Baked Cake Donuts

I am the SUPER DUPER PROUD new owner of two Wilton Doughnut pans. I've had them on my wishlist for ages and finally took the plunge. I've tried my hand at homemade fried doughnuts, with high frustration and marginal results. It's really hard to control the oil temperature on my stove, plus it's messy and of course fattening although that doesn't usually stop me. But with these new pans I feel like a new world of possibilities has opened up. I've started basic, with a vanilla and a chocolate, just to try things out. Yum. And yum. According to Family Circle, from whence these recipes hail, one of these saves 12 g fat over a store-bought doughnut. A frosted vanilla or chocolate donut has approximately 220 calories, 4g fat, 5g protein and 1g fiber.
Not that I'm knocking regular doughnuts, or even saying these are better. But they are easier to make at home - as simple as cupcakes or muffins. And they do cut some of the bad-for-you stuff. Now that I've tried these, and know they work, I'm excited to try other possibilities, like a favorite muffin batter - does it transfer? Or a doughnut recipe that is usually fried - can I just pipe it in a pan and bake it? Or can I make something super healthy, like a bran muffin, bake it in doughnut shape and put sprinkles on it and my kids will eat it? Will I eat it? All in good time; we shall see.Vanilla Cake Donuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

4 tsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Cake Donuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

4 tsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 325. Coat a 6-indentation donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, (cocoa powder if making chocolate), baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl whisk buttermilk, sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until smooth.

3. Spoon batter into a large resealable plastic bag (make sure it doesn't have a pleated bottom - what a mess!) Cut off a corner and squeeze/pipe batter into prepared indents, about 2/3 full. Smooth tops. Bake at 325 for 13 minutes, until donuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan on rack 3 minutes, then carefully turn out onto rack to cool. Each recipe makes 6 donuts.

Toppings

• For powdered donuts, place 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a sifter and gently sift over cooled vanilla donuts. Flip and cover the other side with sugar.
• For cinnamon sugar donuts, toss still-warm vanilla donuts in cinnamon-sugar to coat.
• For white-frosted donuts, in a small bowl combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 T of milk. (I also add vanilla extract but that will make it beige. You could flavor it with orange, lemon, coconut, peppermint, maple extract or anything your heart desires. Even food coloring for a holiday or for fun.) Add a little more milk if it's too thick to stir. Dip cooled donuts into bowl and allow excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Transfer to rack. Top with sprinkles, coconut, or mini chocolate chips.
• For chocolate-frosted donuts, combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder and about 2 T milk. Stir until smooth. Dip cooled donuts into bowl and allow excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Transfer to rack. Top with sprinkles, coconut or mini chocolate chips.

Recipe from Family Circle, April 2010