Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Apple cider doughnuts are one of my favorite autumn treats. A tasty baked version reduces the guilt- a little bit. 😉 This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Erin Jeanne McDowell.

I made mini-doughnuts and madeleines. I must say that we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the apple cider madeleines which were absolutely amazing with crispy edges. The batter could also be baked in a muffin pan.

Yield: 12 mini-doughnuts and 8 madeleines (or 12 muffins)

For the Batter:

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cup/225 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 10 T (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup/165 grams light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup/120 milliliters apple cider

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 T unsalted butter

To Make the Doughnuts & Madeleines: (or Muffins)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly grease 2 (6-cavity) doughnut pans and 8 wells of a madeleine pan (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 10 tablespoons/140 grams butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated after each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary.
6. Beat in the vanilla extract.
7. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.
8. With the mixer running, add the apple cider in a slow, steady stream and mix to combine.
9. Scrape the bowl well to make sure the batter is homogeneous.
10. Spoon the batter into prepared doughnut pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way. (I use a small cookie scoop and fill each well with 3 scoops. You can also do this using a disposable piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch opening cut from one corner.) Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
11. Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the thickest portion comes out clean, about 7 to 9 minutes on convection. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. (If you are making muffins, divide batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.)
12. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, preferably on convection, if making madeleines. (I reduced the oven temperature because my pan has a dark finish.)
13. Using a small cookie scoop, fill each well with 3 scoops, or until 2/3 full. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
14. Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 9 minutes on convection.

To Make the Topping:

1. While the doughnuts bake, whisk 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine.
2. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the microwave.
3. Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes after baking, then unmold them from the pans.
4. Brush with the melted butter and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm.
5. Serve immediately, or let cool to room temperature.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts

My kids haven’t had a snow day in a couple of years, but today we had our second snow day of the season. We were very happy for the break from reality. 🙂 Everyone slept in this morning and then my daughter made this special breakfast. ❤

These baked donuts were quite a treat- I had to post them right away. The recipe was adapted from bunsinmyoven.com. They were very light, tender, and moist. The batter would also be great to bake in mini-bundt pans. Next time!

I’m looking forward to another indulgent breakfast tomorrow morning… We just found out that my kids have another snow day! 🙂

Yield: 12 mini donuts

For the Donuts:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of coarse salt

To Make the Donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection. Coat two mini-donut pans with cooking oil spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Whisk in the mini chocolate chips.
4. In a small bowl, using a hand-held mixer, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
6. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, distribute the dough into two greased mini-donut pans.
7. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
8. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
9. Let the donuts cool completely before glazing.

To Make the Glaze:

1. Place a piece of plastic wrap, parchment paper, wax paper, or newspaper under a wire rack to catch drips of glaze.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
3. Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on the wire rack to set, about 5 minutes.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

My daughter is obsessed with donuts- specifically donuts with pink icing and sprinkles. Her new bicycle bell is a life-size pink frosted donut with sprinkles! 🙂

I must say that she was quite pleased with this cinnamon sugar variation. When we debated over whether or not they were too heavily coated with cinnamon sugar, both of my kids informed me that such a problem was not even possible. 😉

This recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Using my mini donut pans, this recipe made 12 donuts. I substituted 1/2 cup of buttermilk instead of a combination of yogurt and milk and I reduced the amount of butter in the topping. They made a very special breakfast.

Yield: 8 standard size donuts or 12 mini donuts

For the Donuts:

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk (or skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk), at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream (nonfat, low-fat, vanilla, plain, Greek or regular yogurt), at room temperature (I used another 1/4 cup of buttermilk)
• 2 T (30g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Coating:

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4-5 T unsalted butter, melted

To Make the Donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), preferably on convection. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and yogurt together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag for ease. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake for 9–10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for about two minutes and transfer to a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper or on a large baking sheet.
7. Bake the remaining donut batter and transfer to the wire rack. Allow donuts to cool down until you can handle them.

To Coat with Cinnamon Sugar:

1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Brush the melted butter, on the top or on the top and bottom, as desired; dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating all sides.
3. Donuts are best served immediately.

Notes:

• Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave, usually a few seconds.

Easy Baked Cake Doughnuts

We seem to have less and less time to enjoy special breakfasts in my house. 😦 Overscheduled and overbooked, I’m afraid… Thankfully, we’ve made time to enjoy these baked doughnuts on a few occasions. Eating cake for breakfast makes up for less frequent indulgences!

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. My pans made smaller doughnuts, so I adapted the cooking time. I made the vanilla glazed and powdered sugar-coated versions but included recipes for cinnamon-sugar coated, as well as for chocolate and apple cider glazes. I won’t stop until I’ve tried them all. 🙂 Such a treat!

Yield: 20 doughnuts

For the Doughnuts:

• 4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 T vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 11. 25 oz (319 g or 2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk (I used 1 percent)
• cinnamon-sugar, Confectioners’ sugar, or assorted glazes
• sprinkles, toasted coconut, or chopped nuts, for topping, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, preferably on convection. Lightly grease two doughnut pans with cooking spray.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth.
3. Add the eggs, beating to combine.
4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.
5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the lightly greased doughnut pans, filling the wells to about 1/4″ shy of the rim. (I filled each well with 2 small cookie scoops of batter.)
7. Bake the doughnuts for 6-7 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 minutes before turning them out of the pans onto a rack.
8. Finish with desired coating, glaze, and/or topping, as desired.
9. For frosted doughnuts, see the three easy doughnut glazes (recipe below). Sprinkle the glazed doughnuts with sprinkles, toasted coconut, or chopped nuts, if desired.

For Cinnamon Sugar-Coated Doughnuts:

1. For cinnamon doughnuts, shake warm doughnuts in a plastic bag with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cinnamon-sugar.

For Powdered Sugar- Coated Doughnuts:

1. For sugar-coated doughnuts, shake doughnuts in a plastic bag with about 1/2 cup Confectioners’ sugar. 

Three Easy Doughnut Glazes: 

Yield: about 1/2 cup glaze each

For the Vanilla Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or confectioners’ sugar to adjust the consistency as needed.
2. Dip top of doughnuts in glaze, or drizzle glaze over doughnuts.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt the ingredients together over low heat or in the microwave, stirring often. Add extra corn syrup if needed to make a smooth, shiny glaze.
2. Dip top of doughnuts in glaze, or drizzle glaze over doughnuts.

For the Apple Cider Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons bottled boiled cider
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 cup Confectioners’ or glazing sugar

1. Stir all of the ingredients together, adding additional sugar or cream if needed to make the glaze the consistency of molasses.
2. Dip top of doughnuts in glaze, or drizzle glaze over doughnuts.

One Year Ago:

• Oatmeal Bread

Two Years Ago:

• Magdalenas
• Buckwheat, Banana, & Zucchini Muffins
• Raspberry-Ricotta Cake

Three Years Ago:

• Morning Glory Muffins
• Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Whole Wheat & Oat Zucchini Bread

Four Years Ago:

• Bubby’s Corn Muffins
• Alton Brown’s Basic Waffles with Blueberries

Five Years Ago:

• King Cake