Edd Kimber's old-fashioned cake doughnut recipe
Edd Kimber, winner of the very first Great British Bake Off, says: "I know what you’re thinking, but before you completely dismiss the idea of cake doughnuts, hear me out. Sure, a yeasted doughnut has its place, but a well-made cake doughnut is a thing of beauty – moist, tender and also incredibly easy to make. Like a regular doughnut, it needs to be fried; the difference lies in the dough, which is made with buttermilk and a hint of nutmeg, and refrigerated for a couple of hours before being rolled out and cut into circles. The doughnuts are finished with a simple vanilla glaze, and taste great alongside a steaming mug of coffee."
Tip: These doughnuts are best eaten on the day they are made.
Ingredients
For the doughnuts- 125 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 0.8 tsp baking powder
- 0.2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 0.2 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 50 g caster (superfine or granulated) sugar
- 15 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 60 ml buttermilk
- 1 measure of vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 150 g icing (powdered) sugar, sifted
- 0.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 30 ml whole milk
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
Details
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Recipe Type: Doughnut
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 120 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, nutmeg and sugar, and whisk together to combine. Make a well in the centre, add the butter, egg yolks, vanilla and buttermilk, and mix with a spatula until a smooth dough forms. The mixture should be soft and tacky, but not over-sticky.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has firmed up a little, making it easier to handle.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of 5-8mm ( ¼ -⅓in). Using a 9cm (3 ½in) round cookie cutter, stamp out as many circles as you can. On the first roll you’ll likely only get two, but by gently pressing the scraps together, you’ll be able to re-roll and cut out two more.
- Place the circles on a parchment-lined baking tray (cookie sheet) and use a 3cm (1 ½in) round cookie cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each doughnut. Place the stamped-out holes on the tray alongside the rings and place the tray in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a small saucepan to come about two-thirds of the way up the inside. Place over a medium heat and bring to 160-170°C/320-338°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small cube of bread into the oil and if it browns in 15 seconds, the oil is ready for frying. At that point, turn the heat down a little, carefully place one doughnut at a time in the oil and fry for 2 minutes, flipping just once at the halfway point.
- When golden brown, use a slotted spoon to transfer the doughnut to a tray lined with kitchen paper (paper towel) to drain. Repeat this step to make three more doughnuts.
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix to form a thin, pourable liquid. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze, ensuring they are coated all over. Place on a wire rack and leave until set, about 20-30 minutes.
This recipe is extracted from Small Batch Bakes by Edd Kimber (Kyle Books, £18.99). Photography by Edd Kimber.
You might also like:
Gluten-free waffle churro dippers
Vanilla custard and jam donuts