Cake Donuts Are Simply Sweet And Delicious

What's not to love about cake donuts? The timeless, widely loved dessert comes together easily in this recipe, with a particularly delicious result—so tender and perfectly sweet with a lightly crisp outer layer from the deep frying and a well-balanced flavor. And because the dough is simple to make, it’s a great donut recipe for beginners to try. 

These cake donuts are best served warm—not that you’d be able to wait to gobble them up anyway—and they're sure to please a crowd of all ages. Choose either a cinnamon-sugar coating or a buttermilk-glazed option (or another topping of your choice). You can’t go wrong!

Learn how to make cake donuts, and enjoy this donut shop classic at home.

Cake Donuts Ingredients

All ingredients for cake donuts are widely available at conventional grocery stores. You will need:

• Vegetable oil: For frying. We prefer the neutral flavor of vegetable oil; it won't add any additional flavor to the donuts during frying.
• All-purpose flour: Provides the cakey, fluffy texture for the donuts.
• Baking powder: Gives the donuts enough rise during cooking to make them fluffy and tender.
• Table salt: A small amount of salt is needed to balance the flavors of the pastry.
• Ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon: These warming spices are added to the dough, and cinnamon is also used in the cinnamon-sugar mixture that will be on the outside of the donuts.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough and will be used for the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the dough and helps it come together.
• Whole milk: Brings the dough together and helps create a smooth texture.
• Large egg: Keeps the dough together and provides lift during frying.
  

How To Make Homemade Cake Donuts

Making cake donuts does require some time and a few steps, but they're far faster than yeast doughnuts. Here's an outline of the process; the full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Warm the oil: Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with two inches of oil, and warm the oil until it registers 360°F with a deep-fry thermometer. Go ahead and line baking sheets with paper towels, too. You'll move the fried donuts right to the baking sheets once they come out of the oil to help absorb some of the oil on the surface of the donuts.
• Step 2. Make dough: Combine the ingredients for the dough, and mix until it's crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead it until it's smooth and elastic. It won't be springy or bouncy like a yeasted dough, but it will have some pull.
• Step 3. Cut donuts: Roll the dough out, and use a donut cutter to punch out the donuts. Pro tip: Do not twist the dough cutter once it's in the dough. Twisting seals off the sides of the donuts and might prevent the donuts from fully rising during frying. You can reroll the scraps or make donut holes if you want.
• Step 4. Make cinnamon-sugar mixture: Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon you didn't use in the dough to make the flavored sugar that will be used on the outside of the donuts.
• Step 5. Fry the donuts: Work in batches so the donuts don't get too crowded in the pan. Drop donuts one by one into the hot oil, and let them fry until golden brown on one side. Flip, and cook on the other side until golden brown. You may have to adjust the heat level under the Dutch oven as you cook the donuts to keep the oil's temperature around 350°F. Adding the donuts can drop the oil temp, and they won't fry as well.
• Step 6. Finish donuts: Once cooked, move each donut to the paper towel-lined baking sheet, and let the paper towels absorb some of the oil. Then, move the donuts to the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and turn the donuts in the mixture to get the outside fully covered. Enjoy!

What's the Difference Between a Cake Donut and a Regular Donut?

Cake donuts are denser and have a more compact texture, while yeasted donuts are lighter and have more air. Cake donuts also take less time as you don't have to wait for the dough to rise.

Why Are Cake Donuts So Good?

Cake donuts are equally appealing to make as they are to eat because the preparation is quicker than it is for yeasted donuts. Plus, this style is easier to make into different flavors since you need not be concerned with how additional ingredients affect the rise. And the flavor is just plain delicious.

Our Tips for the Best Cake Donuts

Whether you've made cake donuts before or not, these helpful tips from the Southern Living Test Kitchen can come in handy so your next batch of donuts is the best you've ever made.

• High rise: If you like thicker donuts, you can roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness and get eight donuts. Or stay at a 1/4-inch thickness and make 12. There’s no right or wrong here—it’s all down to personal preference.
• Cut up: If you don’t have a donut cutter, don’t worry: You can use a 3 1/2-inch round cutter and a smaller 1 1/4-inch round cutter to cut out the centers.
• Pinch things: For an effective and safe transfer method, transfer donut dough to the fryer using just your hands, and carefully add them without touching the oil. Then switch to tongs to get them out and to flip them. You could also add them to the oil using a spatula, a slotted spoon, or a spider strainer if you prefer.
• Watch the clock: Place the cake donuts on a paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate right out of the oil to remove the initial excess. But don't let them cool fully since you’ll need some of the residual oil to help the cinnamon-sugar mixture adhere.

How To Store Cake Donuts

Store cake donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. You can gently warm them in an air fryer or oven to try and get back some of that freshly-baked texture and warmth.

Cake Donuts Recipe Substitutions and Variations

If you're curious about what you can change in this recipe, we already have a few ideas from the Test Kitchen pros:

• Buttermilk Glaze: Whisk together 3 cups powdered sugar and 6 Tbsp. whole buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Follow the frying and draining process on a paper towel-lined plate. Then, working one at a time, place the donuts in the glaze, turning them to coat. Let the excess glaze drip off.
• Spice Mixture: Instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg in this recipe, you could substitute pumpkin spice or apple pie spice for different seasons.

More Great Pastry Recipes

If these donuts start a trend for weekend mornings, try one of these favorites next:

• New Orleans Beignets
• Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake
• Lydia Faust's Texas Kolaches
• Quick and Easy Cream Cheese Danish

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.