Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printable View)
Tender cinnamon donuts glazed and decorated with vibrant Mardi Gras colors for a festive touch.
# What You Need:
→ Donut Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Cinnamon Sugar Filling
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Glaze
14 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
17 - Purple, green, and gold colored sanding sugars
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cavity donut pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until fully combined and smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
05 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling, stirring until smooth.
06 - Spoon half of the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan. Create a small ring of cinnamon sugar filling in each cavity, then cover with remaining batter.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly touched and edges are golden brown.
08 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
10 - Dip tops of cooled donuts into the glaze. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars in alternating sections to create traditional King Cake stripes. Allow glaze to set before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- They capture all the nostalgic King Cake flavors but in half the time with way less cleanup
- The cinnamon sugar ribbon running through each donut creates that perfect surprise moment in every bite
02 -
- Overmixing the batter makes tough donuts, so stop as soon as the flour streaks disappear
- The glaze sets quickly, so have your colored sugars open and ready before you start dipping
03 -
- Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped to easily fill the donut cavities without making a mess
- Insert a plastic baby into one donut from the bottom after glazing, if you want to keep the King Cake tradition alive