Baked Funfetti Donuts
Baked funfetti donuts with a vanilla sprinkle glaze! What are we celebrating, you ask? Absolutely nothing! YAY!
But if you need a reason, we can say we're celebrating summer. Or donuts. Or sprinkles. Or any other reason you're able to come up with. I'm not picky.
By the way, "funfetti" is the name given to a vanilla cake that contains sprinkles. Don't worry - I had no idea what "funfetti" meant either until pretty recently. Oh, and the difference between "sprinkles" and "jimmies" is that there is no difference. They are the same exact thing. But in my opinion, "sprinkles" is a far superior word. It's actually like the cutest word ever. So we're going with "sprinkles."
I'm feeling the need to expound on so many technicalities with regard to sprinkles here because this is the first recipe on the blog with sprinkles in it. And I'm an excited talker. And I'm excited about these sprinkles. So you understand.
(I'm not actually an excited talker.)
In case you need a reminder for what baked donuts actually are, they're cake. Regular cake. Baked in a donut pan. Which creates the illusion that you're eating a real donut. But you're not. You're eating cake. Baked in a donut pan.
But there are other factors involved in some baked donut recipes that further heighten the illusion that you're eating a deep fried donut.
Like a glaze. Real donuts are covered in icing. So some baked donuts, these funfetti ones included, get covered in icing too.
But these funfetti baked donuts taste alarmingly similar to real donuts.
Like it's possible that if someone didn't know this donut was baked and he ate one, he would happily assume that he had just consumed a real donut. And would be living in ignorance for the rest of his life. Happy, blissful ignorance. The type of bliss only possible to occur to those who eat baked donuts and believe they're real donuts.
These funfetti donuts are full of rich vanilla flavor and have a melt-in-your-mouth quality and are soft and fluffy and moist and stay that way for many days. And they can easily be made non-dairy by substituting milk for non-dairy milk and butter for oil.
And then there's the crunch from the sprinkles. So many sprinkles. Sprinkles in the donut batter. Sprinkles in the sweet vanilla glaze. Sprinkles sprinkled on top again, if you're really looking to overdo it. And sprinkles with which to cleanse your palette in between donuts. Because that should be a thing.
This recipe yields a lot - about 18 donuts. I like to make 12 normal sized donuts and then 24 mini ones. Because if there's an opportunity to make something in mini, you know I'm going to take it.
The mini donuts are tiny. One bite, cute little things. I love them so much.
But I love the regular sized donuts too. Any size of baked funfetti donuts will do, really.
baked funfetti donuts
Yield: About 18 donuts
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups milk (or soy/almond milk)
3 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sprinkles
Vanilla Glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons milk (or soy/almond milk)
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 18 donut molds. (Alternatively, grease 12 donut molds and about 24 mini donut molds.)
In a large bowl, stir together the first 5 dry ingredients, through nutmeg. Make a well in the center and add in the wet ingredients. Stir together until just combined. Mix in sprinkles last.
Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly into molds, filling each almost to the top.
Bake donuts for about 10-12 minutes, or until they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Bake mini donuts for about 7-8 minutes). Allow donuts to cool slightly before easing them from their molds.
Vanilla Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together all icing ingredients. Once donuts have cooled completely, dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze and place onto a sheet of foil or baking paper to collect the drips.
Donuts Adapted from Erren's Kitchen
