donuts Archives - The Midnight Baker

Bavarian Cream Biscuits

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 00:00:55 +0000

Whip up a batch of these Bavarian cream biscuits and surprise the family!

Bavarian Cream Biscuits?

Yep, that’s right! I know it may sound strange, but consider that many people are using refrigerated biscuits to make “donuts” in their air fryers. Not for nothing, those air-fried” donuts taste pretty darned good too.

Why not carry that principle further and apply it to filled donuts. I admit that the biscuit itself is nowhere near the taste nor the texture of filled raised-yeast donuts. However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t taste very good–they do. And what’s good about these is that they should be eaten the same day you make them.

Unlike their yeast cousins, biscuits don’t keep as well.

Creamy Filling

This filling is rich and creamy. It’s delicious too, but of course you know that already.

I tend to use heavy or whipping cream for this type of concoction. Not only for taste but for texture. Light cream or half and half could probably be substituted, however, I can’t vouch for the texture as it may be too runny to be a good filling. Milk would definitely be out here because your end product wouldn’t be much like a pastry filling; it’d be exactly like it’s intended purpose–a pudding.

Chocolate Frosting

I give my favorite quickie chocolate ganache recipe for this and I highly recommend it. Reason for that is that it’s very easy, tastes delicious and it produces the right consistency for this use.

You can always use your favorite recipe for chocolate frosting. The caveat is it must be thin enough so that it drizzles. Another option is to use canned frosting and microwaving it so it becomes runny. However that frosting will lose it’s gloss where my quick ganache will not–so make a tad extra so you can lick out the bowl with the excess. It’s glorious.

The Recipe

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Bavarian Cream Biscuits

Simple yet delicious

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Biscuit Bake Time20

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bavarian cream donuts, desserts using biscuits, donuts from biscuits

Servings: 8

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 large biscuits refrigerated, frozen or your own
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 1/2 of the box

Frosting:

1 cup chocolate chips
2-3 tbs cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, beat the cream and the pudding mix with an electric mixer until it's thick. Cover and refrigerate.
Bake biscuits as per package direction or your own recipe. Allow biscuits to cool.
When ready to fill the biscuits, let the filling stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Place filling in a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip (you can also use a plastic freezer bag with a corner cut out).
Insert the tip into the side of each biscuit and squeeze about 2 tablespoons of the filling into the center.
For the frosting, combine the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of cream in a small bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth. The frosting should be of drizzling consistency; add additional cream if necessary to achieve this texture.
Swirl tops of the biscuits in the frosting.

Nutrition

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Baked Pumpkin Crumb Donuts

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 23:00:15 +0000

Pumpkin crumb donuts that are lower in fat since they’re baked not deep fried.

Pumpkin Donuts–A Fall Tradition

Nothing says autumn like all things pumpkin–especially donuts. Not sure which fall donut is number one; apple cider donuts or pumpkin donuts. For me, I love them both and give each equal time.

These pumpkin donuts do contain less fat since they’re baked not fried. I have to be honest here because what you’re eating is a donut-shaped muffin. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not good. Actually, they are wonderful, but I don’t want anyone to think they’re an exact copycat of traditional cake donuts.

You do need a special donut pan (affiliate link) to make these–that is if you want them donut shaped. How much you fill them is a learning curve. I found that filling the recesses almost to the top resulted in the best shape.

Just think of these, or any baked “donut” as a treat and you’re batting a thousand.

Crumbs Make Them Special

First, it’s up to you whether you ant crumbs. It doesn’t affect the recipe at all.

But I do think they make these donuts a special treat. Most folks love crumbs on cake or muffins so the addition of them is a natural. They are buttery and spicy so they go great and add a little crunch with each bite.

If you decide it’s not your bag, then leave them off but do glaze the donuts if you bypass the crumbs. The glaze will actually help keep them fresh.

Glaze Pulls It Together

If you use the crumbs and glaze these donuts, it’s the glaze that actually pulls it all together.

It adds that extra bit of sweetness that most of us appreciate. Another interesting thing is that the donut becomes a lot like a coffee cake. Cake, crumbs and glaze are what comes to mind (at least to me) as the basic components of a coffee cake.

The Recipe

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Baked Pumpkin Crumb Donuts

Tender and sweet fall treat

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, cakes, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked donuts for fall, baked pumpkin donuts, pumpkin donuts

Servings: 12

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree solid pack not pie filling
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in UK use mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs flour

Crumbs:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs butter
3 tbs quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup flour

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar icing sugar in UK
1 tbs milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray donut pan with non-stick spray.
Mix all crumb ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Beat the oil, sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
Beat in the flour just until smooth.
Fill the baking pans--each "donut" uses about 1/4 cup to fill almost to the top. Top each with crumbs
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
Mix the glaze and drizzle on top of the donuts while they are still warm.
Makes 12-18 donuts (I got 18)

Nutrition

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Chunky Apple Donuts

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 23:00:58 +0000

You might want to call these apple donuts fritters, but whatever you call them they’re delicious!

Calling All Apple Lovers

Do you love apples? If the answer is yes, then you’re going to love these donuts because they are literally loaded with apples!

Each “fritter” contains about one whole apple. There’s just enough batter to hold the apples together so the great apple flavor really shines through.

Any good eating apple will do for these apple donuts. Of course, the flavor is dependent on the type of apple you use. My favorite is Granny Smith because they hold up well when cooked and they also have a slight tartness that is very refreshing.

If you have a favorite apple, that’s what you’d use.

Use Good Oil

The oil you use to deep fry these beauties is pretty important.

The very best oil to use is peanut oil. It has a high smoke point so there’s essentially minimal breakdown of the oil. That breakdown is responsible for that lingering odor you get after doing anything deep fried. Not saying there isn’t some odor associated with peanut oil, but it’s far less than what you’d get with oils with a lower smoke point. Peanut oil is pricier than other oils, but if you do an amount of frying, it’s worth the cost. You can strain it and use it again for something similar, but of course, you can’t use it indefinitely. I use mine about 4 times then discard it.

Your next best choice is plain old vegetable oil. It’s way cheaper but you can’t get as many re-uses out of it.

As for the frying vessel, if you have an electric deep fryer, that’s the best. If not, use a dutch oven or chicken fryer (the skillet with high sides) to make these. Fill with at least 2-inches/5cm of oil. That’s about a quart or a litre of oil.

Let Them Really Brown

The secret to a good apple donut is letting them brown–and I mean deeply brown.

Don’t worry, they’re not going to be overcooked. The batter is rather dense so to ensure that they’re fully cooked, let ’em fry until they’re a deep brown on each side.

One trick I learned when I baked commercially is using chopsticks–yes, chopsticks–to turn anything I’m deep frying. You would need to get what they call “cooking chopsticks” to do this since they’re long and the chances of getting yourself splattered with hot oil is minimal. However, if you’re careful, you can use the regular size.

The Recipe

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Chunky Apple Donuts

Like fritters but better!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: donuts with apples, old-fashioned fritters, peanut oil for frying

Servings: 6

Calories: 384kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
2 tbs sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs melted butter
3 medium apples
oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar:

1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel, core and chop the apples. Sprinkle with about 1 tbs lemon juice, if desired, to stop them browning.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter and the apples
Add enough oil in a dutch oven so that it’s about 1 1/2-2-inches/3-5 cm up the sides.
Heat over medium heat until oil temperature reaches 350F/180C
Drop the batter by tablespoonsful into the hot oil; flattening slightly in the center. Fry only about 3 at a time. Fry until the donut is dark brown, turn and fry until the other side is dark brown—about 4 minutes per side.
Place cooked donuts on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Roll warm donuts in the cinnamon sugar until well coated.

Nutrition

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Buttermilk Donut Cake

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 23:00:34 +0000

Craving donuts? Make this great donut cake instead of going out!

For The Love Of Donuts

Donuts are one of the world’s best-loved snacks. While they may be called something different in different lands, donuts are all basically the same; deep fried spice cake!

Donuts are a snack (or breakfast) that most tend to limit because they are deep fried. Delicious though they may be, the fat is not good on a regular basis.

Well, what if I told you that you can get the same great donut taste with much less fat? Well, here it is in cake form! I’m really not saying that this cake, or any other, should be looked upon as a health food, but you can eliminate the deep frying and have a little less fat.

The Key Is Spice

I may have mentioned this before but I used to make donuts when I did a stint as a professional baker in a local store after my late husband’s heart surgery. My specialty was actually the apple cider donuts, but I digress.

While at the store, I learned what made donuts taste special and would put my own stamp on the standard commercial mix.

My secret for “regular” cake-style donuts was replacing the water the mix called for with part buttermilk. The mix also needed its ante upped with a whisper of mace.

Just so you know, mace is the ingredient that makes all donuts taste like “donuts.” Along with mace goes nutmeg. Mace is related to nutmeg, being it’s the outer layer of the seed. However, you must be very conservative with mace since it’s strong and will overpower anything it’s in. Less is more in this case.

Make Sure To Glaze

The crowning glory on this cake is the glaze.

There’s nothing really special about it as it’s just a confectioner’s sugar and water mixture, but it does tie everything together that makes this cake taste like an actual donut.

The Recipe

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Buttermilk Donut Cake

If you love cake donuts, you’ll love this cake

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Course: Breakfast, cakes, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buttermilk donuts, donut cake recipe, spice pound cake recipe

Servings: 12

Calories: 441kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter softened
4 eggs at room temp
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp mace optional
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk see notes

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s icing sugar
2 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray a large (at least 10 cups) fluted tube pan with non-stick spray.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, mace and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Using a heavy-duty stand mixer (batter is thick and may be too much for a hand-held) cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it’s pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add the vanilla, just until it’s incorporated.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for 15 minutes then remove the cake from the pan and invert it so the rough, cracked side is facing upward. Cool completely.
Mix the confectioner’s sugar and water until smooth. Spoon over top of the cake.

Video

Nutrition

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Easy Pumpkin Donuts

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Easy Pumpkin Donuts

Another fall treat! Combines two of autumn’s best-loved ingredients.

Here’s another one I can make in my sleep–since I have made them so many times.

I used some cider in here, merely because I had it. You can also use apple juice or water.

Easy to make!

Again, just as I said for the Easy Apple Cider Donuts, don’t make yourself crazy trying to shape. Drop them by tablespoonfulls into the hot oil, or use a drop cookie scoop.

They’re quick and easy and a delicious fall treat!

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Easy Pumpkin Donuts

These pumpkin donuts are a sweet fall treat that has incredible flavors of fall - apples and pumpkin!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple cider, homemade donuts, pumpkin donuts

Servings: 36 donuts

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups baking mix i.e. Bisquick or Jiffy
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1/8-1/4 tsp mace start with 1/8 tsp–mace is STRONG
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple cider apple juice or water
oil for deep frying

For Cinnamon Sugar

1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix the baking mix, flour, sugar and the spices.
Add enough oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven (I use a wok for deep frying–try it ) so the oil is about 2-3 inches deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350-375 degrees F.
Add beaten egg and the cider. Mix well and let sit until oil comes up to temp.
Drop dough by scant tablespoonfuls into hot oil. DO NOT CROWD PAN–LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM!! Fry until golden brown on one side, flip and fry that side till golden brown. This should be about 3-5 minutes per side.
Remove with slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all batter is used.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bag or in a medium bowl. While donuts are still very warm to the touch, shake or roll them in cinnamon sugar. Plate and serve.

Nutrition

Easy Pumpkin Donuts

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