Homemade Cake Doughnuts

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Its National Doughnut Day! Now this is a holiday that I can get behind. I absolutely love doughnuts in all their fried dough glory. I’ll eat them plain, or coated in cinnamon sugar, or glazed, or chocolate glazed … I don’t think I’ve met a doughnut I don’t like.

So its settled. We are making doughnuts!

I grabbed my go to cookbook – The Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook – from the shelf, looked up a doughnut recipe and got to work.  Since I didn’t have yeast on hand, I went with a cake doughnut.  It was the first time I had ever made them, and it was so simple.  If you can make biscuits and aren’t afraid of deep frying, you can make doughnuts!

Cake Doughnuts

3 1/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup half & half (can sub milk)
1/4 cup melted butter
2 large eggs – beaten
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. Make a well in the center, and add all of the liquid ingredients. Stir to combine.

Cover the dough, and put it in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight if you want fresh doughnuts in the morning.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll to 1/2″ thickness. Using a doughnut cutter, cut all of your doughnuts. Chill until ready to cook.

Heat your oil to 375. Then, in small batches, cook your doughnuts for 1 min per side. Remove with a spider strainer, and allow to drain.

Toss warm doughnuts in powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or cinnamon sugar, or enjoy them plain.

I was able to get 30 doughnuts, and all of the doughnut holes, using a 2 1/2″doughnut cutter.

So that’s way #1 – just toss the warm doughnuts into your favorite sugar, and you are good to go. But, my children announced that they didn’t want all of the doughnuts to be cinnamon sugar, even though when we go to a bakery, that’s what they usually want. So I tried 2 more doughnut toppings, that are super easy, and I’m sure you will like as well.

Basic Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk

Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Dip your doughnuts. Allow to set for 15-20 minutes before eating.

And for the chocolate lovers …

Chocolate Glaze

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla 
3-4 Tbsp milk

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Dip your doughnuts (or submerge entirely if you really want chocolate). Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Print

Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2/3 cup half & half can sub milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 large eggs – beaten
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. Make a well in the center, and add all of the liquid ingredients. Stir to combine.
2. Cover the dough, and put it in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight if you want fresh doughnuts in the morning.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll to 1/2″ thickness. Using a doughnut cutter, cut all of your doughnuts. Chill until ready to cook.
4. Heat your oil to 375. Then, in small batches, cook your doughnuts for 1 min per side. Remove with a spider strainer, and allow to drain.
5. Toss warm doughnuts in powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or cinnamon sugar, or enjoy them plain.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from The Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

Print

Basic Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Dip your doughnuts. Allow to set for 15-20 minutes before eating.

Print

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 Tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Dip your doughnuts (or submerge entirely if you really want chocolate). Allow the glaze to set before serving.