All Recipes
Beverages
Breakfast
Appetizers
Dinner
Sides
Dessert
Videos
You can easily make these deliciously decadent Sour Cream Cake Donuts following this recipe. These donuts are pillowy soft with a cake-like texture. The outer layer is a golden-brown crust drenched in a sweet vanilla glaze.
Sour Cream Cake Donut Recipe
In my imagination, I’ve dreamed up these simple Saturday mornings at home where I make a handful of breakfasts everyone in the family loves. The breakfast always consists of cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and donuts. All recipes I don’t know how to make.
With slightly more time on my hands in the current times I’ve decided to learn how to make these types of delicious foods. Surprisingly, donuts are fairly easy to make. There are a few steps to prepare them, however, they’re not overly complicated. The tasty end result is worth the small effort.
These pillowy soft and cake-like donuts are delicious and drenched in a sweet vanilla glaze, perfect for Saturday mornings at home.
How to Make Sour Cream Donuts
Ingredients in Cake Donuts
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Sour Cream
- Peanut Oil for Frying
Directions
These donuts are super simple to make. There’s a small amount of wait time (1 hour) while the dough chills) but the overall prep is easy.
- Whisk. In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center once all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Cream. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer cream the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until it turns pale and thick.
- Add Butter and Sour Cream. Slowly pour in the melted butter and beat until combined. Add half the dour cream in and beat to just mixed, and then add the remaining sour cream and repeat.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and gently fold in until fully mixed using a spatula.
- Wrap and Chill. Use the spatula to turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and wrap it up tightly. Place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of one hour and up to overnight.
- Heat the Oil. Using a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, add 2-inches of oil and place over medium heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan or measure the heat using another type of food thermometer. Bring the oil to exactly 350ºF.
- Cut Out the Donuts. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a donut cutter, if you have one, or a biscuit cutter, cut out 12 donuts. Don’t pierce the dough all the way to the bottom, stop about halfway. Then gently pull the excess dough off.
- Cook. Once the oil is heated to 350ºF place two to three donuts at a time in the oil to cook. The donuts will float to the top and when they do allow them to cook for 1 more minute before flipping them over to cook for an additional 1 minute. The donuts should be a nice golden brown.
- Cool. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the donuts from the oil and place them on paper towels to cool (not a wire rack).
- Glaze. In a medium-sized bowl whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth. Once the donuts have cooled dip them into the glaze on both sides.
Which Oil is Best for Frying Donuts?
When deep frying you want to use an oil with a neutral flavor so the food you’re frying doesn’t soak up the unwanted flavor. You also need an oil that can withstand a high temperature, which is referred to as having a high smoke point.
My preference for frying donuts is to use peanut oil, which cooks them with a slightly crisp outer layer and soft and tender inside. You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil, but the peanut creates the best donut texture.
How Long Does it Take to Cook Donuts?
Fry the donuts, 2 or 3 at a time in the oil, or until they are golden brown. Flip them once and let them cook for 1 minute on the opposite side. Remove each donut using a slotted spoon and let the excess oil drip back into the pot.
Tips for Cooking the Perfect Donut:
- Make sure to use a thermometer to achieve the exact oil temperature of 375ºF. This will also let you know if the temperature begins to drop or increase.
- If the temperature of your oil changes either increase or decrease the heat to keep it at 350ºF.
- Cook only 2 to 3 at a time. You don’t want to overcrowd the pot.
- Make sure to use a pot large enough to accommodate the oil. I used a Le Creuset large Dutch Oven.
- After removing them from the oil place on a paper towel to cool instead of a cooling rack, which causes them to absorb the oil.
How to Store the Doughnuts
These doughnuts will keep fresh for 5 to 6 days if stored in an air-tight container. There’s no need to keep them in the refrigerator unless you like them to be cold.
Sour Cream Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 3½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/3 cup Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- Peanut Oil for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center once all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer cream the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until it turns pale and thick.
- Slow pour in the melted butter and beat until combined. Add half the sour cream in and beat to just mixed, and then add the remaining sour cream and repeat.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and gently fold in until fully mixed using a spatula.
- Use the spatula to turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and wrap it up tightly. Place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of one hour and up to overnight.
- Using a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, add 2-inches of oil and place over medium heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan or measure the heat using another type of food thermometer. Bring the oil to exactly 350ºF.
- Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a donut cutter, if you have one, or a biscuit cutter, cut out 12 donuts. Don't pierce the dough all the way to the bottom, stop about halfway. Then gently pull the excess dough off.
- Once the oil is heated to 350ºF place two to three donuts at a time in the oil to cook. The donuts will float to the top and when they do allow them to cook 1 more minute before flipping them over to cook for an additional 1 minute. The donuts should be a nice golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the donuts from the oil and place on paper towels to cool (not a wire rack), which takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth. Once the donuts have cooled dip them into the glaze on both sides.
