Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts + Video
DONUTS!!! Just joking, it's only cake.
Okay, not only. Because these here are lemon poppy seed cakes. Which is pretty exciting.
But nowadays, the correct term to be using for baked goods such as the ones you see depicted here is donuts. Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts. Because these lemon cakes have a donut shape. And they're baked in a donut pan. Which makes them donuts. Even though they're baked.
Because who makes real (and by real, I mean deep-fried) donuts anymore? Nobody, that's who. Well, I do. Or did. For Chanukah. I made real donuts then. Hundreds of them. Hooray for me.
But let's just take a pause here for a minute (or 3 minutes and 12 seconds) for a short film I'd like to share with you all. The film contains flour. And sugar. And lemons. And a mixing bowl. And a spatula. And my hands. And other such exciting apparatuses.
Yes, this 3 minute film is a tutorial. For making these baked lemon poppy seed donuts. Enjoy!
Or, watch it on Youtube.
Baked donuts have become so popular and trendy these past few years that even macarons are starting to get worried.
Yeast donuts have been put on the back burner and cake donuts have taken center stage.
And so, about a year ago, I succumbed to the baked donut madness. And I'm not sorry. At all.
I purchased two donut pans a while back. And started experimenting with lots and lots of baked donut recipes. And I've shared two of these recipes so far - baked cinnamon crumb donuts (gah, so friggin good), and rich chocolate donuts with a glaze and fruity pebble garnish (I know, you're welcome.)
But it's been too long. Way too long. This blog is long overdo for a new baked donut recipe.
Enter lemon poppy seed donuts. With a lemon poppy seed glaze. Because I love me some lemon. And poppy seeds.
I've shared a lemon poppy seed cookie recipe and a lemon blueberry poppy seed cake recipe on the blog already. A long, long time ago. So there's your proof that I'm slightly obsessed with lemon poppy seed desserts.
So let's talk about these lemon poppy seed donuts. That are baked.
They taste fresh and bright and light and lovely from the fresh lemon juice and lemon rind they contain.
And they're perfectly sweet with the additional lemon poppy seed glaze they're dunked in.
And they're so soft and fluffy and moist.
And they look so pretty and perfect and round and hefty thanks to the wonderful donut molds.
And they're pale yellow with lightly golden bottoms. With white tops from the glaze. And black polka dots from the poppy seeds. Which also lend just the slightest crunch to contrast the super soft cake inside.
The only downside to these donuts is that they don't last very long. Not only because they're so good that they all get polished off in minutes, but also because sadly, they only stay fresh for 1 day, 2 days max.
I mean, the donuts still stay very soft for while, but something weird occurs from the glaze and donut interaction. The cake slash donut slash cake donut is super soft and moist, which causes the lemon glaze to seep into it after a little while and become sort of translucent. And this occurrence makes the donut slightly soggy. Which is why they don't last that long.
But it's okay, because you'll probably finish the donuts before the day ends. The recipe only makes 12 donuts. You can do it. I believe in you.
These baked lemon poppy seed donuts will add a touch of brightness to your dreary winter day. As poetic and cliche as that sounds, it's really true. So I'm allowed to say it.
Make these? Pretty please?
Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
Adapted from A Less Processed Life
Yield: 12 donuts
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup soy/almond milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon oil
Milk for thinning (a few tablespoons)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 12 donut molds well.
In a large bowl, stir together the first five dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in all the wet ingredients. Mix together till just combined.
Fill donut molds with the batter till the top. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until donuts spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Insert a knife around the edges of donuts to ease from molds. Let donuts cool completely before dipping the tops into the lemon glaze.
Glaze: Whisk together confectioner's sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Add in the lemon juice, oil, and a couple tablespoons of milk. Whisk to combine. If glaze is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more confectioner's.
Best served that day. Store in an airtight container for up to two days.
On a completely unrelated note, the look you give:
photo from dump a day dot com
