I adore doughnuts.
But the fried variety is definitely not a dieter’s best friend, so I have had to curb my enthusiasm on a regular basis. Enter the doughnut pan into my life!
I have to admit that when I first read about baked doughnuts I was somewhat skeptical. They sounded like a poor substitute at best. Not so.
While baked doughnuts definitely do not taste exactly like their fried cousins, they have a charm of their own. They’re light and cake-y, and if you eat two (or three) you won’t feel obligated to log 10 miles on the treadmill.
Doughnut pans can be found at most houseware stores for a modest price. The pans have only six little indentations for making the doughnuts and most recipes make 12, so you can either buy two pans (they’re small so they don’t take up much storage space) or bake the batter in two batches.
I do the latter and haven’t found that the second batch suffers by waiting to go into the oven. Happy baking, and don’t forget the sprinkles. (P.S. Like all doughnuts, these are best eaten the day they’re made).
Basic Baked Doughnuts
2 cups cake flour, sifted (if you don’t have cake flour, measure out 2 cups of all-purpose flour, then remove 5 Tbsp of it and replace it with 5 Tbsp cornstarch)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (this is what gives cake doughnuts their characteristic flavour)
½ tsp salt
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425º F; spray doughnut pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add the buttermilk, eggs and butter, and stir until just combined.
Fill each doughnut cup about two-thirds full. You can use a piping bag to fill the cups but I just use a couple of teaspoons and smooth out the batter with the tip of my finger. Bake seven to 10 minutes, just until the tops of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in the pan a couple of minutes before removing. Note: the tops of the doughnuts don’t get very brown. Makes 12 doughnuts.
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
Dip both sides of the warm doughnuts into a small bowl of melted butter (preferably unsalted), then roll them in a combination of one cup granulated sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon until completely coated. Place on wire rack until butter dries.
Glazed Cranberry Orange Baked Doughnuts
This recipe makes 18 doughnuts, so you have to bake three batches or cut the recipe in half to make nine.
2 cups cake flour (see note above)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream (full fat produces the best results; low-fat is acceptable, but definitely not fat-free)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
½ cup dried cranberries, snipped into small pieces
Glaze:
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (or as much as needed to achieve drizzling consistency)
Preheat oven to 350º F; spray doughnut pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream and sugar until well combined, then stir in the oil and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then stir in the orange zest and cranberries until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. Fill each doughnut cup two-thirds full.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a doughnut comes out clean. Remove doughnuts from pan and place on a wire rack while preparing the glaze.
In a small bowl stir together the icing sugar, vanilla and enough orange juice to make a glaze thin enough to drizzle off a spoon.
Either dip the bottom, browned side of the doughnuts into the glaze or drizzle it on. Makes 18 doughnuts.
Sour Cream Chocolate Baked Doughnuts
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream (regular or reduced fat, not fat-free)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, room temperature
2 Tbsp homogenized milk or light cream
Glaze:
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup icing sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp milk
Chocolate sprinkles for decoration (optional)
Preheat oven to 350º F; spray doughnut pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients; in a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients, then add them to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.
Fill doughnut cups two-thirds full; bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Allow doughnuts to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
To make the glaze, place the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl and place in the microwave on low power. Heat in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until mixture can be smoothly stirred together. Whisk in half the icing sugar, then the sour cream, then the remaining icing sugar and enough milk to make a dippable glaze.
Dip tops of doughnuts in glaze, then into sprinkles. Place on rack until glaze sets. Makes six doughnuts.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
