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Glazed Baked Orange Donuts Recipe

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4.1 from 14 reviews

These fluffy baked orange donuts feature a tender cake-like texture infused with fresh orange zest, vanilla, almond, and tangy buttermilk. Topped with a sweet vanilla orange glaze, they make a perfect bright and citrusy morning treat.

Ingredients

Orange Donuts

  • 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
  • 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

  1. Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray two 6-cavity donut pans with non-stick baking spray to ensure easy removal of the donuts.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. Combine sugar and zest: In a large bowl, stir the granulated sugar and fresh orange zest together, pressing lightly with a fork. Allow this mixture to sit for a few minutes so the sugar absorbs the orange oils, enhancing the flavor.
  4. Add wet ingredients: To the orange sugar, add the eggs, melted and cooled unsalted butter, sunflower oil, almond paste or extract, and vanilla bean paste. Whisk these together thoroughly, then add the fresh orange juice and mix again.
  5. Incorporate dry ingredients and buttermilk: Spoon half of the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Pour in the full-fat buttermilk slowly, whisking gently to combine. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and uniform.
  6. Fill pans and bake: Transfer the batter into a large plastic piping bag for ease. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity about two-thirds full. Alternatively, you can use a spoon if you prefer. Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 7–9 minutes until the donuts are lightly golden and bounce back when pressed lightly. A toothpick inserted should come out clean when done.
  7. Cool the donuts: Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Tilt the pans carefully to release the donuts onto the rack to cool completely before glazing. Repeat the baking process with remaining batter.
  8. Prepare the glaze: While donuts cool, whisk the powdered confectioners sugar, whole milk, fresh orange juice, and vanilla bean paste or extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more milk (to thin) or powdered sugar (to thicken) as needed.
  9. Glaze the donuts: Hold each cooled donut with your thumb and first two fingers. Dip the donut halfway into the glaze, twisting it gently to coat it evenly. Lift it slowly and place it glaze side up on parchment paper to let excess drip off.
  10. Set the glaze: Allow the glaze to set for 3–4 minutes or until firm before storing or serving. For best results, store glazed donuts in an airtight container after the glaze has fully set.

Notes

  • Use a piping bag for easier batter portioning and neater donut shapes.
  • Adjust glaze thickness by adding more milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
  • Donuts should be completely cool before glazing to prevent glaze from melting off.
  • Don’t overbake to maintain fluffy, tender texture.
  • Almond paste or almond extract adds subtle nuttiness but can be omitted if allergic.

Find it online: https://recipesbyliza.com/glazed-baked-orange-donuts-recipe/