These old-fashioned baked donuts will remind you just how delicious breakfast can taste! This simple recipe will give you familiar old-fashioneds without all the hassle of rolling, cutting, and frying the dough.
This baked donut recipe is perfectly sweet and cakey without being too sugary. The donuts make a great breakfast treat or delicious snack at any time of day!
I’m a sucker for a fresh hot donut. Coffee and donuts for breakfast are one of life’s simplest pleasures. I can never pass up baked chocolate donuts with peanut butter frosting or strawberry cake donuts.
A few weeks ago, I had a major craving for old-fashioned donuts, but the idea of having to pull out the fryer and clean up grease splatters didn’t appeal to me.
So, I went on a mission to find and perfect a baked version that tastes just like this classic cake donut.
Through my research, I discovered that there are two types of old-fashioned donuts. One uses sour cream and the other uses buttermilk.
I tested both during the development process and prefer buttermilk best in this baked version.
Ingredients
For The Donuts
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (60 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (83 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk
For The Glaze
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make The Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray three 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- Stir half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, then the remaining flour. Stir just until combined after each addition. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the batter into a disposable piping bag or zip-top bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pans, filling each cavity ⅔ to ¾ full.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until donuts spring back when pressed lightly with your fingertip. Set the donuts on a wire rack while you make the glaze.
Make The Glaze
- In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth, adding more milk if needed.
- While they are still warm, dip the donuts into the glaze and set them on a wire rack placed over parchment paper. Enjoy the donuts warm or allow them to cool. The glaze will set as they cool.