Superman has kryptonite. Batman is mortal. Storm is claustrophobic. As for me, doughnuts are my weakness.
I love doughnuts, especially doughnuts made from scratch- none of those doughnuts from shops that use pre-made mixes. Believe it or not, I have traveled extensive lengths to satisfy a doughnut craving.
One weekend during culinary school, my roommate and I drove from Napa, CA to Portland, OR because I wanted to try Voodoo Doughnuts. (She was a great roommate and always for anything, even driving 8 hours to eat.) A few summers ago, my boyfriend and I went to NYC to grab a baker’s dozen from Doughnut Plant. During a week long trip to Seattle, WA I had breakfast at Top Pot Doughnuts almost every morning. Most recently, while in Austin, TX, I almost missed my flight home because I had to make a stop at Gordoughs (the most AMAZING doughnuts ever!).
There is just something so magical and delicious about doughnuts. What’s not to like about a deep fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar or glazed with a sweet frosting? Absolutely nothing.
Just the mere thought of doughnuts brings tasty, happy memories to mind. While I love all doughnuts from the dense cake ones to the light, fluffy yeasted ones– spice cake doughnuts will always be my favorite. I am partial to them because my first doughnut memories revolve around the spice cake doughnuts my mom would buy me after church service on Sunday mornings.
If you are new to making homemade doughnuts, welcome! Cake doughnuts are very simple and easy to make. Once you’ve mastered the cake doughnut, you can move on to the more difficult yeast doughnuts and jam/cream filled doughnuts.
Spice Cake Donuts, makes 10- 3 inch donuts and 10 donut holes
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
1 large egg
1 large yolk
2/3 cup whole milk
vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
1. In a large bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together sugar and shortening. Mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly and sand-like in texture. Add egg and egg yolk and mix on low speed until combined.
3. Add 1/3 of sifted dry mixture. Mix on low speed until almost combined, then add 1/2 of milk. Mix until milk is incorporated. Add another 1/3 of dry mixture and remaining 1/2 of milk. Mix together and add last 1/3 of dry mixture. Mix on low speed until there are no more dry streaks of flour.
4. Scoop out batter and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing plastic wrap to sit directly on top surface of dough. Let dough chill in the fridge for at least one hour (dough can remain in the fridge for up to 24 hours).
5. In a large pot (I used a dutch oven), pour about 3 inches of vegetable oil. Set over medium-high heat. Place candy thermometer (or food-safe thermometer) in pot and allow oil to heat to 370 degrees F.
6. In the meantime while the oil is heating up, remove dough from fridge. Dump chilled dough out onto a floured surface. Using your hands, pat dough to an even thickness, about 1/2-inch thick. Gather two round cutters, a large one to cut out the donut and a smaller one to cut out the donut hole centers.
7. Dunk cutters in flour before punching out shapes. Continue to flour cutter before cutting out each circle, to ensure that the cutter does not stick to the dough. Take any remaining dough and pat together to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out additional donuts.
8. Line baking sheet or large plate with paper towels. When oil is ready, dust off any excess flour on donut rings. Gently add 2-3 donuts at a time into pot of oil. The donuts will sink the bottom of the pot. Let cook for about 60-80 seconds. At this time they should float to the top.
9. Flip to cook other side for another 60 seconds. Remove cooked donut from oil and place on paper towel lined plate to drain. If oil gets too hot, adjust temperature by lowering fire heat to low until desired temperature is achieved. Do not try to fry the donuts in oil hotter than 370 degrees F. The outside will darken too fast while the inside of the donut remains uncooked.
9. Allow donuts to cool to room temperature before glazing.
Maple Glaze
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
pinch of fine sea salt
1 Tbsp dark maple syrup (grade B)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract
1/3 cup water, hot
additional hot water to adjust consistency
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add sifted confectioners’ sugar. Add corn syrup, salt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Mix to combine.
2. Add 1/3 cup of hot water and mix on low speed until glaze is smooth. If glaze is too thick, add additional hot water 1 tsp at a time until glaze is pourable consistency.
3. Dip top of cooled donuts into maple glaze. Place donuts glazed side up on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath (to catch any drippings from the glaze). Allow glaze to set, this ranges from 10-20 minutes. If desired, drizzle additional glaze on top of donut similar to the tiger strips design on these featured donuts.
4. Serve once glaze has set. Donuts are best fresh, the same day. Donuts can keep for 2 days in an airtight container.
[spice cake doughnuts recipe adapted from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts]
Cinnamon Sugar Powder
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
1. Sift together confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place in a bowl. Coat donut holes in cinnamon sugar powder mixture.
