Is there anything a warm, sugar-coated donut can’t fix? I put that to the test the morning my daughter Lila burst into my bedroom in tears because she couldn’t find me. She had been pacing the house looking for me while I thought she was peacefully asleep. After that little parenting fail, we spent a rainy morning in our pajamas—watching movies, snuggling, and eating as many of these simple, delicious donuts as we wanted. Spoiler: donuts solved everything.
These baked cake donuts are scented with brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. They’re delightful on their own, but you can elevate them with a quick chocolate ganache. From start to finish they take about 30 minutes, so you can have warm, homemade donuts on the breakfast table in no time.
How to Make Almond Cake Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a donut pan by spraying it with cooking spray. If you don’t have a donut pan, small round molds or even baking as drop donuts on a baking sheet will work in a pinch. Sift the dry ingredients—flour, bread flour, baking powder, and salt—and set them aside. If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour instead. Combine the vanilla and almond extracts with the milk and set that aside as well.
Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar and cream until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in alternating increments, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. A good method is: 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mix; 1/2 of the milk mixture, mix; repeat until everything is incorporated. Stir until just combined—avoid overmixing for tender donuts.
Fill the prepared donut pan with batter. For neat, even donuts use a piping bag with a large round tip or a disposable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Fill each cavity almost to the top of the center ring. Bake for 13–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the donut comes out clean and the edges just begin to brown. Transfer donuts to a wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the coating.
Topping the Donuts
Brush each warm donut with melted butter or dip the donuts lightly in butter, coating the sides. Roll immediately in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated. For an indulgent finish, make a simple chocolate ganache: warm 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate) until smooth. Dip the buttered, cinnamon-coated donuts into the ganache and let them set for a moment before serving.
Almond Cake Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
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- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 18 donuts
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: American
Description
Baked cake donuts flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, rolled in cinnamon sugar. Lightly crisp on the edges with a tender, cake-like interior.
Ingredients
Donut Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup bread flour (or use a total of 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups milk
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Chocolate Ganache (Optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Whisk the vanilla and almond extracts into the milk and set aside.
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add both sugars and cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity nearly to the top.
- Bake 13–14 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are slightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Coating Donuts
- Melt the butter. Lightly brush each donut with melted butter or dip the donuts into the butter to coat the sides.
- Roll the buttered donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated.
Chocolate Ganache
- Warm the cream in a small saucepan or microwave until hot but not boiling.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth and glossy.
- Dip the donuts in the ganache as desired and allow to set briefly before serving.
Notes
You can substitute all-purpose flour for the bread flour by using 2 1/2 cups total. Bread flour gives the donuts slightly more chew and density; using only all-purpose flour yields a lighter, more cupcake-like texture.