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Get the Recipe: King Cake Donuts

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Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk, heated to 115 (F)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided into 2 cups and 1 1/2 cups, plus more for kneading
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature,, cut into 1-inch cubes

For the Vanilla Icing

    (makes around 1 cup, enough for 12 donuts)

    • 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
    • 2 tablespoons whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • purple, yellow and green sprinkles for decorating (see baker's notes)

    Equipment

    • a 3 1/2-inch donut cutter

    Instructions
     

    For the Dough

    • In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 large egg and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. As you beat the sugar and egg, briefly whisk together 1 cup whole milk (warned to 115 (F)), 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt, before adding it to the egg and sugar on low speed.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Add to the mixture at low speed, about 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until the dough is thick and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
    • Once the dough is thick and pulls away from the bowl, stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook. Turn the mixer back on to medium speed and add 1/2 cup cubed unsalted butter one piece at a time. Continue beating until no large chunks of butter are left at the bottom of the bowl, around 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add additional flour one cup at a time (up to 1 1/2 cups) until the dough gathers around the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky.
    • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl, turning the dough once over to lightly coat all of its surfaces. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
    • Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 400 (F). Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. With a 3 1/2-inch donut cutter, cut out donuts and stamp out the holes. Place donuts at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until the donuts have doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
    • When the donuts have proofed again, bake the donuts for 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. The donuts will be a light golden brown — be careful not to overbake them! Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before glazing and eating immediately.

    For the Vanilla Icing

    • In a small bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons whole milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until the sugar is completely dissolved and you are left with a liquid-paste like substance. Use immediately to glaze the donuts! If not, the glaze will harden and it'll be hard to glaze your donuts. The best way I found to glaze the donuts was to actually dunk the top half of each donut into the bowl containing the glaze. Once the top has been glazed, lay the unglazed part of the donut on top of a cooling rack with a plate underneath — this will allow excess glaze from the donut to drip onto the plate. Sprinkle immediately with your Mardi Gras colored sprinkles. If you wait to decorate the donuts, the glaze will harden and the decorations will not stay on the glaze.
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