Vanilla Cake Donuts Recipes

Steps:

• Vanilla Confectioners'-Sugar Glaze:Whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in milk until mixture is smooth and thick, and has the texture of pourable honey. Glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)
• Donuts:Dust a baking sheet with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla seeds on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and yolk, then vanilla extract. Scrape down bowl, then beat in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Turn out dough onto baking sheet; use floured hands to flatten to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight (if longer than 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap).
• Pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, using a floured 2 1/2-inch round donut cutter, cut out donuts (or use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, then cut out holes with a 1- to 1 1/2-inch round cutter). Pat together scraps; cut out more donuts (these will not be quite as tender). Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully drop donuts into hot oil and cook, flipping a few times, until deep golden brown all over, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes for holes), maintaining oil temperature between 340 degrees and 350 degrees at all times. Transfer donuts and holes to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes.
• While still slightly warm, dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side, then place, glaze-side up, on rack. Let stand until glaze sets and donuts are cool, about 1 hour. Donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a 3-inch-round cookie cutter or glass to trace 12 circles on the parchment, leaving space between each. Flip the parchment over and lightly coat with cooking spray. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip or snip a 1/2-inch hole in one corner of a large resealable plastic bag.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and yolk until incorporated and the mixture turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually beat in the flour mixture until just incorporated (do not overmix). Transfer the batter to the prepared pastry bag.
• Using the circles as a guide, pipe the batter into 3-inch rings. (To make doughnut holes with the remaining batter, pipe 1-inch rounds onto the parchment.) Refrigerate while you heat the shortening, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat about 6 cups shortening in a large pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 340 degrees F. (You want to have about 2 inches of liquid once the shortening melts.) Use scissors to cut the parchment around each doughnut, leaving a 1-inch border. Carefully invert 2 doughnuts into the shortening and peel off the parchment with tongs. Fry until golden brown, 1 minute 30 seconds per side. (Fry the doughnut holes 30 seconds per side.) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Bring the shortening back to 340 degrees F and repeat with the remaining doughnuts.

Steps:

• Melt the shortening in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to cool slightly but still liquid.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and shortening together on medium speed, until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture is light, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt into a medium bowl.
• Reduce the mixer's speed to low, add the flour mixture until just combined. (The texture of the dough will be soft and loose.) Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it well. (Make sure you scrap off all the dough clinging to the paddle.) Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours or overnight.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled dough out into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Dip the edges of a 2 1/2-inch-round doughnut cutter in flour and cut the dough into doughnuts. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Put enough vegetable shortening into a tall, heavy-bottomed pot to fill it about a third of the way up. Heat the shortening over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Working in batches, fry the doughnuts and holes, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat until all the doughnuts and holes are fried. (Make sure the shortening returns to 375 degrees F. between batches.)
• For sugared doughnuts, roll the doughnuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. To cover the doughnuts with confectioners' sugar, allow them to cool completely before rolling in the sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325*. Spray pan lightly with cooking oil. In bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Beat until well blended. Fill each Donut Hole 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool. Remove from pan and dip into glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, nuts, shaved chocolate or coconut. Donuts may also be dipped into cinnamon and sugar instead of the glaze. When the pan has cooled, wipe clean with cloth or paper towel and repeat process. Yields approximately 36 mini donuts. Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 Tblsp. HOT water.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4) and liberally grease the savarin tin (mold) with butter.
• Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg. Gently fold in the rest of the flour, baking powder and salt, trying not to overwork it. Add the milk if it seems stiff.
• Place the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the centre should comes out clean. Leave to cool before transferring to a wire rack.
• Place the icing sugar, vanilla bean paste and half the milk into a bowl and stir.
• Gradually add the rest of the milk, while mixing, until you end up with a smooth mixture. Add a drop of pink food coloring. Mix together and set aside.
• To make the giant sprinkles, divide the fondant into 4 even pieces and color each one with each of the shades of food coloring.
• Using the palms of your hands, make small sausage shapes of around 1 1/4 cm (1/2 in) width with each of the colors. With a sharp knife, cut 3 cm (1 1/4 in) lengths from each sausage shape to make giant sprinkles.
• Turn the cooled cake out onto a stand or dish. Give the icing a quick stir then pour it over the cake. Be quick and confident with it-you don't want it to begin to set before you've finished covering the cake, otherwise lumps will form. If the icing seems too thick, warm it up a little either in the microwave for a few seconds or in a pan on a low heat.
• While the icing is still damp, press the fondant sprinkles onto the cake in a random formation.
• Let the icing set before slicing up to serve!

Steps:

• Whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla and vanilla paste.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Slowly stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients until a dough forms.
• Flour a counter top and knead, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed, until a very slightly sticky, elastic ball of dough forms. Place in a buttered bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise, about 1 hour or until it has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down, and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch thick. If you have a doughnut cutter, use that to cut out the doughnuts. If not, use a small cutter to make doughnut "holes" or improvise using a drinking glass or large cookie cutters and smaller cutters to make the holes. You could also make round, biscuit sized doughnuts with no holes.
• Place the doughnuts on 2 greased cookie sheets, cover with a towel and allow to rise an additional hour. Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the additional 3 tablespoons of butter. Pour some (granulated) sugar on a plate. Bake the doughnuts exactly 6 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.
• Brush each doughnut with melted butter and dip in sugar. Serve hot, although they are still pretty good at room temperature.
• Store up to 1 day (but eating them immediately is preferred) in a air tight container.