Classic Baked Vanilla Cake Donuts

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven and grease the pan

   Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat a 12-cavity donut pan, or two 6-cavity pans, generously with baking spray or softened butter, paying attention to the center posts — that is where donuts like to stick. Do this before you mix, because the batter starts working the moment the buttermilk hits the baking soda.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until evenly combined and no streaks of soda remain. Thirty seconds of whisking here does the job of sifting.

3. 3

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, oil, and vanilla until smooth and uniform. If your butter seizes into little flecks, your buttermilk and eggs are too cold — let the mixture sit for a few minutes and whisk again.

4. 4

   Mix the batter

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula just until the last dry patches disappear. The batter should be thick, soft, and a little lumpy, closer to muffin batter than cake batter. Stop mixing the second it comes together — overworking it is the difference between tender donuts and rubbery ones.

5. 5

   Fill the pan

   Scrape the batter into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off, and pipe it into each cavity until about three-quarters full. Piping gives you clean, even rings; spooning works but tends to leave lopsided donuts. Tap the pan once on the counter to settle the batter.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are set, pale gold, and spring back immediately when you press one lightly with a fingertip. The bottoms will be more browned than the tops, which is normal. These go from perfect to dry fast, so check at 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Cool before glazing

   Let the donuts rest in the pan for 3 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges if needed and turn them out onto a wire rack. Cool them completely, about 20 minutes — warm donuts will melt the glaze right off.

8. 8

   Make the glaze and dip

   Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. You want the consistency of heavy cream: thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, loose enough to drip. Add milk a half teaspoon at a time if it is stiff, more sugar if it runs. Dip each donut face-down, twist gently as you lift, and set it back on the rack over a sheet pan. Add sprinkles right away if using, then let the glaze set for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  A donut pan is the only special gear you need, and filling it with a piping bag rather than a spoon is what makes homemade donuts look bakery-neat.

• 2.

  Fill each cavity three-quarters full, no more. Overfilled donuts dome over the center post and lose the hole.

• 3.

  No buttermilk? Stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 3/4 cup of whole milk and let it sit for 10 minutes until it looks curdled.

• 4.

  For cinnamon-sugar donuts instead of glazed, skip the glaze entirely. Brush the donuts with melted butter while they are still warm and roll them in 1/2 cup granulated sugar whisked with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.

• 5.

  Nutmeg is the flavor that makes these taste like a real cake donut rather than a ring-shaped muffin. Grate it fresh if you can — the difference is dramatic.

• 6.

  For a chocolate glaze, whisk 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into the powdered sugar and add an extra tablespoon of milk.

• 7.

  Double-dip for that thick, opaque bakery glaze: let the first coat set for 15 minutes, then dip again.

Equipment

• 12-cavity standard donut pan (or two 6-cavity pans)
• Piping bag or zip-top bag
• Two mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Flexible spatula
• Wire cooling rack
• Rimmed sheet pan (to catch glaze drips)

Storage