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This old fashioned cake donut recipe creates cake donuts that are crispy on the outside and give way to a perfectly soft and cakey center, making these an amazing breakfast treat! We grew up eating these and they’ll always be a treasured family favorite.
Oh my word, you guys. I know that I gave myself the title of donut (doughnut?) queen, but really, the title goes to my grandma. I’m just the donut princess.
My grandma created the best dang cake donut recipe ever and I’ve been dying to share it with you. Anytime I make these, I get shot straight back to my childhood.
Visiting my grandma on vacation, waiting impatiently for her to fry up these unbelievable donuts, and then eating them until I’d make myself sick. She would often serve the donuts plain, straight from the fryer.
I prefer them tossed in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, but powdered sugar or a glaze works great as well.
What Readers are Saying!
“Very simple but great tasting recipe. I drained the donuts on racks that were placed in paper towel lined cookie sheets.” – Mary
These are cake donuts, which means there is no waiting on yeast to do it’s thing.
Instead, the donuts have baking powder in them to help them rise.
You’ll love these donuts. I’m telling you – better than bakery donuts, by far!
How to make fried cake donuts:
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Use a stand mixer with a dough hook to beat together butter, sugar, and egg.
In a separate bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until it is workable. If it is too sticky still, you can add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is workable.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface trying to make it a consistent thickness about 1/4″ thick. Use a donut cutter to cut the donuts.
Add the donuts to a pot of oil that is 375 degrees F. Add in as many as will fit without crowding the pan. Fry until golden which should take about 2 minutes on each side at the recommended temp.
When you remove the donut from the fryer, drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Toss each donut on a plate with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar that uses 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Coat both sides. Alternately, place the cinnamon and sugar in a brown paper bag and shake the donuts to coat.
Helpful Tip!
Invest in a thermometer!
I know many people don’t like to fry, so here are my best tips. Invest in a thermometer! They cost about five dollars and are worth every penny.
You want to keep your oil at a consistent temperature so that your donuts don’t get too greasy. Greasy donuts means your oil isn’t hot enough! 375 degrees is perfect for these donuts.
Leftover grease ideas:
After you’ve fried the donuts, you can keep the oil covered for a week or two and use it for frying other foods.
We try to use oil that fried sweet foods for frying other sweet foods, and oil that fried savory foods for other savory foods.
Use the leftover oil to test out our biscuit donuts or potato donuts next!
If you don’t think you’ll re-use the oil, just let it cool completely and then use a funnel to pour it right back into your empty oil container or an empty milk jug. I try to keep a few empty milk jugs under my kitchen sink or in my pantry for used up oil.
Close the jug up tight and then toss it in your garbage can on garbage day. It’s a pretty simple way to deal with all that leftover oil!
The BEST Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 cups flour more as needed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
- Cinnamon Sugar mix for coating the donuts 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.
- Alternate adding the milk and flour mixture until everything is well combined. Knead for just a couple of minutes. If the dough is too sticky to roll out, add more flour until it's workable, 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Use a donut cutter to cut donuts.
- Add to a pot of 375 degree oil, just a few donuts at a time so as not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden, about 2 minutes each side.
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate before tossing in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in February 2014. It was updated in February 2021.
Nancy says
I have a recipe like this one that I have been using for years. In fact, I made them last week and my kids and grandkids couldn’t eat them fast enough. Pure comfort food.
Marcie says
What a special recipe for you to share, Karly! These look and sound divine, and when I want fried donuts, I’m making these. Pinning!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
Fried doughnuts are the shiiiznit!! Your grandma was clearly an epic font of wisdom and skill!!
YUMMERS
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
These look absolutely amazing. You are the donut queen/princess for sure!!! I just love that this is your grandma’s recipe! I must have about eleventy four now!!!
Joanne says
I really just need to get over my fear of deep frying. Like, ASAP. Because…not sure I can live another day without these.
Linda says
When I make things my grandmother or mother made it takes me right back to a place in time when things were good. Their food was made with love. These do look amazing. I’d love it if you linked these at What’d You Do This Weekend.
Have a great week,
Linda
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Recipes from Grandma are so special. This looks lovely!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
NO ONE knows like grandma! I love cherished family recipes like these…and of course I love donuts/doughnuts too.
Confession: I actually have a thermometer (bought it when determined to make homemade fish and chips) but have yet to bust it out. These sweet treats look like the perfect excuse ๐
Karly says
@Erin | The Law Student’s Wife,
I don’t always use mine, but it really does make a difference. Apparently it’s too difficult for me to dig around in the drawer and clip it on the pot every. single. time. ๐
DessertForTwo says
Wait, I have a question. Can you tell me about how many times you save your oil? And do you have a good method for saving frying oil?
Karly says
@DessertForTwo,
Well, now I feel all pressured and scared. You JUST said that you love to fry, so probably you’re better at this than me. I hope I don’t give you the wrong answer. ๐
So, I reuse oil (unless it was used for fish…that gets tossed) quite a few times. I used to leave a pot of oil on my stove at all times and it would stay there for months before I’d change it out. As long as it’s covered and it doesn’t smell (you’d know if it was bad!), then it’s good. I don’t fry nearly as often anymore though, so I will strain it into the original container if it’s empty or into an empty milk or water jug and stick it in a cabinet for future use. Just sniff it before you reuse it. Also, I don’t mix savory and sweet within the same batch of oil. The oil from these donuts will only be used for something sweet or not at all.
Do I get an A? ๐
Annie says
Three questions…. Since I never deep fry:
1. do you know if it’s better to store used oil in the ‘fridge?? Would it last longer??
2. I seem to recall hearing/reading/being told? that if you fry a (whole?) potato, that it’ll “purify” (take all taste of the previous food out of) the oil… do you know if that’s true; which if it is, then the oil could be used for both sweet AND savory ๐
And finally…
3. how much oil do you need to fry the donuts??
thanks!!!
Karly says
Hi Annie!
I’ve never stored my leftover oil in the fridge, but it might help it last longer.
I’ve also never heard of that potato trick, but it sounds interesting!
As for how much, it really depends on the size of your pan. You’ll want to use however much oil it takes to get 2 to 3 inches of oil in the pan. ๐
Sorry I’m not much help about oil storage and cleaning it – try googling, I’m sure the answer is out there somewhere! ๐
DessertForTwo says
Yep, I’m going to need 2 dozen of these stat. Pinned!
Cookbook Queen says
Perfection. I’ll take twenty-eight please.
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
These look fantastic!! And I of course love that they’re fried ๐
tanya says
Wow Karly, these really do look like the best doughnuts ever! Perfectly soft with just the right amount of sugar!
Belinda@themoonblushbaker says
Definitely looks like a killer recipe. You grand mother sure knew her science when it comes to these beauties love it!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Lovely, Karly! Pinned to group boards at Pinterest!
Ruki says
Hi what type of flour do you use?