Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printer-friendly)
Soft baked donuts with colorful icing and sprinkles, inspired by classic Mardi Gras King Cake flavors.
# What you'll need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
→ Filling
12 - 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
→ Icing
15 - 1 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons milk
17 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
18 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or colored sprinkles
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard donut pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter should remain slightly thick—avoid overmixing to prevent tough donuts.
05 - In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until completely smooth and creamy.
06 - For filled donuts: fill each donut cavity halfway with batter, add 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture to the center, then cover with remaining batter. For plain donuts: fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
08 - Let donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and drizzling consistency is reached.
10 - Dip the top of each cooled donut into the icing or drizzle over the top. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles before the icing sets.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Individual portions mean no awkward cake slicing or disputes about who found the baby
- The cinnamon nutmeg batter smells like everything cozy about February mornings
- Baked not fried so you can eat three without questioning your life choices
02 -
- Overmixed batter creates tough donuts so stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears
- Room temperature ingredients blend better than cold ones giving you a more tender crumb
- The icing sets faster than you expect so have your sprinkles ready before you start dipping
03 -
- Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped to fill donut cavities cleanly
- Warm your milk slightly if your kitchen is cold to help ingredients blend seamlessly