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Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream

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This classic Coconut Layer Cake is fluffy, moist, and packed with coconut flavor! Topped with a classic American buttercream and sweetened coconut flakes – just like how grandma used to make.

Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream

With a quick Google search, you’ll find countless coconut flavored cake recipes claiming to be the best. This tells me one thing: coconut flavored cake is good. Like, good enough that we all think our version is the best. My Coconut Cake is three 6″ layers of fluffy, ultra moist, coconut flavored cake assembled with a sweet and buttery American buttercream. Of course, the frosting is coconut flavored, too. And we can’t forget the sweetened coconut flakes – the classic coconut topping of choice!

I triple-tested this cake to make sure I nailed the texture and moistness. The secret? Canned coconut cream! I sear it makes a huge difference in how this cake turns out. I recommend finding a full fat coconut cream – not coconut milk, and definitely not a “light” coconut milk. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, that’s where I purchase my canned coconut cream.

Feel free to bake this cake in three 6″ layers or two 8″ layers. I love the look of the 6″ layers but this recipe will convert to two 8″ layers as well. The bake time will increase, but you’ll make the recipe as written.

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Best Coconut Cake

  • All-purpose flour bulks up the cake batter. I prefer to use a bleached (standard) variety for this cake as we want the cake as “white” as possible.
  • Baking soda + baking powder work together to leaven this cake.
  • Salt enhances flavor.
  • Butter adds moisture and a buttery flavor to the cake and frosting. I use a plant-based butter for all of my baking, but you can use standard butter if you’re not dairy-free.
  • White granulated sugar sweetens the cake layers. I prefer a white sugar to keep the cake white.
  • Egg whites are used instead of whole eggs to keep this from being a yellow cake.
  • Coconut extract flavors both the cake layers and frosting.
  • Coconut cream is used in both the cake and frosting. It adds major moistness to the cake, and I can only recommend using a canned coconut cream.
  • Powdered sugar makes up the bulk of the frosting – I don’t recommend any sugar substitutes.
  • Sweetened coconut flakes are used to decorate the cake. Feel free to use your favorite coconut flakes, but I do recommend the sweetened coconut for this cake!

More Layer Cake Recipes

Orange Cardamom Layer Cake

Coffee Banana Layer Cake

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Yield: 10-12 Slices

Coconut Cake

Coconut Cake

Super soft & moist Coconut Cake layered with a classic coconut buttercream. The only coconut cake recipe you'll ever need!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Cake Layers

  • 2 2/3 cups (347g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (168g) plant-based butter (or regular butter)
  • 1 cup (208g) white granulated sugar
  • 5 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 1/2 cups canned coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)

Frosting

  • 1 1/4 cups (283g) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
  • ~1 Tbsp coconut cream
  • 1-2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Bake the Cake Layers

  1. Bring the eggs to room temperature - you can speed up this process by separating the egg whites into a small bowl and then placing the bowl into a larger bowl filled with hot water (be careful not to get water in the egg whites). You'll also want to set the butter out to soften.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare three 6" pans (or two 8" cake pans). Spray each pan generously with a non-stick spray + line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle.
  3. In a medium bow, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Prepare the coconut cream by opening the can and transferring to a liquid measuring cup - if the cream is at all solid, you'll want to heat it in the microwave for a few seconds and stir until there are no chunks. NOTE: you'll use some of the leftover cream for the frosting.
  4. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy and combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg whites and coconut extract until combined. Next, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat. Add 1/2 of the coconut cream and beat. Repeat those two steps. Finally, add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth.
  5. Divide the batter evenly amongst the three prepared cake pans - a kitchen scale comes in handy here. Smooth the tops of the batter, drop the cake pans on the counter (I do this multiple times) to bring air bubbles to the top, and then gently swirl each cake pan in a circle.
  6. Bake the cakes at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then carefully turn each cake out onto a cooling rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Assemble & Frost the Cake

  1. Once the cakes have cooled completely, use a bread knife to carefully trim the domes off the tops of the cakes; set cakes aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and coconut extract. Beat in the powdered sugar. Add 1 Tbsp of the leftover coconut cream and beat until the frosting is smooth. If it's too thick, add a bit more coconut cream; if it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. NOTE: it's important not to add too much liquid as needing to add more powdered sugar (to thicken up the frosting) will result in a sweeter frosting.
  3. Begin assembling the cake. Start by laying down the first cake layer (see Note 1). Add ~6 Tbsp of frosting on top of the layer and smooth out. Add the second cake layer and then another ~6 Tbsp of frosting (and smooth out). Finally, add the third cake layer right side down - this ensures the top of the cake is smooth and even (you want the bottom of the cake layer to face upward).
  4. Complete frosting the cake by adding a thin crumb coat and then spreading the remaining frosting over and around the cake. Get the frosting as smooth as possible, but don't worry about it being perfect - you're going to add coconut on top!
  5. Finally, use your hand to gently "pat" the coconut flakes on top and around the cake. Sweep any excess coconut off the cake stand, turntable, etc. A lot of the coconut will fall - this is okay! Just pick it up and keep patting it on the cake until you're satisfied with the look of the cake.
  6. Slice and enjoy! Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. I like to frost my cakes right on the cake stand but feel free to use whatever method you prefer (cake board, cake turntable, etc).
  2. To make ahead of time: bake the cake layers up to 1 day in advance. Wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap and then store in an airtight container until you're ready to assemble.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Orange Cardamom Layer Cake

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A deliciously spiced Orange Cardamom Cake with a simple chocolate cream cheese frosting. With orange extract in both the cake and frosting, this dessert is bursting with winter citrus flavor! If you love chocolate and orange then you will love this cake!

Orange Cardamom Layer Cake

This blog post is a long time in the making. Sometimes I get so caught up with life that sitting down to write a post for a recipe I’ve already released to my followers just keeps getting pushed further and further away. But, alas, here I am. Finally, officially, publishing the recipe for this fluffy, spiced Orange Cardamom Cake! And let me just say, I love this cake. I think I’ve shared it at least three times over on Instagram in the past months, because it’s just that good. The cardamom pairs so well with the orange, and we all know that orange pairs perfectly with chocolate. Add a cream cheese frosting (which is so smooth and silky) and you’ve got a cake you won’t be able to resist!

Ingredients with Possible Substitutions

  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cake batter. I like to use an unbleached variety, but bleached AP flour is okay, too. I haven’t tested this recipe with any gluten-free or whole wheat flours.
  • Plant-based butter is used in both the cake and frosting. For this recipe, you can use regular stick butter, too. I don’t recommend tub “butter” as it tends to be too soft for frosting. But if you must use a plant-based tub butter then you will need less milk in your frosting.
  • Granulated cane sugar sweetens the cake. Feel free to use unrefined cane sugar, raw sugar, coconut sugar, or white sugar – just note that the gram measurements will vary between kinds of sugar. I used an unrefined cane sugar in my cake.
  • Orange extract brings the orange flavor to the cake and frosting. You can use orange zest in its place with a 2:1 ration. You’ll want to double the amount of zest, so instead of 1 tsp extract, you’ll use 2 tsp of orange zest.
  • Plant-based milk brings moisture to both the cake and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite milk – almond, oat, cow’s milk, etc.
  • Vegan cream cheese brings a slightly tangy flavor to the chocolate frosting. I find that it also helps to get a silky frosting texture. You can use regular cream cheese in its place – just be sure you use SOFTENED cream cheese if it’s made of cow’s milk (vegan cream cheese should be used straight from the fridge).
  • Cocoa powder is used to create the chocolate flavor in the frosting. I like to use natural cocoa powder for a lighter chocolate taste, but you can use Dutched cocoa powder for a deeper flavor and color.

 

More Chocolate Orange Recipes

Grain-Free Orange Brownies

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Orange Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

Yield: 10-12 Slices

Orange Cardamon Layer Cake

Orange Cardamon Layer Cake

A deliciously spiced Orange Cardamom Layer Cake with a simple chocolate cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Orange Cardamom Cake

  • 2 2/3 cups (347g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (168g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 1 cup (240g) unrefined cane sugar (or 1 cup regular white sugar)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp orange extract
  • 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk (or regular milk)

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup (224g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 1 cup (8oz) vegan cream cheese, cold (or regular cream cheese, softened)
  • 1 tsp orange extract
  • 1 cup (80g) natural cocoa powder
  • 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp plant-based milk (or regular milk)

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prep two 8” cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment paper circles (cut to size) - spray first then put the paper down.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and orange extract. Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat. Add 1/2 of the milk and beat. Repeat. Finally, add in the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
  4. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
  5. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 min then turn them out onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely, around 1 hour, before making the frosting.

Make the Frosting & Assemble Cake

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, orange extract, and cocoa powder. Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp of milk and beat. Add the rest of the sugar. Beat, adding more milk as needed. You want the frosting to be thick enough to hold its shape but also easily spreadable.
  2. Level/trim the cake layers - I like to use a long bread knife to carefully slice the tops of the cakes off.
  3. Assemble the cake by laying the first layer right side up. Frost the top (this will be the layer of frosting between the two cake layers). Then add the second layer of cake right side down.
  4. Spread a crumb coat (thin coat) of frosting around the entire cake. Then frost as desired. I simply frosted mine using a spatula. Slice and enjoy!
  5. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Coconut Sugar Cupcakes

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Deliciously fluffy Coconut Sugar Cupcakes made without refined sugar! These cupcakes have a sweet caramel flavor thanks to the coconut sugar used in both the cake and the Swiss meringue buttercream. Make them mini for the perfect small snack.

Coconut Sugar Cupcakes

I’ve had these cupcakes on my blog to-do list for quite awhile now, and being that it’s the start of a new year and many people are challenging themselves to follow certain diets, it feels like the perfect time to introduce these classic cupcakes made without any refined sugar. Now, are these cupcakes “healthy.” Well, no. They’re still made with all of the classic ingredients, like all-purpose flour and butter (or plant-based butter). But there’s significantly less sugar in these cupcakes as they’re topped with a Swiss meringue buttercream which is far less sugar-laden than a traditional American buttercream (my usual go-to). And they’re made without cane sugar (which more quickly spikes our blood sugar levels).

What is Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm tree. I love baking with coconut sugar as it can replace regular, white granulated sugar 1:1 in most baking recipes. It’s unrefined, low glycemic index (much lower than cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup), and has absolutely no coconut flavor. If you aren’t familiar with coconut sugar, then you may think it will taste like coconut, but it doesn’t. At all! Since it’s made from the sap of the coconut palm tree, the sugar actually lends a very cozy caramel taste to these cupcakes.

Why Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

If you’re anything like me when it comes to baking, you like to keeps things quick and simple. This is why I use a standard American buttercream for 99.9% of my cake recipes. I love American buttercream, and, for me, the taste and texture is exactly what I think of when I picture the perfect cake. The downside of my favorite frosting is that it is so sweet. Too sweet for a lot of people. This is where other frostings, like a Swiss meringue buttercream, shine. SMB is smooth, creamy, and pretty fool-proof. Plus, you can get the same volume of frosting without all the sugar!

Since SMB is made using a melted sugar, it can be made with a variety of sugars, including coconut sugar! Hello, low glycemic index frosting! If you like to keep your bakes on the healthier side then this is pretty exciting. The SMB made with coconut sugar has a caramel-like flavor to it. It’s silky smooth and so delightful atop the coconut sugar cupcakes. I found a SMB recipe from Liv For Cake and love how it turned out with coconut sugar.

To make the Swiss meringue buttercream, you’ll need:

  • Stand mixer with whisk attachment
  • Medium pot
  • Stover or burner
  • Candy thermometer
  • Whisk
Yield: 36 Mini Cupcakes or 12 Regular Cupcakes

Coconut Sugar Cupcakes

Coconut Sugar Cupcakes

Deliciously fluffy cupcakes with a sweet caramel flavor from the coconut sugar used in both the cake and Swiss meringue buttercream! These sweet cakes are made without any refined or cane sugar.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cup (228g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (112g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 2/3 cup (112g) coconut sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240g) oat milk (or almond milk)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 3 large egg whites, room temp
  • 1 cup (168g) coconut sugar
  • 1 cup (224g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), slightly softened and cubed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and fill a mini cupcake (or regular cupcake) pan with liners. (Now is also a good time to set out the eggs for your frosting).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and coconut sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Then add 1/2 of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat. Finally, add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
  5. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out with a few crumbs.
  6. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack.
  7. Once the cupcake pan is cool, repeat Steps 5 and 6 to finish baking the cupcakes. TIP: you can quickly cool your pan by running cool water over the back. Dry it thoroughly and keep baking.
  8. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before making the frosting.

Make the Swiss Meringue Buttercream (see Note 1)

  1. Prepare your butter by slicing it into small cubes. It's important that the butter you use is softened but not goopy or melty (even a little chilled is okay). I don't recommend using tub "butter" for this frosting.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature egg whites (see Note 2) and coconut sugar; whisk until combined.
  3. Prepare a double boiler by adding 1" of water to a medium pot and bringing the water to a simmer. Place the bowl of egg whites and sugar over the simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 160°F on a candy thermometer (this should only take a couple of minutes).
  4. Remove the bowl from the pot of water and dry off the bottom. Place it back on the stand mixer and whisk on medium-high until the meringue reaches stiff peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch. This should take approximately 5-10 minutes.
  5. With the stand mixer on, slowly add the cubed butter to the meringue mixture. Keep whisking until all the butter has been added. Add the vanilla extract and whisk.
  6. If your buttercream looks chunky, or split, continue whisking on a lower speed setting (4 on a Kitchenaid mixer) for a few minutes or until the frosting reaches a smooth, glossy consistency.
  7. Add the frosting to a pipping bag fitted with your favorite tip and frost the cupcakes. Top with sprinkles until all cupcakes are decorated.
  8. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Swiss Meringue Buttercream: this recipe is adapted from Liv For Cake and her detailed blog post has a ton of helpful tips if you're new to making this kind of frosting.
  2. Eggs: if your eggs are still cold, you can warm them up by placing them in a glass of hot water for around 10 minutes.
  3. For regular cupcakes, increase bake time to 15-20 minutes.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

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This recipe is sponsored by In The Raw®, and all thoughts and opinions here are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Sugared & Stirred possible!

Sweet and fluffy Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream and Honey In The Raw® drizzle! These flavorful cornbread-turned-cupcakes will be the perfect addition to your next cozy get-together!

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

I’ve been dreaming about creating these cupcakes for months now. I love cornbread muffins, and I just knew that using cornmeal in my classic cupcake recipe would give me the fluffy, sweet, corn-y cupcakes that I’ve been craving! Add a honey buttercream on top, and these cupcakes are just a dream. Of course I also topped them with a drizzle of Honey In The Raw® for extra oomph (and honey flavor).

Don’t let the cornmeal confuse you, these cupcakes come together like a classic cake batter. You’ll beat together the Sugar In The Raw® and butter – since this is a raw, turbinado sugar, you want to spend some extra time beating these ingredients together. Then you’ll begin adding the dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two, until you have a smooth cake batter. That batter will resemble a cake batter, not a cornbread batter. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, you beat together the frosting ingredients. The added honey creates a smooth frosting texture perfect for piping.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • All-purpose flour is the standard baking flour. I like to use an unbleached version, but any all-purpose flour will work in this recipe. If your flour looks clumpy at all, I recommend sifting it.
  • Yellow cornmeal is made from yellow corn, and it’s different than corn flour. Make sure what you buy/use for this recipe is yellow cornmeal. This cornmeal will give the cupcakes that familiar cornbread flavor!
  • Baking powder + baking soda perfectly leaven these cupcakes.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
  • Plant-based butter is used in both the cake batter and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based butter or regular butter. The important thing is that it’s softened prior to beating. If you plan to use a tub “butter” then you can use it straight from the refrigerator as it’s already soft.
  • Sugar In The Raw® Turbinado Sugar is a heartier sugar with big, golden crystals. Since it’s unbleached, the crystals keep their rich flavor and color of the natural molasses. This sugar can be used 1:1 in baking!
  • Eggs help bind the ingredients and keep these cupcakes fluffy.
  • Vanilla extract adds flavor to both the cupcakes and frosting.
  • Oat milk moistens the batter and thins out the frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk or regular cow’s milk.
  • Vegetable shortening acts a thickener in the frosting. It stiffens the buttercream, which can sometimes end up too thin thanks to the plant-based butters. If you’d like, you can replace the shortening with more butter, but you may need less milk in the frosting.
  • Powdered sugar bulks up the frosting – there are no substitutes for powdered sugar.
  • Honey In The Raw® is a delicious, raw, and unfiltered honey used to flavor the buttercream frosting. It’s also drizzled on top of each cupcake as a sweet finish!

More Recipes You Might Like

Sweet Corn Muffins

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche Frosting

Yield: 12 Regular Cupcakes

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

Sweet and fluffy cornmeal cupcakes topped with a delicious honey buttercream frosting! These sweet, little cakes are perfect for your next get-together!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 48 minutes

Ingredients

Corn Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (80g) yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 2/3 cup (142g) Sugar In The Raw®
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup oat milk, room temp (or other milk)

Honey Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (48g) vegetable shortening (or more butter)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Honey In The Raw® (+ more to drizzle)
  • 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar
  • ~3 Tbsp oat milk (or other milk)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cupcake pan by adding paper liners to the wells.
  2. Bring your eggs and milk to room temperature - place the eggs in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Heat the milk until just slightly warm/room temp.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to evenly combine; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Beat the ingredients for 1 minute. Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.
  5. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add 1/2 of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat, alternating dry ingredients and milk until you add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth.
  6. Scoop or spoon the batter into the lined cupcake pan, filling 3/4 full - you may have a small bit of batter leftover.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Once the cupcakes are totally cool, you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract and honey. Begin beating in the powdered sugar, 1-2 cups at a time. Once you've added all the powered sugar, you can begin adding the oat milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, until your buttercream reaches a thick but spreadable consistency.
  9. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and frost all of the cupcakes. Just before serving, drizzle each cupcake with extra Honey In The Raw®.
  10. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Butter: feel free to use plant-based butter or regular butter - just make sure your butter is softened. If you plan to use a tub "butter" then you can use it straight from the refrigerator as it's already soft.
  2. Vegetable shortening: this helps stiffen the buttercream, but you can also use butter in its place. You may need to use less milk if you choose to do this.
  3. Milk: I like to bake with oat milk or almond milk, but any kind of milk will work in this recipe. The important thing is to use room temperature milk.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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Spiced Powdered Donuts

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These cozy and comforting Spiced Powdered Donuts are made with my favorite spiced cake batter. Covered in a spiced powdered sugar, these fluffy, baked donuts are just the dessert you need to brighten your morning!

Spiced Powdered Donuts

I know we’re all chasing after the pumpkin once fall hits, but I promise these Spiced Powdered Donuts bring all of that cozy, fall flavor with zero pumpkin! The base of the donuts is actually my favorite cake batter with a homemade “pumpkin pie” spice mixed in. We’ve got cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice mixed into the batter and the powdered sugar coating. It’s a whole lot of comforting flavor all wrapped up in the fluffiest, most tender baked donuts!

I consider this recipe to be a “small batch” which makes six regular donuts. I find that these donuts are best eaten right after they’ve been coated with the powdered sugar…wait too long and the sugar tends to “melt” into the donuts. So half a dozen seems like the perfect number of donuts to be consumed within a day.

The batter itself comes together just like my favorite cake and cupcake batters. You’ll beat the sugar and egg until fluffy, add a room temperature egg and vanilla extract, and then alternate beating in the dry ingredients and milk (also room temperature) until everything is totally combined and smooth. If you’re not used to making homemade cakes then the process may seem a little finicky or daunting, but I promise that after you do it once, you’ll find it comes easily.

Finally, once the donuts are completely cool (we don’t want the powdered sugar coating to melt!), you can use a fork or spoon to turn them over in a bowl filled with the sugar coating. Get the donuts nice and coated and then they’re all ready to enjoy!

What You’ll Need + Substitutions

All-purpose flour is the base for these donuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flour.

Baking powder & baking soda combine to leaven these donuts to the perfect shape and fluffiness! I tested this recipe with different combinations and found that using both helped get the shape I wanted.

Salt adds depth to flavor and slightly cuts the sweetness of these donuts. 

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & allspice combine to bring that cozy, fall-inspired spice we all love. These spices are the main star of these donuts, so I don’t recommend skimping. You can, however, use a pumpkin pie spice in place of all of the spices.

Plant-based butter (or regular butter) is used to give these donuts flavor. It’s softened and then beaten with the sugar to help create a light, cakey donut texture. I only recommend using your favorite softened butter – nothing in liquid form.

Brown sugar has molasses mixed in, which adds a lovely flavor to these donuts. You can use a white granulated sugar or coconut sugar in its place, but the leavening agents may not work properly (the donuts may not rise the way we want them to!).

Egg binds the ingredients and also lends to the fluffiness of these donuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg alternatives.

Vanilla extract adds flavor, and I don’t recommend skipping it. A nice flavor addition would be maple extract if you’re looking to add some extra flavor (replace all or 1/2 of the vanilla extract with maple extract).

Plant-based milk (or regular milk) is used to moisten these donuts. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk (almond, oat, etc) or cow’s milk. Just make sure you bring the milk to room temperature before adding it to the recipe.

More Donuts Recipes

Chocolate Coffee Donuts

Lemon Cake Donuts

Pumpkin Collagen Donuts

Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts (vegan)

Chocolate Guinness Baked Donuts

Yield: 6 Donuts

Spiced Powdered Donuts

Spiced Powdered Donuts

Fluffy cake donuts filled with cozy, fall spices! These delicious donuts are covered in a spiced powdered sugar for extra sweetness!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Donuts

  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (114g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 cup (57g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1/3 cup (80g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (110g) oat milk, room temperature (or other milk)

Sugar Coating

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 6-well donut pan with non-stick spray. Bring your egg and milk to room temperature - place the whole egg in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes + heat up the milk.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
  3. In a medium or large bowl, beat together the softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until all is totally combined.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and beat. Add 1/2 of the milk and beat. Repeat until, finally, you beat in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
  5. Pipe or spoon the batter into the greased muffin wells, filling to the top. I like to add a gallon ziploc bag to a tall glass, scrape the batter into the bag, snip a hole in the corner of the bag, and pipe the batter into the pan.
  6. Gently wiggle the pan to settle the batter. Bake donuts at 350°F for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with a few crumbs.
  7. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. I like to wave the upside down pan firmly in the air until all the donuts fall out. Allow the donuts to cool completely.
  8. In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and spices and whisk together until well mixed. Take each cooled donut and flip it around in the sugar until well coated. Enjoy immediately.
  9. Store any leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator - the powdered sugar may "melt" and become absorbed by the donuts.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

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