Cake donuts are a simple, quick, and delicious treat you can make in 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.

You can expect a firm donut with a soft cake-like crumb and a delicious cinnamon sugar, lemon, or chocolate topping.

Cake donuts with bite
Cake donut variations

This recipe is for oven-baked cake donuts raised with baking powder, without yeast.

Whether you are a deep-fried cake donut or a yeast donut person, you cannot deny this oven-baked cake donut recipe’s simplicity, taste, and versatility.

You can whip up the batter in 2 minutes, plus our recipe is without eggs and easy to adapt for vegetarians and vegans.

Cake donuts bake in 20 minutes, so you can make them last minute in less than half an hour, which is fantastic!

They hold up perfectly and have a firm and tender cake-like texture. They are excellent for dunking in milk or latte, lasting several days, and are fulfilling and delicious.

Louise loves cake donuts, while I prefer a light, airy yeast donut. Here are a couple of quotes from an entertaining article from the Huffington Post on cake vs. yeast/raised donuts:

“Cake donuts are just alternatively shaped cupcakes or muffins. They live an existence of lies.”

“Cake donuts 4 life. <― also going to be my new tattoo”.

Thompson, J. R. (2017, June 2). Which Is The Superior Donut: A Cake Donut Or A Yeast Donut? Huffington Post.

So which one’s your favorite?

cake donuts with a bite

Ingredients & Substitutions

cake donuts ingredients

Flour

All-purpose flour is all you need.

For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour mixture.

Sugar

You can use white or brown sugar.

Milk

Any milk will do. We use almond milk. Other plant milks work equally well, including soy milk, oat milk, and rice milk.

Vegetable oil

You can use any vegetable oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor. We like to use a mild olive oil or avocado oil.

More refined oils, such as canola oil, sunflower oil, and others, also work.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract helps infuse the batter with a cozy warm vanilla flavor. You can substitute the seeds of a real vanilla pod for vanilla extract.

Salt

A pinch of salt helps tie together the other flavors and make the cake donuts more delicious.

Baking powder

Baking powder is the raising agent in this recipe and is essential.

If unsure if your baking powder is still active, you can test it by pouring one cup of boiling water onto one teaspoon of baking powder in a small bowl. If the powder foams, it means it’s active, and you can use it.

This recipe does not require baking soda or vinegar.

Aromas

You can experiment with your favorite aromas. Our favorites are:

Cinnamon: add it to the batter and the topping. If you make a winter edition donut close to the holidays, you can add other spices such as grated nutmeg, all-spice, and ginger.

Lemon: combine lemon zest and lemon extract. You can use both in the batter and for the topping.

Chocolate: check out our chocolate glazed donuts recipe.

Topping

Cinnamon sugar: you’ll need a little milk to wet the top of the donuts, sugar, and cinnamon.

Lemon glaze: make it with powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

Chocolate glaze: check out our chocolate glazed donuts recipe.

Equipment

You’ll need a 12-donut baking pan.

Lemon donuts with sprinkles
Cake donuts with lemon glaze.

How to make cake donuts

Make the donut batter

Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Brush your donut baking pan with unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, or vegan butter.

To a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, cinnamon (or lemon zest), salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.

Flour in a glass bowl

Add milk, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk the donut batter until combined, without overmixing.

Tip: overmixing will make the donuts heavy and tough. Mix for just a few seconds. Some lumps are ok.

donut batter in a glass bowl

With the help of a spoon, pour the mixture into the donut pan, filling the molds a little over half full.

Tip: fill the mold less than you think, and never more than 3/4 to the top, or your cake doughnuts will turn out without holes.

Bake the donuts

donut cake pan with batter

Bake at 340°F or 170°C for 20 minutes. Let them cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, then take them out and serve or coat them in cinnamon sugar.

cake donuts after baking in a pan

Apply cinnamon sugar

Fill one bowl with milk and the other with cinnamon stirred in sugar.

Dip the top of the donuts in the milk, then dip it in the cinnamon sugar and arrange them on a cooling rack to cool.

Donuts dipped in milk and cinnamon

You can serve them immediately with tea, coffee, milk, or a latte.

Cake donuts stacked

Variations

Chocolate glazed donuts

Chocolate donuts with powdered sugar and bite

If you like chocolate and chocolate glaze, try these 30-minute chocolate glazed donuts that are easy to make and perfect for a lazy Sunday.

Homemade Yeast Donuts

vegan donuts with sugar

Soft, light, and airy, our easy vegan yeast donut recipe will produce the best donuts ever. It’s excellent for baking in the oven or deep-frying.

Check out our vegan donuts recipe.

Carrot and orange cake donuts

cake donuts with orange and carrot

These are original, moist, delicious cake donuts made with our orange and carrot cake batter. These are perfect for you if you want to try a new donut flavor.
Check out our carrot and orange cake recipe.

Lemon cake donuts

Lemon donuts with sprinkles

Dip the donuts in a lemon glaze made by whisking together 1 cup (120 g) of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Top with lemon sprinkles or grated lemon zest.

Questions

What is the difference between a cake donut and a regular donut?

A cake donut is made with a cake batter, placed in a donut pan, and baked in the oven. The result is a donut with a cake-like texture and with a dense yet tender crumb.

Cake donuts are very easy to make as they don’t require yeast and proofing.

Regular donuts, or yeast donuts, are soft, light, and airy. To make them, you need to make a dough with yeast, by hand or with a stand mixer.

The dough must proof until it doubles in volume; then, you can roll it out on a floured surface and cut it with a doughnut cutter or cookie cutters.

Once cut, you can either oven-bake the donuts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Or you can deep fry them in a deep-fryer or in a pot with hot oil. The oil should ideally have a high smoke point (like peanut oil), and you should check the oil temperature with a kitchen thermometer.

They only take a couple of minutes to fry, after which you should take them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a plate with paper towels before applying toppings.

For the full recipe, check out our yeast donut recipe.

cake donuts vs yeast donuts

Why are they called cake donuts?

They are called cake donuts because they are made with a cake batter.

Storage

Make Ahead: this recipe is excellent for making ahead because the donuts keep very well for several days.

Room temperature: store donuts in a food-grade plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 – 5 days. If they get a little dry on the last day, warm them in the microwave for 1 minute to bring out the moisture in the dough.

Freezer: cake donuts are great for freezing. Let them cool down completely, arrange them in a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze them for up to 6 months.

Thaw: defrost in the microwave for a few minutes or fridge for several hours.

cake donuts cooling down

More Easy Baking Ideas

If you love no-fuss baking, get inspiration from these easy and tasty baking ideas:

More Breakfast Ideas

This cake donut recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan (use non-dairy milk), and easy to make gluten-free.

cake donuts stacked

Cake Donuts

5 from 2 votes
Cake donuts are a simple, quick, and delicious treat you can make in 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
You can expect a firm donut with a soft cake-like crumb and a delicious cinnamon sugar, lemon, or chocolate topping.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Equipment

  • 12-donut baking pan

Ingredients 

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or grated lemon zest

WET INGREDIENTS

  • cup milk any, we use almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil sub avocado oil or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup milk any, we use almond milk

LEMON GLAZE TOPPING

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

MAKE DONUT BATTER

  • Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Brush your donut baking pan with butter or dairy-free butter.
    In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
    Flour in a glass bowl
  • Add ⅔ cup milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk to combine without overmixing.
    donut batter in a glass bowl

BAKE THE DONUTS

  • With the help of a spoon, pour the mixture into the donut pan, filling the molds a little over half full.
    donut cake pan with batter
  • Bake at 340°F or 170°C for 20 minutes. Let them cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, then take them out and serve with your favorite topping.
    cake donuts after baking in a pan

CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING

  • In a small bowl, add ¼ cup milk. In another small bowl, add 1½ teaspoon cinnamon stirred in ¼ cup sugar.
    Dip the top half of each donut in milk first and in cinnamon sugar later, and arrange on a wire rack to cool.
    Donuts dipped in milk and cinnamon

LEMON GLAZE TOPPING

  • In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy.
    Dip the donuts in the glaze, then top with grated lemon zest or sprinkles.
    Lemon donuts with sprinkles
  • You can serve the donuts right away, with milk, coffee, or a latte.
    Cake donuts stacked

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 cake donut out of 12 made with non-dairy milk and without topping.
STORAGE
Make Ahead: this recipe is excellent for making ahead because the donuts keep very well for several days.
Room temperature: store donuts in a food-grade plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 – 5 days. If they get a little dry on the last day, warm them in the microwave for 1 minute to bring out the moisture in the dough.
Freezer: cake donuts are great for freezing. Let them cool down completely, arrange them in a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Thaw: defrost in the microwave for a few minutes or fridge for several hours.
ALSO ON THIS PAGE

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 65mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 52IU, Vitamin B6: 0.03mg, Vitamin C: 1mg, Vitamin E: 1mg, Vitamin K: 1µg, Calcium: 36mg, Folate: 23µg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 0.1mg, Magnesium: 3mg, Zinc: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or mention @nicoandlouise on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

If you liked these easy cake donuts, you might also like:

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”OieLkGtl” upload-date=”2023-07-03T05:28:18.000Z” name=”Easy Cake Donuts” description=”Cake donuts are a simple, quick, and delicious treat you can make in 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.

You can expect a firm donut with a soft cake-like crumb and a delicious cinnamon sugar, lemon, or chocolate topping.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]


Nico and Louise in front of the Consolazione church in Todi

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with vegetarian and vegan recipes.

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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