Vanilla Cake Donuts Recipes

VANILLA CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Vanilla Confectioners'-Sugar Glaze:Whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in milk until mixture is smooth and thick, and has the texture of pourable honey. Glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)
• Donuts:Dust a baking sheet with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla seeds on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and yolk, then vanilla extract. Scrape down bowl, then beat in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Turn out dough onto baking sheet; use floured hands to flatten to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight (if longer than 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap).
• Pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, using a floured 2 1/2-inch round donut cutter, cut out donuts (or use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, then cut out holes with a 1- to 1 1/2-inch round cutter). Pat together scraps; cut out more donuts (these will not be quite as tender). Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully drop donuts into hot oil and cook, flipping a few times, until deep golden brown all over, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes for holes), maintaining oil temperature between 340 degrees and 350 degrees at all times. Transfer donuts and holes to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes.
• While still slightly warm, dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side, then place, glaze-side up, on rack. Let stand until glaze sets and donuts are cool, about 1 hour. Donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

BAKED VANILLA CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare the pans by spraying each well individually with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine buttermilk, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, 1/3 at a time. Beat until just combined. Do not over beat the batter or your donuts will be dry and tough.
• Fill a piping bag with batter (see note below for a tip). Fill each donut cavity about 2/3 full so they don't overflow in the oven.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the top of the donuts bounces back when you touch it and a cake tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Let the cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
• Combine the powdered sugar and vanilla with a whisk in a medium bowl. Add food coloring (if using) and then add the milk a few drops at a time. The icing should be thick enough that it doesn't drip off the donuts but not as thick as paste. It should be a thick liquid almost like a runny pudding.
• Fill a piping bag with icing (see note below for a tip), and cut off the end of the bag. Pipe the icing onto the cooled donuts as shown in the photos above and immediately add the sprinkles of your choice before the icing sets. Once the icing sets, nothing else will stick, so it is necessary to frost and sprinkle just 2 or 3 at a time before moving on to the next batch.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in 20 second bursts in the microwave. Once melted, add a few drops of gel food color and mix well.
• Once the icing has set on the cooled donuts, place them on parchment paper and drizzle melted chocolate over them in the pattern of your choice. I like to go back and forth over the top of the donuts to make fine straight lines.
• While the chocolate is still tacky, add sprinkles and/or edible glitter to your drizzled chocolate.

CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a deep heavy skillet or deep-fryer to 370 degrees F (185 degrees C). On a floured board, roll chilled dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a 3 inch round cutter to cut out doughnuts. Use a smaller cutter to cut holes from center. If you do not have a small cutter, use the mouth of a bottle.
• Fry doughnuts in hot oil until golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil to drain on paper plates. Combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar in a large resealable bag. Place a few warm donuts into the bag at a time, seal and shake to coat.

FLUFFY CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a doughnut pan.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in milk, eggs, vanilla and shortening. Beat together until well blended.
• Fill each doughnut cup approximately 3/4 full. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until doughnuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
• To make glaze, blend confectioners' sugar, hot water and almond extract in a small bowl. Dip doughnuts in the glaze when serving.

CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In deep fryer or 3-quart saucepan, heat 3 to 4 inches oil to 375°F.
• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the remaining ingredients except Rainbow Doughnut Icing with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour.
• On generously floured surface, roll dough lightly to coat. Gently roll to 3/8-inch thickness. Cut dough with floured 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter.
• Fry doughnuts in oil, 2 to 3 at a time, turning as they rise to the surface. Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Cool slightly and frost with doughnut icing.

BAKED CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly brush two standard donut pans with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium; add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with milk, and beat just until combined.
• Transfer batter to a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag, and snip a 1/2-inch hole in one corner of bag. Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans. Bang pans several times on counter to release air bubbles.
• Bake until tops of donuts spring back when lightly pressed, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. To decorate, see Variations below.

BAKED VANILLA DOUGHNUTS WITH VANILLA GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray mini doughnut pan with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, mix all doughnut ingredients with spoon until blended. Spoon batter into pan, using about 1 tablespoon for each doughnut.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove doughnuts from pan to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with whisk until smooth.
• Dip tops of doughnuts in glaze; decorate with sprinkles. Serve warm.