Description
Delight in these Glazed Baked Orange Donuts that perfectly balance citrus brightness with a tender, cakey bite. Combining cake and all-purpose flour with fresh orange zest and juice, these moist donuts are baked to perfection and topped with a luscious vanilla orange glaze for a refreshing breakfast or sweet treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 125 grams (1 cup) cake flour
- 208 grams (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 57 grams (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 56 grams (¼ cup) sunflower oil (neutral oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond paste or pure almond extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 240 grams (1 cup) full fat buttermilk, room temperature
Vanilla Orange Glaze
- 330 grams (3 cups) powdered confectioners sugar
- 90 grams (6 tablespoons) whole milk
- 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, and granulated sugar until well combined. This ensures an even distribution of leavening and salt throughout the dough.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, combine the fresh orange zest, eggs, melted and cooled unsalted butter, sunflower oil, almond paste or almond extract, vanilla bean paste, fresh orange juice, and full fat buttermilk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently just until the batter is combined and no large flour pockets remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the donuts tender.
- Prepare donut pan and bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan. Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into the donut molds, filling about 3/4 full to allow for rise. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donuts comes out clean.
- Cool donuts: Remove the donuts from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing to prevent melting of the glaze.
- Make the vanilla orange glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered confectioners sugar, whole milk, fresh orange juice, and vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract until the glaze is smooth and pourable.
- Glaze the donuts: Dip the top of each cooled donut into the glaze, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl, then place back on the wire rack to set. Let the glaze firm up for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Ensure butter is cooled before adding to wet ingredients to prevent cooking the eggs.
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smoother batter and better texture.
- Use neutral oil like sunflower to keep the flavor bright and not overpower the orange.
- Almond paste adds a subtle depth but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Donuts are best enjoyed the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Keywords: baked orange donuts, glazed donuts, orange zest donuts, breakfast donuts, vanilla orange glaze