These donuts are cakelike, but have a very light, tender and airy texture. Find out how I achieved this. They are perfect when they are a little bit warm when eaten. You won't be able to stop at eating just one!
They can also be made plain with holes – See our Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts Tutorial! Our Lemon Meringue Pie Doughnuts are created with a technique I developed whereby you can fry them already filled, which is a great time-saver, and I show you how.
QUICK-BREAD RECIPE HELP
Needed:
1 recipe Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts – without doughnuts holes, below
1 recipe Pastry Cream Tutorial; refrigerate until needed. Can be made a day in advance.
1 recipe Simple Chocolate Ganache, Step-by-Step; Cover ganache with a piece of plastic wrap pressed on its surface and set aside at room temperature for a day or two.
For Frying:
Deep heavy-bottomed saucepan that holds and maintains heat, filled halfway with fresh vegetable oil; canola oil is fine to use
Deep Fry Thermometer
Special Item:
One 2 1/2-inch dough cutter or a 2 1/2-inch round cutter
STEP I: MAKE THE OLD FASHIONED BUTTERMILK CAKE DOUGHNUT DOUGH – WITHOUT DOUGHNUT HOLES
OLD FASHIONED BUTTERMILK CAKE DOUGHNUTS – WITHOUT DOUGHNUT HOLES
INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, sift to combine the measured flour, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Make a well in the center.
Set aside.
2. In a small stainless-steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, heat the sour cream until just warm, stirring the entire time.
Take care that it does not burn.
SARAH SAYS: With an Instant Read Thermometer, the sour cream's temperature should measure between 100 – 115 degrees F.
3. Place the yeast in the flour well.
Pour the warmed sour cream over the yeast. Let sit for about 1 minute.
4. Pour the buttermilk, whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract into the well.
Whisk together the liquid ingredients in the center of the flour well.
5. Using one hand, gradually draw in the dry ingredients.
The mixture should be fairly smooth before you draw in more flour.
The mixture should be fairly smooth before you draw in more flour with your hand.
Mix until it is completely incorporated and forms a very sticky dough. Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour.
NOTE: Prepare for the dough to get very sticky!
STEP II: SHAPE THE DOUGHNUT DOUGH AND FRY
Prepare the Frying Fat:
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the vegetable oil, under medium-high heat, to 375 degrees F, as measured with a deep fry thermometer.
Keep on the stovetop with the burner on, adjusting as necessary to retain a constant temperature.
NOTE: If the oil isn't hot enough, you'll have heavy, greasy doughnuts.
If it's too hot, they'll be dark on the outside and raw in the middle.
Before you begin frying, have everything you need near the stove: the shaped doughnut dough, heatproof tongs or a slotted spoon, and paper towels, set on a large sheet pan, for draining.
Shape the Doughnuts:
1. Sift an even layer of flour onto a work surface.
KELLY SAYS: I like to use a silpat, nonstick mat as my work surface. I always sift flour onto it so there are no lumps.
2. Scrape the sticky dough out of bowl onto the floured work surface.
Sift more flour over the dough.
3. Working quickly, gently pat the dough into an even 1/2-inch thickness.
Take care not to slap or pound the dough because you do not want to condense it.
4. Dip the 2 1/2-inch round cutter in flour and, cutting as closely together as possible, cut out the doughnuts.
Do NOT cut a hole in the center so they can be filled after frying.
Fry:
SARAH SAYS: Always check the oil's temperature before frying every doughnut batch – it should be 375 degrees F, as measured with a Deep Fry Thermometer.
1. Fry doughnuts by dropping them into the hot oil, no more than three donuts at a time.
2. Fry each one for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and thoroughly cooked.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Check the oil's temperature. Fry another doughnut batch. Drain on paper towels when lightly browned and thoroughly cooked.
Repeat until all of the doughnut dough has been cooked.
STEP III: FILL THE DOUGHNUTS WITH PASTRY CREAM AND TOP WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE
When doughnuts are cool, fill them with pastry cream or desired filling.
Cake doughnuts are harder to fill than other types because they are denser. Follow these filling steps so you will have success:
1. Hold doughnut in one hand and insert the small end of a chop stick through the center of one side. DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Gently move the chop stick from side to side to create an inner pocket for the filling.
2. Loosen the cold pastry cream or filling or your choice, by stirring with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a medium plain round tip.
3. Place the pastry tip into the hole you created with the chopstick and gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the donut.
When the filling starts to come out of the doughnut, you know it is full.
4. Top donuts with a generous layer of room-temperature ganache.
STORAGE
Fried foods, such as doughnuts, are best eaten right away, if not within an hour after they are made.
Store in the refrigerator if not eaten right away! Pastry cream is perishable!
Keeps for a few hours, at most, and then, the doughnuts get soggy from their fillings!
