There have been some food trends that I have been reluctant to join in. For example: kale, quinoa, and bacon in cupcakes…
Now it’s not that I don’t like kale, or quinoa, or bacon. I do. Especially bacon. It’s just that these foods are, well, just foods, and I don’t feel the need to use them in everything just because they happen to be trendy. Honestly, the trendy thing makes me resist using them all the more, which might be a shame because they are nice foods when used in the right places.
Take kale for instance. For me it doesn’t read that differently then spinach. But it’s not a bad vegetable. There are some places where it works, for example kale in a lovely, creamy, sausage and potato soup. This works. But, there are some places that it just doesn’t belong. For example, baked kale chips. Blech. I’m sorry if your a fan, but I personally believe people are eating these for health purposes and no one actually likes the things. And I know kale salads are really the thing, but I don’t love em’. They generally aren’t worth eating. Admittedly I find the texture of raw kale to be less then desirable and I also don’t put spinach in raw salads all that often either. I feel like both veggies are just so much more enjoyable cooked.
Quinoa is kind of the same thing. I’ve seen some dishes it’s fantastic in. Some dishes not so much. But I don’t feel the need to put it in everything just because it’s trendy.
And bacon in cupcakes…I’m sorry I’ve tried it. I don’t dig it. In fact, I attended a wedding where all the cupcakes except the gluten free, or vegan cupcakes had bacon in them. They were awful. There I’ve said it. Bacon+cupcake=awful. I’m actually an adventuresome eater, I will try pretty much whatever. But, that doesn’t mean that everything I try is good… Now if I find a bacon cupcake that ends up tasting good I will revise my opinion and let you know. But for now, keep the bacon with the eggs, or wrapped around a piece of chicken, or on a burger, or pretty much anywhere but in my cupcake.
Now there is one food bandwagon I’ve been wanting to jump on. This whole baked doughnut thing! I know it’s trendy, but this is a trend I get. Doughnuts, at home, from my oven, no frying required. I must confess that I loath frying things at home and rarely do it.. I hate the clean up, I hate the way my skin, the floor, and everything in the entire kitchen feels like it has an oily sheen after I’m done… I don’t even really like the smell after. But I love doughnuts (surprise surprise) but, they are generally fried. So baked doughnuts, a brilliant trend I can get behind.
I finally got around to actually trying the baked doughnut thing, the other night, on impulse, when I was craving a doughnut, but didn’t really want to run out and get them. Here is my honest assessment:
- Baked doughnuts are super easy to make and I love not having to fry them.
- Baked doughnuts have a really different texture then the yeasty fried doughnut. Not bad, but different. Honestly, to me they are much more of a doughnut shaped cake then a doughnut.
I’m not trying to discourage you from making cake batter doughnuts. Obvi- I am sharing a recipe for them today and I want you to make them. Doughnut shaped cakes are good. But, I’m honest with you my readers, and for me they don’t actually replace real doughnuts. They are kinda like their own new dessert category. So basically, today’s recipe is awesome. But, if you really want a yeasty doughnut, you probably should have a yeasty doughnut.
Today’s recipe is kinda like an old fashioned cake doughnut, with a-lota butter, maple, and some cinnamon sugar-ness going on. I have two options for you for topping. A nice mapel-y glaze and a roll in butter and more cinnamon and sugar coating. So jump on the bandwagon already, and let me know what you think!
Print“Old Fashioned” Cake Batter Doughnuts
A basic buttery baked cake doughnut. Select either the accompanying glaze or sugar cinnamon coating, or perhaps make half and half! Glaze and cinnamon sugar recipes should cover about 12 doughnuts each.
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
Batter
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups of sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 and 1/4 cups pastry flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- splash of milk to thin out glaze as needed
Cinnamon/Sugar Coating
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare Doughnuts
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Grease a doughnut pan well with spray oil. In the bowl of a large stand mixer cream together butter and sugar using the paddle attachment. Be sure the butter and sugar are well creamed.
- 2. Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating them into the butter/sugar mixture well before adding the next egg. Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup to the bowl, mix.
- 3. In an extra bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the mixture 1/2 at a time to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix well.
- 4. Fill each doughnut shape in the pan slightly over 1/3 full. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before glazing or coating in sugar mixture.
To Glaze
- 1. In a small frying pan over low heat melt together powdered sugar, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Stir frequently to prevent burring. Add a splash of milk to thin out glaze as needed.
- 2. Glaze by dipping the tops of doughnuts right into the glaze pan. Set aside on cooling rack to allow glaze to dry.
To Apply Cinnamon and Sugar Coating
- 1. Melt butter in a small bowl. In a second small bowl mix together cinnamon and sugar.
- 2. To apply dip each doughnut into the butter and then flip. Immediately transfer to the cinnamon sugar and then flip. The butter coating will allow the cinnamon and sugar to stick to each doughnut.
how much flour? It says 2 1/4 cups flour and 1 cup all
Purpose flour.
Amy,
Good catch… my apologies, 2 and 1/4 cups pastry flour, and 1 cup all purpose flour. I like using part pastry flour in the recipe as it yields a lighter doughnut. However, if you only have all purpose on hand you can use a straight three cups. It still turns out pretty well.