Sugared & Stirred

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baked donuts

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing (dairy-free)

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Sweet and tangy lemon cake in donut form! These Lemon Cake Donuts are topped with a simple (and equally tangy!) Lemon Icing. They’re quick and easy to make, and they’re a perfect treat any day of the week. Donuts on a Wednesday, anyone?

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

These lemon donuts are everything you want in a lemon dessert: tangy, light, and perfectly sweetened, and I love them. You all know how much I love chocolate (see here), but these donuts are irresistible – even for a chocolate lover like me! If you like lemon, then I have a feeling you will love these and also find them hard to resist!

These donuts come together by mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately and then combining them. If you’ve made baked donuts before, then you may be used to a thick, pipe-able batter. This batter, however, is thin enough to easily pour into your greased donut pan. I promise these donuts couldn’t get easier! And if you’re wondering, yes, these donuts are basically cake, which makes them totally delicious (and more fun to eat!).

Some of the ingredients + substitutes to make Lemon Cake Donuts:

All-purpose flour is the only flour I’ve tried for these donuts. If you’re wondering how to make them gluten-free then I recommend a GF all-purpose flour blend.

Cornstarch creates a more tender, cake-like donut. Instead of looking or feeling like a muffin, these donuts really are like cake!

Eggs bring fluffiness to these donuts. I haven’t tried any egg alternatives in this recipe, but I recommend using flax eggs if you’re looking for a vegan/egg-less recipe. 2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water; mix and allow to thicken for five minutes.

Oil adds much needed moisture. I’ve tested this recipe with melted coconut oil and olive oil. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil. If you decide to use melted coconut oil, it’s important that the rest of your ingredients be room temperature, including the eggs and milk.

Agave adds both moisture and sweetness. It’s sweeter than cane sugar and has a low GI. It’s better for you than honey or maple syrup, though either of those liquid sweeteners would be a fine replacement.

Sugar adds necessary sweetness. Feel free to use your favorite granulated sugar – raw cane, refined white cane, coconut, etc.

Lemon juice + zest add lots of natural lemon flavor! I recommend buying 5 or 6 lemons to juice and zest for this recipe. Zesting involves using a microplane or fine grater to grate/zest the yellow lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white underneath. Feel free to add as little or much as you’d like – you can even add it to the icing.

Yield: 12 Regular Donuts

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

Sweet and tangy baked donuts flavored with fresh lemon juice and zest! These irresistible lemon cake donuts are topped with a simple lemon icing and couldn't be more delicious!

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Lemon Donuts

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup plant-based milk
  • 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup agave
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest from 2-3 lemons

Lemon Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your donut pan(s) with nonstick spray (I used olive oil spray).
  2. In a large bowl (I like to use a large glass bowl with a pour spout for easy transfer of the batter to the donut pan), sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together with a large whisk and then set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the milk, oil, agave, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Add liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix with a large spoon or spatula until no flour pockets remain; stir in the lemon zest.
  4. Pour the batter into the donut pan wells, filling them nearly to the top. Bake donuts at 350°F for 8-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with a few crumbs.
  5. Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn the pan over onto a cooling rack, banging the pan lightly on the rack (or in the air) until all of the donuts release. Turn donuts right side up and allow them to cool. If you have more batter, bake the rest of the donuts now.
  6. Once your donuts are totally cool, you can make the icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Mix until no sugar lumps remain, adding more lemon juice 1/2 tsp at a time until you have a thick but pourable icing. When you lift your spoon up, the icing "ribbons" should take around 3 full seconds to disappear.
  7. Dip the top of each donut into the icing, submerging it until the icing fills the hole. Lift up, shake the excess icing off, and then flip the donut right side up to set on the cooling rack. Alternatively, you can spoon the icing over the tops of each donut (this method is definitely easier!).
  8. Top your donuts with lemon zest (I used dried lemon zest that had been zested the day before), sprinkles, or coconut flakes and enjoy!
  9. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

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

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Chocolate Coffee Donuts with Coffee Icing (DF + vegan option)

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There’s something about a sprinkled donut that will always lighten my mood. It’s a tense time in the world right now, and we’re avoiding leaving our house as much as we can. This means we’re definitely not going out of our way to stop by the local donut shop. These Chocolate Coffee Donuts totally hit the spot, though, and they’re better for you than what’s traditionally found at a shop. A bit of work? Yes. But I promise you that homemade baked donuts are actually so easy!

Since these donuts are baked in a donut pan, they really could not get easier. The directions are like other quick bread recipes where you’ll mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine them. Once the donuts cool, it’s time to dip those babies in some coffee flavored icing!

It’s easiest to mix the icing in a cereal bowl – you want the bowl to be deep enough to dip the donuts. Then go slow, dipping the top of each donut until the glaze fills the hole. Lift the donut up and let the extra glaze drip off, shaking the donut a little to help. As long as your icing is thick enough, it shouldn’t drip or run down the side of your donuts. You’ll want to sprinkle the donuts after each donut dip to ensure the icing doesn’t set before you can get your sprinkles on. 

Yield: 12 Donuts

Chocolate Coffee Donuts with Coffee Icing

Chocolate Coffee Donuts with Coffee Icing

Baked chocolate donuts flavored with plenty of cocoa and strong black coffee. A sweet, coffee-flavored icing (and chocolate sprinkles!) tops the donuts to balance the deep coffee flavor.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Donuts

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free yogurt
  • 2 large eggs (or flax eggs)
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Coffee Icing

  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ~3 Tbsp plant-based milk
  • 1-2 tsp instant coffee granules (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Bake the Donuts

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a regular donut pan with non-stick spray - I like to use olive oil spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and honey. Whisk in the milk, instant coffee, yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Finally, stir in the applesauce and set the wet ingredients aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients and use a large spoon or silicone spatula to gently mix the batter until no flour pockets remain.
  4. Spoon or pipe the batter into the greased donut wells - I like to add my batter to a piping bag (no piping tip necessary) for clean and easy filling - and fill each well to the top.
  5. Bake donuts at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for five minutes and then turn the pan over to release the donuts onto a cooling rack.
  6. Allow your donut pan to cool completely and then repeat steps 4-5 for the remaining donuts.

Ice the Donuts

  1. Once all of your donuts are baked and totally cooled, you can begin making your icing. In a small, microwaveable bowl, combine 3 Tbsp warm milk with 1-2 tsp instant coffee granules; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and stir. Add the milk/coffee 1 tsp at a time until your icing reaches a thick yet pourable consistency - it's important that the icing isn't too thin since we want a decent layer of icing and not a thin glaze.
  3. Carefully dip the top of each donut in the icing, allowing the excess icing to drip off. Turn each donut right side up and immediately sprinkle with the topping of your choice. I like to do this one donut at a time so the icing doesn't set before I can get my sprinkles on! If your icing starts to get too thick, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds to thin it out.
  4. Enjoy the iced donuts immediately. I don't recommend icing these in advance. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • These donuts are best to eat the day you bake them. If you live in a warm climate (or your home is on the warmer side) you'll want to store the iced donuts in the refrigerator.
  • For vegan donuts, use 2 flax eggs: mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, allow to thicken for five minutes

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

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Strawberry Chocolate Baked Donuts (vegan option!)

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Since Valentine’s Day is next week, and I’ve recently been very into pink and red desserts over on Instagram, I decided I wanted to come up with a vegan-friendly strawberry baked donut. After a less-than-thrilling first recipe attempt, I came to the conclusion that the donut would just be better if I added cocoa powder. Is this my life now? Adding chocolate to anything and everything because it just makes things better? Anyways, these baked cake donuts are so light and fluffy, they’re basically cake. My toddler, who knows what a donut is, took one bite and decided all on her own that these donuts were in fact cake – she chased me around trying to get a bite of my “cake” – ha!

I added strawberry purée to both the donut batter and the icing. The icing is really where the strawberry flavor hits you, so don’t skimp on the purée! I made this recipe twice in an attempt to perfect the pink icing and both times I ended up with results that just weren’t visually appealing enough for decent photos. BUT that doesn’t mean I didn’t perfect the recipe! And since Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, I really wanted to get this recipe published for you all, even with this one photo. I hope that’s okay with you, and I promise that at some point I will make these again and get more than just a “donut in hand” pic. Happy baking!

Strawberry Chocolate Baked Donuts with Strawberry Icing
Makes 6 regular donuts or ~32 mini donuts

Donuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg or 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed  meal + 3 Tbsp water) if vegan
2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
3 Tbsp neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed, light olive oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry purée*
3 Tbsp applesauce
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8  tsp fine sea salt
Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp strawberry purée*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-4 tsp nut milk

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your donut pan with olive oil (or other non-stick spray). For vegan donuts, prepare your flax egg.

2.) In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and egg. Add the almond milk, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until totally combined. Stir in the strawberry purée and applesauce; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until no white streaks remain. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently fold until totally combined, making sure to scrape flour/cocoa off the bottom of the bowl.

4.) Add your batter to a piping bag or ziplock bag. Snip the end and pipe batter into donut pan, filling close to the top. Bake regular donuts at 350°F for 10-11 minutes and mini donuts at 350°F for 6-7 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with crumbs.

5.) Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. I like to turn my pan over and wave it a bit until the donuts fall out.

6.) Once your donuts have cooled, you can make your icing. In a small saucepan, add the powdered sugar, strawberry purée, and vanilla extract. Use a small spatula or whisk to combine the ingredients. If needed, add nut milk 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached – I added around 3 tsp. Keep stirring/whisking until icing is totally smooth and no lumps of powdered sugar remain.

7.) Place icing over a very low heat on the stove and heat up until just warm. Turn off the heat and begin dipping the tops of your donuts. Work quickly and stir the icing as you go along to keep it from crusting. The icing will harden on your donuts very quickly, so if you plan to use sprinkles or other toppings, I recommend having a second person do that part immediately after each donut is dipped. Enjoy your donuts! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if it’s warm.

*for my strawberry purée I simply blended 2 cups of whole frozen strawberries that I had thawed at room temperature. The 2 cups of berries gave me about 1 1/4 cup strawberry purée – you’ll only need half of that for this recipe.