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These Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts are a true delight – a flavorful cake donut baked until golden and dipped in a sweet glaze.
There are few things better than old-fashioned glazed donuts with a good cup of coffee. The golden glazed exteriors and soft, slightly crumbly interiors are a pure pleasure. These baked donuts couldn’t be easier to make, and trust me when I tell you they are truly delightful – perfect for when you’re craving something sweet and delicious.
Why This Recipe Works
- A touch of nutmeg in the batter gives these donuts their aromatic bakery taste.
- A blend of butter and oil, add moisture and buttery richness.
- Buttermilk adds a slight tang and moist texture.
- Vanilla adds an extra depth of flavor to the donuts.
I’m a huge fan of donuts – I mean, who isn’t, right? Ever since I bought my first donut pan, I’ve been baking my Chocolate Glazed Donuts and Iced Vanilla Donuts on a regular basis, but the other day I was craving a bakery-style cake donut, and this recipe was the result of that craving (as many of my recipes are). Just looking at these photos makes me want to run to the kitchen to bake them again! They are simply exquisite and I hope you enjoy them just as much as we have!
How To Make Old Fashioned Cake Donuts
- Whisk cooled melted butter, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until combined.
- Combine granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until fully combined.
- Divide the mix into a prepared donut pan.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for around 20 minutes.
- Dust with sugar and serve.
Cake Donuts vs. Yeast Donuts
A cake donut is made from a batter that uses a leavening agent such as baking soda or baking powder (or a combination of the two), while a yeast donut is made with yeast dough. Yeast donuts are rolled out and the donuts are cut with a donut cutter and then fried. Cake donuts can be baked in a donut pan (paid link) or fried in oil.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: I favor unbleached all-purpose flour though bleached will work just as well.
- Sugar: Granulated or super-fine sugar can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
- Eggs: Use large room temperature eggs.
- Butter: I always bake with salted butter as it adds extra flavor, but you can use whatever you like best.
- Oil: I use canola or vegetable oil, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Nutmeg: I use an ? teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg. You can adjust this amount to your taste. For ground nutmeg, you can use up to a ¼ teaspoon if you like a stronger flavor or for a milder flavor.
- Buttermilk: Full fat or low-fat buttermilk can both be used for this recipe.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and grease your donut pan well with a good quality baking spray.
Melt the butter and allow it to cool (cool enough that it won’t cook the eggs when combined).
Mix the wet ingredients by combining the cooled butter, the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
In a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients by combining the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Mix to combine. The mixture will be quite thick, but all of the flour should mix into the dough. If it seems too dry, add a little more buttermilk.
Pipe the dough into the cavities of the pan using a piping bag, (or to use a large ziplock bag, just cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each cavity).
Once filled, if the ends don’t meet up properly, just wet your finger and pat down the dough so you have neat rings.
Bake for between 12 and 14 minutes, until golden and a cake tester comes out clean. You can use a toothpick to test if the donuts are cooked through. If it comes out clean, they are ready. Be careful not to overbake or the donuts may be dry.
Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for around 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool for a further 20 minutes.
Prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar with milk, vanilla, and a little salt. For detailed instructions on making the glaze, see my donut glaze recipe.
Once the donuts are cooled, place a piece of parchment paper under a cooling rack to catch any glaze that falls from the donuts.
Coat the donuts in the glaze by dipping them in the bowl. It’s not necessary to coat both sides, but you’re welcome to do so.
Place the glazed donuts on the cooling rack to set. After about 20 minutes, the glaze will set and harden.
Serve and enjoy every last bite.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
- Glazed donuts as with any cake donut are best served the day they are made. If you happen to have leftovers you can keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze glazed donuts: Freeze unglazed by adding the cooled donuts to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze up to three months. Thaw at room temperate and glaze before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Properly measure flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then leveling off the top or for most consistent results use a kitchen scale.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter when blending the wet and dry ingredients. Over mixing can cause the donuts to be dense and not light and fluffy.
- Use room temperature ingredients as they blend together better when they’re all at the same temperature.
- To easily fill the pan, pipe the dough into the cavities using a piping bag, or to use a large ziplock bag, just cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each cavity.
- Glazed donuts are best when eaten the day they are baked.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- Baking spray
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup buttermilk ((plus more as needed) at room temperature)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the glaze
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 to 12 tablespoons milk (or cream)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and spray your donut pan with baking spray. This recipe makes 12-15 donuts so have a more pans handy.
- Add the cooled melted butter, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until smooth and combined being careful not to over mix the batter. The mixture will be quite thick, but all of the flour should mix into the dough. If it seems stiff or dry, add a little more buttermilk.
- Pipe the dough evenly into the pans, filling the cavities ¾ full.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for a further 15-20 minutes.
For the Glaze
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until smooth.
To Glaze the Donuts
- Place baking paper under wire racks (this is to catch the excess glaze). Coat the donuts with the glaze by dunking them into the glaze. Place the glazed donuts on the wire rack to set. After about 20 minutes, the glaze will set and harden.
Tips
- Properly measure flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then leveling off the top or for most consistent results use a kitchen scale.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter when blending the wet and dry ingredients. Over mixing can cause the donuts to be dense and not light and fluffy.
- Use room temperature ingredients as they blend together better when they’re all at the same temperature.
- To easily fill the pan, pipe the dough into the cavities using a piping bag, or to use a large ziplock bag, just cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each cavity.
- Glazed donuts are best when eaten the day they are baked.
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