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Lawrence D. Smith

Easy Homemade Vanilla Cake Donuts

Soft, tender baked vanilla cake donuts made with buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla bean paste, then finished with a smooth vanilla icing.
These easy homemade donuts are baked instead of fried and can be decorated with sprinkles, edible glitter, or a white chocolate drizzle.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Donuts
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the Vanilla Icing
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2 tablespoons milk added gradually as needed
  • Gel food coloring optional
For Optional Decorating
  • Edible glitter
  • Pastel sprinkles
  • White chocolate or white chocolate chips

Equipment

  • Donut pans
  • Mini donut pans (optional)
  • Piping bags
  • Stand mixer or electric mixer
  • Medium mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Sifter
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Cooking spray
  • Cake tester
  • Tall glass for filling piping bags
  • Small bowl for melting chocolate (optional)
  • Microwave (optional, for the chocolate decoration)
  • Parchment paper (optional, for decorating)
  • Clips for sealing piping bags (optional)

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Oven and Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray each individual cavity of the donut pan with cooking spray.
  2. Combine the Dry Ingredients: Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
  3. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the buttermilk, sugar, lightly beaten eggs, melted butter, and vanilla bean paste. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
  4. Make the Donut Batter: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, beating only until each addition is incorporated. Do not overmix, as overbeating can make the donuts dry and tough.
  5. Fill the Donut Pan: Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut cavities, filling each one about two-thirds full to prevent overflowing during baking.
  6. Bake the Donuts: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted into a donut comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached.
  7. Cool the Donuts: Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully turn them out onto a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.
  8. Prepare the Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. Add gel food coloring, if using. Gradually add the milk a few drops at a time until the icing reaches a thick, pourable consistency.
    It should be thick enough to stay on the donuts without dripping off, while still flowing like a thick liquid.
  9. Ice the Donuts: Transfer the icing to a piping bag and cut off the end. Pipe the icing over the completely cooled donuts. Immediately add sprinkles or other decorations before the icing begins to set.
  10. Decorate in Small Batches: Ice and decorate only 2 or 3 donuts at a time, as sprinkles and other toppings will not stick once the icing has set.
  11. Melt the Optional Chocolate: If making the optional chocolate decoration, place the white chocolate or white chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals until melted. Add a few drops of gel food coloring and mix until well combined.
  12. Drizzle with Chocolate: Once the icing has set, place the donuts on parchment paper. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the tops in your preferred pattern, such as fine, straight lines made by moving the chocolate back and forth over each donut.
  13. Finish the Decorations: While the chocolate is still tacky, add sprinkles and/or edible glitter. Allow the decorations to set before serving.

Notes

  • Buttermilk substitute: If you do not have store-bought buttermilk, add ¾ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add plain 2% or whole milk until it reaches ¾ cup. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before using.
  • Avoid overmixing: Beat the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can make the baked donuts dry and tough.
  • Fill the pans carefully: Fill each donut cavity about two-thirds full so the batter has room to rise without overflowing.
  • Check for doneness: The donuts are ready when the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
  • Cool before icing: Allow the donuts to cool completely before adding the icing so the frosting does not soften or run.
  • Adjust the icing gradually: Add the milk a few drops at a time to maintain a thick, pourable consistency.
  • Decorate quickly: Add sprinkles or other toppings immediately after icing each batch of 2 or 3 donuts, since decorations will not stick once the icing has set.
  • Optional chocolate decoration: Allow the icing to set before adding the melted white chocolate drizzle.
  • Piping bag tip: Place the piping bag inside a tall glass and fold the top edge over the rim before filling it with batter or icing. This helps keep the filling process neat and manageable.