Cake Doughnuts for Dad

My dad has been talking for years about the cake doughnuts that his mother would make for him growing up and how much he LOVES them.  Sometimes, when he’s lucky, he’ll find a local bakery that sells them and they’re “almost as good as Daisy’s” he’ll tell me. So this year for Father’s Day, I thought I’d try my hand at making some cake doughnuts for my Dad.  Mind you, I’ve never made a doughnut in my life, let alone fry anything… so I was a bit hesitant.  But… oh my goodness… they turned out AMAZING!

I decided to get creative with a few of them… tossed in cinnamon sugar and topped with a glaze and sprinkles!

Java Cupcake’s Cake Doughnuts

Adapted from “Janet is Hungry”
Makes approx 12 donuts with holes

1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
4 ¼ cups flour (plus a little more if dough is sticky)
1 ½ bottles Canola oil or two inches in your pot (you can also use peanut oil or your favorite frying oil)

Large metal or cast iron pot
Oil thermometer

Cinnamon Sugar
Sprinkles

Glaze
Combine:
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup whole milk
½ tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl mix the sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

2. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Beat well.

3. Sift the flour. Add 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Add up to ¼ cup more flour if the dough is sticky.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour in refrigerator.

5. Remove dough from the refrigerator and begin heating about 1-2″ of oil to 360F in the pot.

6. Working half the dough at a time, roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/2″ thickness.

7. Use whatever cutter (cookie cutter, doughnut cutter) you have to cut circles about 3 inches wide… I used a big plastic cup from my cabinet. For the center hole, I used a skinny shot glass, about an inch wide. These both worked perfectly! You can use whatever size you have in your kitchen.

8. Using tongs or a wire basket type spatula, gently place the doughnuts in batches into the hot oil. I did mine three at a time. They will sink to the bottom at first then rise to the top.

9. Once they rise, wait about 20 seconds then flip them over. Flip them a couple more times as they cook. They should take about 3 minutes to cook and will be a golden brown.

10. Remove from the oil and set them on paper towels to drain excess oil and to cool.

11. Repeat the process with the donut holes.

12. At this point you can either roll the donuts in cinnamon sugar or you can dip them in glaze and decorate with sprinkles or you can just enjoy them plain!