Soft Tender Cake Donuts (Printable Version)

Tender donuts with cakey texture, fried golden and topped with glaze or cinnamon sugar for a delightful bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup buttermilk
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Frying

11 - Vegetable oil, approximately 6 cups, for frying

→ Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Sugar

15 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg in a large bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined without overmixing.
04 - Turn dough onto a floured surface and pat or roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a 3-inch donut cutter, or a large and small round cutter, to cut shapes.
05 - Preheat vegetable oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F (175°C).
06 - Fry donuts in batches, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
07 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
08 - Dip warm donuts into the glaze and place on a wire rack to set.
09 - Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Toss warm donuts in the mixture until fully coated.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like the bakery version but come together in under an hour, right in your own kitchen.
  • The texture is impossibly tender—not dense or heavy like some homemade donuts can be.
  • You get to choose your finish: a silky glaze or that cinnamon sugar coating that sticks to your fingers.
02 -
  • Don't skip the thermometer for oil temperature—this is the difference between donuts that are golden and delicate versus ones that are dark on the outside and raw in the middle.
  • Chilling the dough for even 10 minutes makes cutting so much easier and gives you cleaner edges.
  • Glaze warm donuts while they're still slightly warm so the glaze sets but stays glossy; cold donuts reject the coating.
03 -
  • Save your donut holes—fry them separately and coat them the same way; they cook in about 45 seconds and make perfect little bites.
  • If you want a chocolate glaze, whisk in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the glaze recipe; it deepens the sweetness without bitterness.
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