Old-fashioned doughnuts, just like Grandma used to make, are easy and straightforward. The dough is very forgiving and easy to work with. One of the ingredients will surprise you, yielding a texture nothing short of perfection.
CAKE DOUGHNUTS
Cake doughnuts are leavened with baking powder instead of yeast. These have the ideal texture, just like the ones you remember.
Have you ever wanted to make old fashioned doughnut from scratch that does not take all day in the kitchen to make?
That's me...I like to get up early on a Saturday morning and whip up a batch of cake doughnuts, just like the bakery down the street, before everyone gets up.
I learned from Ashely Strickland Freeman, the author of The Duke's Real Mayonnaise Cookbook, that she also loves to make homemade doughnuts on Saturday mornings.
Ashley reached out to me to review her new cookbook, and the first recipe that caught my eye was these lovely old-fashioned homemade doughnuts.
My nine-year-old granddaughter visited with me for a few days, and she made these by herself. She measured and rolled them out. Her favorite part was cutting them out. I took over when it was time to fry them.
She dipped half of them in the chocolate ganache as soon as they were placed on the rack and cooled enough to the touch. We tossed a cup of powdered sugar into a zipper plastic bag. We made a mixture of the cinnamon sugar for the doughnut holes.
The star ingredient of the recipe is Duke's mayonnaise. The Duke's mayonnaise produces a moist inside and tender-crisp outside.
The best thing about these doughnuts is that they are made at home. Like I did, you probably already have what you need to make them right in your kitchen with your children or grandchildren.
The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook is a jewel to have. A wide list of recipes is compiled in each chapter, including Breakfast and Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Sides and Snacks, and Desserts.
The Duke's Real Mayonnaise Cookbook is available here.
TIPS AND TIDBITS TO MAKE THE BEST CAKE DOUGHNUTS
Don't overmix the dough. Over mixing makes for a tough doughnut. Cut the doughnuts close to each other to avoid rolling the leftover dough.
Flour the work surface well. This will ensure an easy release of the doughnuts from the counter, avoiding losing their shape when you go to fry them.
Roll out the dough. Do not put too much flour on the surface when rolling them out. Too much flour will make the dough tough.
Temperature is important. Using a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil is essential in this recipe.
Adjust the temperature of the oil. When you add dough to the oil, the temperature will drop. Wait until the temperature of the oil comes back up before dropping the dough in the oil.
Glaze the doughnuts. Glaze the doughnuts as soon as you can handle them. The glaze will be much thicker the cooler the doughnuts are after frying them, and will not dry as well. Place them on a wire rack so the excess glaze will drip off instead of pooling around the edges.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE CAKE DOUGHNUTS
Rolling pin
Doughnut cutter
Vegetable oil for frying
Flour
Sugar
Eggs
Baking powder
Baking soda
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Milk
Vanilla
Duke's mayonnaise
Mixed berry glaze
HOW TO MAKE CAKE DOUGHNUTS
1. Mixed Berry Glaze (recipe follows)
2. Beat the egg, granulated sugar, and mayonnaise in a heavy stand mixer bowl until creamy.
3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon in the medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a large Dutch oven. Heat to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the dough with flour and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter, cut the dough into doughnuts and doughnut holes, coating the cutter with flour after each cut and rerolling the dough as needed. (If you don't have a doughnut cutter, use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut our rounds, then use a 1-inch biscuit cutter to cut holes out of the centers.)
6. Fry the doughnuts and holes in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Drain on paper towels. Dip in the Mixed Berry Glaze, sprinkle with sprinkles, and let harden on a wire rack if desired.
HOW TO MAKE MIXED BERRY GLAZE
1. Bring the berries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the berries release their juices, and the mixture becomes syrupy. Strain the berries to remove seeds if desired, pressing the berries with the back of a spoon to release as much juice as possible.
2. Add the butter and enough powdered sugar to make the glaze a good dipping consistency, stirring until smooth.