Soft cake-style muffin donuts

I discovered muffin tin donuts on a lazy Sunday morning when my oven had just been fixed after two weeks of being broken. There was something wonderfully defiant about baking donuts without a deep fryer, without the mess, without the fear of hot oil splattering across my kitchen. The moment those soft, cake-like donuts emerged from the oven, I knew I'd found something better than the version I'd been craving from the bakery down the street.

Last winter, I brought a batch of these to my neighbor who'd just had surgery, and I watched her face light up when she realized they were homemade. That one gesture—warm donuts with glaze still slightly sticky—became the thing she remembered most about those difficult recovery weeks. Food has this quiet power when it arrives at exactly the right moment.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (2 cups): The foundation that keeps these donuts tender rather than dense, and room-temperature ingredients help it blend smoothly without overdeveloping gluten.
• Granulated sugar (2/3 cup): This sweetens the cake while melted butter keeps it moist, so you're not biting into something dry the next day.
• Baking powder and baking soda (2 tsp and 1/2 tsp): The rising agents that create those tender, almost fluffy pockets inside—critical for that bakery-like texture.
• Ground nutmeg (1/2 tsp): A small amount adds warmth and complexity without announcing itself, making people ask what that subtle spice is.
• Whole milk and melted butter (2/3 cup and 1/2 cup): Together they create richness and moisture that makes the donut stay soft for days.
• Eggs and vanilla extract (2 large eggs and 2 tsp): Eggs bind everything while vanilla adds that homemade note that lingers in your mouth.
• Powdered sugar and milk for glaze (1 1/2 cups and 2–3 tbsp): Mix these until silky, adjusting milk slowly so you don't end up with either a thick paste or a thin drip.

Instructions

Prepare your tin and preheat:

Set your oven to 350°F and grease your muffin tin thoroughly with nonstick spray or butter—those corners catch donut batter, so don't skip any.

Combine the dry team:

Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl until they're evenly distributed and no lumps hide in the flour.

Mix the wet ingredients separately:

In another bowl, whisk milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and pale—this takes about a minute of steady whisking.

Bring them together gently:

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined; lumps in the batter are your friend because overmixing develops gluten and makes tough donuts. Stop when you see just a few streaks of flour.

Fill the tin halfway:

Divide batter evenly among the 12 cups, filling each about halfway so they rise into domed tops without spilling over or creating flat donuts.

Bake until golden:

Bake for 14–16 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are pale gold; they'll continue cooking slightly from residual heat.

Cool with patience:

Let donuts sit in the tin for 5 minutes so they firm up enough to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing—warm donuts will cause glaze to melt right off.

Make the glaze:

Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth and pourable; add milk one tablespoon at a time if it's too thick, since glaze consistency is personal preference.

Dip and set:

Hold each cooled donut upside-down and dip the top into glaze, rotating slightly to coat evenly, then place back on the rack to let excess drip off and glaze set.

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There's something almost meditative about dipping each donut into glaze and watching it cling to the top, creating that familiar bakery shine. That moment—standing in your own kitchen with homemade donuts cooling on a rack—is when you realize this recipe isn't just about satisfying a craving; it's about proving to yourself that bakery magic can happen in your own hands.

Flavor Variations Worth Trying

The cinnamon-sugar version transforms these into something entirely different: brush each warm donut with melted butter immediately after removing from the tin, then roll in a mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon while the butter is still tacky. For chocolate lovers, replace a tablespoon of milk in the glaze with unsweetened cocoa powder and add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor. Maple syrup glaze comes together when you substitute one tablespoon of milk with pure maple syrup, creating something more sophisticated for breakfast.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Glazed donuts keep in an airtight container at room temperature for three days, though they're best eaten within the first 24 hours when the crumb is still tender. You can bake the donuts a day ahead and store them unglazed, then glaze them right before serving for that fresh taste. For longer storage, freeze baked but unglazed donuts in a freezer bag for up to a month; thaw at room temperature and glaze as usual.

Troubleshooting Donuts

If your donuts turn out dense or heavy, you likely overmixed the batter after combining wet and dry ingredients; the goal is just until combined, not until the batter is completely smooth. Donuts that spread or collapse usually mean your muffin tin wasn't greased enough or your oven temperature is off—use an oven thermometer to verify heat accuracy. Glaze that's too thin slides right off, so add powdered sugar incrementally; too thick and it cracks when you bite, so milk should drip slowly from a spoon rather than pile up.

• If donuts are dry, your oven ran hot or you baked them longer than 16 minutes.
• If the glaze won't set, the donuts weren't fully cooled before dipping.
• If you want extra sweetness, dust unglazed warm donuts with cinnamon sugar, then glaze once cooled.

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These donuts have become the thing I make when I want to say something without words—welcome home, I'm sorry, congratulations, or simply I was thinking of you. That's the real magic here.

Recipe FAQs

→ What ingredients create the soft texture?

Using melted butter, whole milk, and eggs in the batter ensures a moist, tender crumb with a soft cake-like texture.

→ How is the glaze prepared?

The glaze is made by whisking powdered sugar with milk and vanilla extract until smooth, allowing control over thickness.

→ Can the donuts be made dairy-free?

Yes, plant-based milk and dairy-free butter alternatives can be substituted to accommodate dietary needs.

→ What baking equipment is needed?

A standard 12-cup muffin tin, mixing bowls, a whisk, and a wire rack for cooling are required for preparation.

→ How can the topping be varied?

Warm donuts can be brushed with melted butter and dipped in cinnamon sugar or decorated with sprinkles or crushed nuts.