Baked Funfetti Cake Donuts | Crisp and Crumble

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Donuts have to be in the top 10 when it comes to desserts. Doesn't matter what the flavor is, they are always delicious — especially when it comes to these baked cake donuts.

Baked Cake Donuts

I've had a love/hate relationship when it comes to baking donuts. For the past two years, I've attempted to make sufganiyot, also known as fried jelly donuts, during Hanukkah. Let's just say they never come out as planned. They never rise fully, always fry up weirdly, and are super dense.

Because of this, I was super skeptical about making donuts. They've just never worked out for me.

Baked Cake Donut Recipe

Luckily, that is all about to change thanks to these baked cake donuts. I know, I know they aren't technically the same as a fried donut so it doesn't count. However, these cake donuts are just as good and pretty simple to make.

These baked cake donuts are the perfect base for a quick and simple donut. They are easy to put together and had in pretty much any mix-in for a great flavor combo. This time around I kept it simple with some sprinkle, but I can't wait to try out more flavor combos in the future.

If sprinkles aren't your thing or you just feel like mixing it up, pretty much anything topping would work. Chocolate chips, crumb toppings, or even some crushed cookies would go great.

Simple Glaze and Flavoring

The glaze for the donuts stays simple as well. It's the classic powdered sugar and milk combo. You can make it as sweet as you like depending on how many layers of glaze you want to put on the donuts. You can also quickly get a chocolate glaze by melting a few tablespoons of chocolate into the mixture.

The glaze could also be adjusted depending on the donut flavor. Let's say you made an orange donut with orange zest, definitely make the plain glaze and add a few tablespoons of orange zest into the glaze as well!

Ingredients For Making Baked Cake Donuts

All-purpose flour
Cake flour - makes donuts more tender and soft.
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cinnamon - adds a nice and simple spice to the batter
Granulated sugar
Whole milk
Greek yogurt
Butter - unsalted and melted
Vanilla extract
Sprinkles

Ingredients For The Glaze

Whole milk
Confectioners sugar - add more if want a sweeter glaze.
Vanilla extract
Chocolate - melted

How To Make Baked Cake Donuts

Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a donut pan with butter or grease. Set it to the side.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and granulated sugar. Mix until combined, then set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Whisk the milk, yogurt, and egg until they are combined. Next, add the melted butter and vanilla continuing to whisk until the items are fully combined. Whisk until smooth.
Combine: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon. Be careful not to overmix the batter. It will be very thick. Once everything is combined, add in the sprinkles.
Fill the donut pan: Add the batter to the prepared donut pan. Fill them about ¾ of the way full. Don't worry if it looks like there isn't enough batter. The batter will fill out significantly in the oven. You can use a spoon to add the batter to the pan but it will be a little messy. It will be easier to transfer the batter to a Ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the pan.
Bake the donuts: Bake the donuts for about 8-10 minutes. The edges will be golden brown when they are done.
Prepare the glaze: While the donuts are in the oven, make the glaze. In a medium-sized saucepan combine the milk, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Keep the mixture on low heat. If adding chocolate to the glaze, divide the glaze in half and stir in melted chocolate to the mixture.
Glaze the donuts: When the donuts are cool, dunk the donuts into the warm glaze. Make sure the glaze is still warm or the glaze won't stick as well. Transfer the glaze to a wire rack to cool. Make sure you put down a paper towel or sheet pan to catch the falling glaze. It will get a little messy.
Top and enjoy: Top with additional sprinkles if needed. Enjoy while still warm for the best freshness.

How To Store Baked Cake Donuts

For any leftover cake donuts, store them in an airtight container. The donuts are best eaten fresh and won't last very long without becoming very stale. I would recommend eating them the day off for peak freshness.

FAQs

What is the difference between cake donuts and regular donuts?

Cake donuts are known for their soft cakey texture which is made with baking soda and baking powder. Regular donuts, often referred to as yeasted donuts, are made with yeast.

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried donuts?

Baked donuts take more like cake and do not have that fried aftertaste. They do not taste the same but are both equally delicious.

Is a baked donut healthier?

A baked don't isn't the healthiest treat, but it is better for you than a fried donut.

Whatever combo you choose will be delicious with these donuts. Check out the recipe below and let me know what flavor you choose!

Baked Cake Donuts

Recipe by Margo GothelfCourse: All Recipes, Sweets, DessertCuisine: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Add in whatever flavors and mix-ins you would like to yield about 12 donuts, but eat them fast! They don't stay fresh for more than a day!

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup sprinkles
Glaze
¼ cup whole milk
2-3 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp chocolate, melted (if making chocolate)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a donut pan and set it aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and granulated sugar. Mix until combined, then set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Whisk the milk, yogurt, and egg until they are combined. Next, add the melted butter and vanilla continuing to whisk until the items are fully combined. Whisk until smooth.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon. You don't want to over-mix the batter so it will be pretty thick. Once everything is combined, fold in the sprinkles.
Add the mixture to the prepared donut pan. Fill them about ¾ of the way full. Don't worry if it looks like there isn't enough batter. The batter will fill out significantly in the oven. You can use a spoon to add the batter to the pan but it will be a little messy. It will be easier to transfer the batter to a Ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the pan.
Bake the donuts for about 8-10 minutes. The edges will be golden brown when they are done.
While the donuts are in the oven, make the glaze. In a medium-sized saucepan combine the milk, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Keep the mixture on low heat. If adding chocolate to the glaze, divide the glaze in half and stir in melted chocolate to the mixture.
When the donuts are cool, dunk the donuts into the warm glaze. Make sure the glaze is still warm or the glaze won't stick as well. Transfer the glaze to a wire rack to cool. Make sure you put down a paper towel or sheet pan to catch the falling glaze. It will get a little messy.
Add additional sprinkles if desired and enjoy!