Baked Lemon Donuts
These baked lemon donuts are soft like a cloud and lightened sweetened with the perfect burst of bright lemon flavor. Made completely from scratch and finished with a sweet and tart glaze.
Here’s how to make these baked lemon donuts from start to finish
Why You’ll Love These Baked Lemon Donuts
- Soft & fluffy cake-light texture
- Easy 1-bowl recipe
- Baked instead of fried
- Simple ingredients
- Real lemon flavor
Baked Lemon Donuts At A Glance
Well folks it’s happened again!! Remember that lemon kick that I get on every year? It’s started up again!! I’ve made several pitchers of fresh lemonade, lemon ricotta cookies, lemon oatmeal (that was so gross, what was I thinking!?), and now these BAKED LEMON CAKE DONUTS!!! Just look at them….don’t they make you feel all happy and sunny and stuff?
Get the Recipe:
Baked Lemon Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg beaten
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- yellow food coloring optional ( I used 4 drops)
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- 2-4 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teapsoon vanilla extract optional
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract optional
Garnish
- lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and lemon zest.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl.
- Add egg, butter, sour cream, and milk to the center of the well.
- Stir only the wet ingredients together.
- Once wet ingredients are combined, begin adding in the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract, lemon extract and food coloring.
- Add batter to a piping bag.
- Pipe batter into the doughnut pan, filling about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until donuts springs back when touched.
- Let cool in pan for 2 minutes.
- Remove donuts to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
- Prepare lemon glaze by combining all lemon of the glaze ingredients.
- Drizzle half the glaze over completely cooled donuts and let sit until glaze has hardened. Drizzle again and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired.
Video
Notes
Mo’s Recipe Testing Notes
- Don’t overstir. Stir just until the batter is smooth and all of the ingredients are combined.
- Baking times will vary based on the pan you are using. Check it at the 8-minute mark.
- Use fresh lemon zest, fresh lemons juice and pure lemon extract for the best flavor.
- Fill the donut cavity only 2/3 full to prevent sinking.
- Let’s donuts cool completely for glazing.
FAQs
- I don’t have a donut pan, what else can I use? Try a mini muffin pan for bite-size donut muffins! See my note in the recipe card for baking mini donut muffins.
- Are these lemon donuts sweet like a cupcake? These lemon donuts are not as sweet as a cupcake. The glaze adds the most punch of fresh lemon flavor and sweetness so don’t skip it!
- Can I fry these donuts instead of baking? This recipe is best suited for baking only.
You guys have been asking me for a lemon cake for the longest so hopefully, these lemon donuts will suffice until I can get my sister’s lemon cake recipe. FYI: I’ve asked her for the recipe several times and she says “she needs to perfect it first”. Humph! Tasted just fine to me! I wonder if that’s her way of telling me “kick rocksl!” ( I hope she’s reading this)
*Update* I’ve got lots of lemon cake recipes for you now! Check these out!
Want more lemon cake?
Bake up a dozen of these lemon cake donuts and give them to somebody special to brighten up their day! P.S You totally count as somebody special. (hint hint)
Wreck it Ralph the movie with doughnut line
Amazing donuts!
What Brand of all purposes flour do you use for your donut? i love your show too!
OMG these were dang delicious and everything that was promised it would be…easy to make and AH-MAZING! The third time baking donuts, I adapted this recipe to make coconut donuts, using coconut extract (adjusted the measurement as coconut extract is strong) instead of the other flavorings, then lightly sprinkling unsweetened coconut flakes atop the still wet glaze. Magically, these donuts disappear almost instantly no matter what flavor it is. That’s it, this is the recipe that kicked every other baked donut recipe out the kitchen.