months. Then, heat from frozen in the microwave until heated through. Add glaze and toppings as desired and enjoy.

(British) Mixed Spice Substitute

If you don’t have, can’t find, or unable to make the British mixed spice, you can sub the mixed spice with ground cinnamon, pumpkin, or apple pie spices in the same amount. The traditional flavors will be altered some by not using mixed spice, but you will still produce a very good Carrot Cake Scone. To make your own mixed spice see the recipe in the “notes” section below in the recipe.

Carrot Cake Scones Final Thoughts

Yummy! These scones are quite addicting in my opinion and the season is just right for them. Carrots, orange, and mixed spice provide a pleasant flavor combination profile. The butter and whipping cream add to the crispy exterior and tender internal crumb. They are very rich and tasty even before adding the cream cheese orange glaze. The glaze takes these scones over the top in flavor, sweetness, richness, and texture. They are simple by themselves but elegant when adding the glaze and optional toppings like toasted coconut and grated carrot. Serve these for Easter, no reason at all, or for an elegant brunch with family and friends.

Carrot Cake Scones: Baker’s Perspective

Making Scones = Making American Biscuits

Making scones reminds me of making American biscuits except for more ingredients. It’s as easy as mixing the dry ingredients, cutting in the butter, and finally stirring in the wet ingredients. You don’t even need to use a rolling pin, since you can pat out the dough and cut out rounds. I choose to freeze my cut-out scones as I find the really cold butter gives the bread a flaky, tender crumb. Freezing also helps the scones maintain their shape without spreading too much, though they will spread some.

Make-Ahead Option, too!

You can make these scones days before and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. The simple cream cheese glaze on top is like making the icing for cinnamon rolls. You can also make the glaze a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge. While scones are traditionally Scottish, some ingredients and techniques are certainly reminiscent of other familiar breads in other countries.

Carrot Cake Scones: Taster’s Perspective

Hot out of the oven the scones have a crispy exterior and soft interior. Like with a traditional carrot cake recipe, carrots are not defined as the orange zest and spices overtake the carrot flavor. However, the carrot pieces are visible and add texture along with a very minor “healthy” component. 😉

Individual Ingredient Influences

The British mixed spice adds a nice mixed spice flavor without any one spice overpowering the overall flavor, not even the cinnamon! The orange zest adds freshness to balance out the heavy butter and whipping cream combination. The use of butter encourages a brown, crispy exterior while the heavy whipping cream adds moisture and tenderness to the overall crumb.

Cake, Bread, or Both?

They really do seem like a cross between a cake and bread with the soft, rich, and tender crumb like a cake mixed with a hearty bread texture. They would make a satisfying breakfast, snack, or dessert. The scones taste great by themselves, but the cream cheese orange glaze elevates the flavors to total indulgence!

Check out my YouTube Video for ALL the details in making these Carrot Cake Scones with their toppings! “Spiced Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Orange Glaze: A Blend of English & Scottish Cuisines”

You might be interested in these other sweet bakes.

British Hot Cross Buns

Cinnamon Rolls

German Bienenstich Cake

New Zealand Kiwi Quick Bread (GF Option)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña Sweet Cheese Pound Cake

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!