Soft Tender Cake Donuts (Printable)

Soft, tender donuts with cakey texture, fried golden and finished with glaze or cinnamon sugar coating.

# 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

→ For Frying

11 - Vegetable oil, approximately 6 cups

→ For Glaze

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

→ For Cinnamon Sugar

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

# Step-by-Step:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until evenly mixed.
02 - In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until combined, taking care not to overmix to maintain tender texture.
04 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll to about 1/2 inch thickness.
05 - Use a 3-inch donut cutter or two round cutters (one large and one small) to cut out donut shapes, including holes.
06 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F (175°C) ensuring sufficient depth for frying.
07 - Cook donuts in batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until they achieve a golden brown color. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
08 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
09 - Dip warm donuts into the prepared glaze and set on a wire rack to allow excess to drip.
10 - Alternatively, toss warm donuts in a mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until evenly coated.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These donuts taste like bakery-quality without the early morning wake-up or the drive across town.
  • The batter comes together in minutes, and the frying is so forgiving that even a timing mistake rarely ruins the batch.
  • You control the glaze or coating, so you can adjust sweetness to exactly what you want, not what some recipe decides for you.
02 -
  • If your oil temperature drops significantly between batches, give it time to come back up or your donuts will turn out soggy—patience here saves everything.
  • The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, not stiff; if you add too much flour, you'll end up with dense, dry donuts no matter how perfect your frying is.
  • Glaze the donuts while they're still warm so it clings and becomes glossy, but not so hot that it runs off immediately.
03 -
  • Don't skip chilling the dough for 15 minutes before cutting if you have time; chilled dough is easier to work with and produces donuts with cleaner edges.
  • The moment you remove a donut from the oil, you're racing against time before it firms up; if you wait too long to glaze, the coating won't stick properly, so have your glaze or cinnamon sugar ready before you start frying.
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