Donut Recipes | Yeast and Cake Donuts

This page contains three recipes for making donuts at home. You will find one recipe for yeast donuts, one recipe for cake donuts, and a specialty pumpkin recipe that is great for Halloween.

Whether you spell hem donuts or doughnuts, these sweet fried or baked pastries are a well loved treat. A good home made donut is a staple for most home cooks and bakers.

The two most common type of these pastries foud in North America, at least, are the ring shaped donut and the filled donut. The latter is filled with a sweet filling such as jam, jelly, custard or some other yummy sweet thing. And let's not forget the donut holes! The kids are likely to think that's the best part of your recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 package granular yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tsp sugar (first amount)
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 1/4 cup sugar (second amount)
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 egg

Method

Soak the yeast and 1 tsp sugar in the lukewarm water for ten minutes. Add the hot scalded milk to the shortening, 1/4 cup of sugar and salt and stir until it is lukewarm. Add this to the yeast liquid along with 2 cups of flour and the egg. Beat for five minutes. Beat in one more cup of flour until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl, cover and let rise for two hours. Turn dough onto board floured with remaining flour. Knead 100 times.

Roll out to 1/3 inch thickness and cut with floured 3" cutter. Let rise uncovered until very light, at least one hour. A thin crust forms on the outside.

Slide the donuts into the hot fat at 375 degrees. As they rise to the surface and become a little brown, turn them over. Fry about three minutes to brown on both sides. Lift out with long fork, but do not prick. Drain then transfer to absorbent paper in a warm place. To sugar the cooled donuts, shake one at a time in a paper bag containing a little icing or granulated sugar.

Jelly Donut Recipe

Roll donut dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Let rest five minutes. Cut out with 2 1/2 inch round cutter and let stand five minutes. Place 1 tsp tart stiff jelly or jam in center of half of the rounds. Top with the remaining rounds and seal edges firmly. Let rise uncovered for half an hour. Deep fry and drain as above.

Honey Glaze Donut Recipe

Add 1 1/2 tbsp honey to 3 1/2 tbsp of boiling water and 1 cup icing sugar. Stir to blend. Dip warm donuts into this warm glaze. Let cool and dry on cake rack.

This one is great for those busy days.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 6 tbsp Oil
• 8 tsp baking powder
• 2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 7 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method

Combine the liquids in one bowl. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl.

Add one to the other.

Roll out, using very little flour.

Cut into shapes, or if you want to do this the really easy way, just drop spoonfulls into the hot oil.

Deep fry until golden. Roll them in confectioner's sugar when cooked, if desired.

Try these for a Thanksgiving snack.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed, or canned
• 1 cup shredded bran cereal
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil

Method

Cream sugar and shortening together. Make sure the mixture is light. Add eggs, mixing well after each one.

Add the pumpkin and the bran and mix well. Stand this mixture for two minutes. Sift dry ingredients together and then stir it into the pumpkin mixture, adding one half at a time.

Cover and chill for sixty minutes or until dough is stiff. Flour a surface then roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a two inch donut cutter.

Fry in pan with two inches of oil heated to 375 degrees. Fry about one minute per side or until golden brown in color.

Drain your donuts on absorbent paper and then repeat with the trimmings to use up all the dough. This recipe is a particular hit in the fall at Halloween or Thanksgiving.

If you wish, dip the cooled donuts in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.