Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Scones

When is a scone a scone and a cake a cake?  Originating in Scotland, scones are a single-serving quick bread that is lightly sweetened and is usually made with baking powder as its leavening agent, compared to a tea cake which is made with yeast. Here in America, we know scones as a beloved coffee house treat.  Whether blueberry, pumpkin, vanilla bean, chocolate chip, or plain, the scones we love are usually sweeter than the European varieties and topped off with a sweet glaze.

Cakes, on the other hand, are typically baked desserts made from flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder or baking soda, butter, oil, milk, and water.  Sometimes, but not always, cakes are made into layers sandwiched between fillings and frosted in buttercream.

Today I have a recipe for a coffeehouse-style Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Scones with a Maple Cream Cheese Pecan Glaze. The texture is dense like a scone but it tastes like carrot cake except a little bit less sweet. Made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, this scone has a lot less fat in it compared to most other recipes. Using a combination of apple sauce and butter to give the crumb a moist texture without compromising the structural integrity of the dough, the scone is finished off with a light maple cream cheese glaze and a sprinkling of chopped pecans. The overall texture is very scone-like but at the same time, the overall flavor will have you thinking you're eating carrot cake. Make no mistake, these are definitely scones and would make a perfect addition to your holiday brunch this Sunday. 

Happy Easter!