Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

Old Fashioned Doughnuts Recipe – These golden treats will take you back to a simpler time, evoking memories of family kitchens, flour-dusted countertops, and the warm, comforting aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. Fried to perfection and 💯 addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😜

Freshly glazed old fashioned cake doughnuts

Honestly, nothing beats the cozy nostalgia of old-fashioned doughnuts, especially from scratch. Unlike yeasted donuts (or doughnuts), these are cake-based, making them soft on the inside with a crackly crust.

Their unique shape, often with charming cracks, makes them perfect for dunking in coffee or hot chocolate. Whether for a special occasion or just satisfying a craving, you’ll love this recipe for the timeless, homemade flavor.

Content…

Easy to Make
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
What to Serve
More Delightful Doughnut Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It

Taking a bite out of a decadently warm old fashioned cake doughnut

Are Old-Fashioned Doughnuts Hard to Make?

Does the thought of making a recipe for old-fashioned doughnuts from scratch intimidate you? Then take heart because these are super easy cake doughnuts. With a little practice and a few pro tips from yours truly, you’ll be a pro in no time. 😅

Ingredient List

  1. Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch make a tender dough. Nutmeg and sugar add sweetness and flavor.
  2. Wet Ingredients – Butter, eggs, buttermilk (or sour cream), and vanilla extract complete the dough while adding rich flavor notes.
  3. Oil – You’ll need a good amount of neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point to fry these fluffy doughnuts.
  4. Glaze – If you choose to glaze your doughnuts, you’ll also need whole milk, powdered sugar, and more vanilla extract.
  5. Cinnamon Sugar – If you prefer them dusted with cinnamon sugar, you guessed it – you’ll need cinnamon and sugar.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then combine them and knead the dough
Chill the dough, then get ready to roll

Make the Doughnuts

  • Dry – In a large-medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. (Photo 1)
  • Moist – In another bowl, beat the sugar, melted butter, and eggs for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and buttermilk, and continue beating for 2 more minutes. (Photo 2)
  • Combine – Slowly add the dry ingredients a cup at a time until all the flour mixture has been added, forming a sticky dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the fridge. (Photos 3-5)
  • Roll – When ready to fry, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove dough from the fridge, place on a floured surface, and roll out to about ½ inch thick. Cut into doughnuts with a donut cutter if you have one. If not, use two round cookie cutters (One about 1 inch in diameter and the other 3-4 inches), and place the donuts on the prepared cookie sheet. (Photos 6-8)
  • Heat Oil – Pour about 3 inches of oil into a 5-quart Dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet (too little will make flat doughnuts). Heat oil until it reaches 375℉ (190℃). An instant-read thermometer ensures the oil is at the right temperature.
  • Prep Station – While the oil heats, line a plate or baking sheet with double paper towels to soak up the excess oil from your fried donuts before transferring to a cooling rack.
  • Fry – Once the oil reaches 375℉ (190℃), reduce heat to medium-low. Working in batches, gently add the doughnuts to the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking and continue frying until doughnuts are golden brown and cooked through. Drain on the paper-towel-lined plate. (Photos 9-10)
  • Repeat in batches until all the donuts are fried.
  • Fry the holes, then remove them with a slotted spoon or skimmer onto the prepared paper plate.
Roll out the dough, cut out the shapes, and fry
Deliciously craggy surface on a freshly fried cake doughnut

Old Fashioned Doughnut Glaze

  • Whisk – While the doughnuts cool, make the optional glaze. Whisk powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and hot water in a bowl until smooth and slightly runny. Adjust consistency with more water or powdered sugar.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the warm doughnuts or dip them in the glaze, turning once to coat. Place them on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch excess glaze until they set (5-10 minutes). Serve warm.

Cinnamon Sugar

  • Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
  • Roll the doughnuts while still hot in the cinnamon sugar.
Freshly glazed and plain old fashioned doughnuts

Flavor Variations

  1. Top these doughnuts with jam, chocolate, or caramel sauces. 🍩
  2. Add pumpkin puree, a little more flour to balance moisture, and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dough. Enjoy all those cozy fall flavors.

Tips and Tricks

  1. Test the oil temperature with one or two doughnut holes. The dough will float, and the color turn golden brown relatively quickly. You can also use the opportunity to make sure the dough is seasoned well.
  2. A thermometer helps maintain your oil at the right temperature for evenly cooked doughnuts that don’t absorb too much oil.
  3. Gently mix your dough only until no dry flour is visible. Over-kneading may cause crumbly donuts.
  4. For a softer crust, glaze the donuts while still hot. 🤤

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions 

For the best results, fry the dough within 1-2 hours of making it. Make and fry as many as possible if you’re feeding a crowd. Let the doughnuts cool and place them in an airtight container.

They stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Keep in mind that they tend to dry out over time, so the quicker you can consume them, the better. And yes, you can freeze them for 3-4 months.

Freshly made old fashioned cake doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar

What Goes With Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

Nothing goes together better than doughnuts and cozy drinks. A warm cup of coffee or spicy ginger tea is ideal. They’re also fantastic with a chai latte.

If serving a sweet breakfast buffet, try offering them up alongside cupcakes and pineapple bread. 👌

More Delightful Doughnut Recipes to Try

  1. Apple Cider Donuts
  2. Air Fryer Donuts
  3. Fry Jacks
  4. African Doughnuts

By Imma

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Fr0lxmie” upload-date=”2021-05-21T07:43:08.000Z” name=”OLD FASHIONED DONUTS EDITED.mp4″ description=”Original Old-Fashioned Doughnuts fried to perfection and topped with a melt-in-your-mouth simple sugar glaze.” player-type=”static”]

This blog post was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video

Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

These golden treats will take you back to a simpler time, evoking memories of family kitchens, flour-dusted countertops, and the warm, comforting aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. Fried to perfection and 💯 addictive.
Makes about a dozen doughnuts
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

Old-Fashioned Doughnut

  • 3 cups (450g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
  • 3 teaspoons (12g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
  • ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk
  • vegetable oil for frying

Old-Fashioned Doughnuts Glaze

  • ½ cup (56g) powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar

  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon (8-16g) ground cinnamon

Instructions

The Doughnuts

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
  • In another bowl, beat the sugar, melted butter, and eggs for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and buttermilk, and continue beating for 2 more minutes. 
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients a cup at a time until all the flour mixture has been added and it forms a sticky dough.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for an hour in the fridge.
  • When ready to fry, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out to about ½-inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter if you have one available. If not, use two round cookie cutters, one small approx. 1-inch round cutter, and a larger 4-inch round cutter. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Use the larger one to cut out the doughnuts, then cut out the holes with the smaller one.
  • A 5-quart Dutch oven or cast iron pan works great for frying. Pour the oil for at least 3 inches or 5 centimeters deep.
    Note: Oil that's too low will cause the doughnuts to flatten, and too high can cause the hot oil to overflow.
  • Heat oil until it reaches 375℉ (190℃). For safer results, check the oil's temperature with a thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, a wooden chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon dipped into the hot oil will make it bubble steadily if ready.
  • While the oil heats, line a plate or baking sheet with double paper towels to soak up excess oil before transferring them to a cooling rack.
  • Once the oil has reached 375℉ (190℃), turn the heat down to medium-low. You're set to start frying.
  • Working in batches, add the doughnuts to the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through cooking. The doughnuts will be golden brown and cooked through.
  • Remove the doughnuts from the frying pot with a large slotted spoon or skimmer and lay them on the prepared plate. As soon as the first one is cool enough to touch, break it open to make sure it's cooked through.
  • Repeat in small batches until all the doughnuts are finished. Don't forget to fry up the doughnut holes, too.

Doughnut Glaze

  • While the doughnuts cool, make the glaze if desired. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and slightly runny.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the warm doughnuts and dip the holes in the glaze, turning once to coat.
  • Remove them with a fork and set them on a wire rack until the glaze sets. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Sugar

  • Thoroughly mix sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl, breaking up any clumps until thoroughly combined.
  • Roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar as soon as you remove them from the heat so the sugar sticks better.

Tips & Notes:

  • An instant-read thermometer comes in handy to keep your oil at the right temperature and cook your donuts evenly. The oil’s temperature can prevent them from absorbing too much oil.
  • To check if the oil is hot enough, fry a small piece of dough. It’s ready if the dough floats and the color turns golden brown.
  • Test by cooking one piece to get your base cooking time to ensure they will be cooked all through.
  • For even shape and size, you may use a donut or round cookie cutter in big and small sizes to make the hole in the middle.
  • Gently mix your dough until all dry flour has been incorporated. Over-kneading your dough may cause crumbling or breaking during frying.
  • If you want a softer crust, glaze the donuts while still hot.
  • These are best eaten the same day as they may dry out the longer they’re stored.
  • Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1doughnut| Calories: 308kcal (15%)| Carbohydrates: 30g (10%)| Protein: 4g (8%)| Fat: 19g (29%)| Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)| Cholesterol: 19mg (6%)| Sodium: 320mg (14%)| Potassium: 64mg (2%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 10g (11%)| Calcium: 20mg (2%)| Iron: 2mg (11%)

Similar Posts

2 Comments

    1. Hello!

      If you’re looking to cut back on calories, you might want to give it a try. However, it would be not be have the same structure of taste .

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.