If you're looking for a quick, easy doughnut recipe, these sparkly cinnamon sugar dipped Apple Cake Doughnuts check every box. Unlike the fried variety, they are baked in a matter of minutes with a lot less mess. And they're one of the fastest treats I've ever made and they are worth the little effort it takes to make them.
The applesauce and oil make for a light, airy doughnut, perfect anytime of the day. I love oil-based baking recipes for their moistness and staying power. They lasted 4 days without covering and were as good on the fourth day as the first.
Whether you spell them doughnuts or donuts, they are well worth the few minutes it takes to make them. There's a couple of others that are perfect for the fall months including the Carrot Cake Baked Doughnut and the Pumpkin Cake Doughnut.
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Cake Doughnut Pans
These take a special pan that can easily be found online. There are a variety of pans available and I found this one by Wilton to work well.
If you don't want to own another piece of baking equipment, I have given you another way to make these.
Types of Doughnuts
Cake Doughnuts are exactly as they sound. They can be made in a matter of minutes with few dishes to clean, bake quickly and generally use a few ingredients that are most likely in your pantry. They depend upon baking powder or baking soda to rise. Be sure to take a look at my Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts, and Apple Fritters with Speculass Spice for good examples.
Yeast Doughnuts use, surprise, yeast to leaven them. They are generally taller when baked and finished with icing or rolled in sugar. They are more time consuming as the dough has to rise, be cut into rounds or squares, rise again and then fried in oil. While there are a number of steps, most of them take little effort and are well worth that effort. Fresh as a Daisy Doughnuts as well as Irresistible French Beignets - A Weekend Treat are perfect for a weekend bake.
There's a great discussion on my post Fried or Baked Doughnuts. There is no right or wrong. Just different doughnuts for different times. All good!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Grab an apple and you're ready to go. This recipe uses pantry ingredients that are most likely in your pantry.
- These are super easy for anyone to make - especially beginners
- A scrumptious treat for kids coming home from school or to take somewhere.
- They last for days although I'm betting they'll be gone in a flash!
- They just taste so good which is reason enough.
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients read left to right:
FIRST ROW: Cinnamon, salt
SECOND ROW: Nutmeg, baking soda, vanilla, bakig powder
THIRD ROW: Eggs, applesauce, oil
BACK ROW: Brown sugar, all-purpose flour, grated apples
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients. Step 2. Put the liquid ingredients and the brown sugar in the mixing bowl and mix until blended. Step 3. Add the flour. Step 4. Beat on low to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Step 5. Fill the pans almost full. All the batter should be used. Step 6. Alternatively, fill regular size muffin pans with the batter. Bake as directed. Step 7. Turn the doughnuts out onto a cooling rack briefly. Step 8. The doughnuts should still be very warm. Dip the bottoms in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and serve.
Recipe FAQs
They were brought to America by Dutch settlers in New York or New Amsterdam.
Cake doughnuts are just that, they are more like cake with a denser crumb. It is faster to make, bakes as opposed to frying in oil and uses baking powder and/or baking soda to rise. Yeast doughnuts, on the other hand, require, no surprise here, yeast to make them rise. They are also usually deep fried in oil as opposed to baking.
Cake doughnuts first appeared in US cookbooks around the 1830s, at the same time that baking soda and baking powder became commercially available. In other words, as soon as there was a way to make doughnuts without waiting for the yeast to rise, Americans were doing it.
Expert Tips
- When mixing, mix on low to medium. Do not over mix, just mix until everything is completely combined.
- It is important to dip the bottom of the doughnuts in the cinnamon and sugar mixture as soon as you can after releasing or it won't stick to the doughnut.
- The doughnuts can be frozen without the cinnamon sugar finish. Thaw, reheat in a 350°F oven until hot. Dip in cinnamon sugar.
- Store these uncovered for several days at room temperature.
If you love these Apple Cake Doughnuts or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. I appreciate each of you being here!
Some more irresistible baked and fried treats.
Apple Cake Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (175 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup peeled and shredded apple
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two 6 hole dougnut pans with a non-stick baking release. Alternatively, spray regular size muffin tins. Set aside
Doughnuts
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
- Combine the oil, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer. Mix to combine completely.
- Add the apples and mix.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low to completely combine.
- Fill the doughnut or cupcake tins almost full using all of the batter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. The muffins will take a few minutes longer.
- Cool for several minutes, then turn the doughnuts out onto a cooling rack.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar.
- While the doughnuts are still hot, dip them into the mixture.
Notes
Nutrition
Tom Morehouse says
Helen - these are excellent! Good heavens, light as a feather, wonderful texture, aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg - and not greasy! Thanks for making this recipe available to us all. Tom in Connecticut
Helen S Fletcher says
Tom - you are a man after my own heart. I so appreciate you sending me this comment. If you have a chance please give this a star rating as it does help.
Suzanne says
It would be so nice if the recipes had a print button.
hfletcher says
Hi Suzanne, there is a print button with or without photos at the very, very bottom of the blog, just below the 8 photos at the end. There has always been a print button but we just added the one without photos at readers request. Enjoy.
sschnee says
You have made this look easy; unfortunately, a specialty pan is required.
hfletcher says
Turn them into muffins. Not quite the same, but close enough.