Glaze: Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts with Strawberry

If I was a doughnut I’d want to be covered in strawberry glaze.

It’s spring here in Michigan and the weather is finally starting to show signs of warmer weather. So, kitchen-made baked doughnuts it is! My girls LOVE these and my youngest says these doughnuts taste like fancy strawberry shortcake and requests that next time we top them with whipped cream. She’s a genius.

Lately I’ve been going through strawberries left and right. I keep two containers in my fridge on the regular because A regular here to put them in my morning bowl of granola. But what’s better than fresh strawberries in granola? Strawberries in a glaze all over your freshly baked buttermilk doughnuts, that’s what.

To Make These Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts with Fresh Strawberry Glaze Gather:

• nonstick baking spray with flour – Helps to keep the doughnuts from sticking.
• unbleached cake flour – Gives these a light and tender crumb.
• granulated sugar (white) – Adds sweetness and flavor.
• baking soda – Creates a gas while baking which helps the bread rise.
• fine salt – Use either sea salt or pink himalayan.
• eggs – Lends richness and flavor.
• unsalted butter (melted) – Adds moisture, richness and flavor.
• buttermilk – Lends subtle tangy flavor and makes the bread lighter and more tender.
• pure vanilla extract – Enhances the flavors in the pancakes

FOR THE STRAWBERRY GLAZE:

• fresh strawberries – You will only need about 5 to 6 medium strawberries.
• powdered sugar – Will sweeten and thicken the glaze.
• fine salt – Use sea salt or pink himalayan.
• lemon juice – Brightens the glaze with subtle citrus flavor.

Regular buttermilk is always my first choice and A regular here Guernsey brand (not sponsored!). Not only because Guernsey is a local Michigan brand but also because of their high standards and quality products. With that said, with most biscuit recipes calling for buttermilk, low-fat and regular buttermilk can be used interchangeably. And if ever in a pinch you can mix milk with lemon juice or white vinegar, let it sit for 5 minutes and you will get a tangy mixture quite similar to buttermilk.

For every 1 cup of buttermilk, combine 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. For this dish, you would need 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 tablespoon (eyeball it) of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Preheat your oven to 375℉ (or 190℃).

Lightly spray 2 doughnut pans with nonstick baking spray with flour and set off to the side.

Make The Doughnuts:

In a large bowl measure and add 2 cups unbleached cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon fine salt. Whisk until combined and set off to the side.

In a medium bowl, preferably with a spout, add in 2 large eggs, 1 cup white granulated sugar, 3/4 cup of melted (and cooled) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and add 1½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

Whisk well until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry.

Use a rubber spatula to gently stir.

Until combined.

Fill a pastry bag (or large resealable bag) with the batter. Snip off the corner and gently squeeze the batter into the prepared pan, filling each one 3/4 of the way full. Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Gently easing the doughnuts out of the pan transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pro Tip: Baked doughnuts rarely come out without a defined hole in the center. Try using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or the wide end of a large piping tip (I’ll link mine below in the printable recipe) and cut out the center. AND DO NOT THROW THESE AWAY! They make a great snack while you wait for the doughnuts to be glazed.

Make The Glaze:

Trim and slice a heaping 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, add them to a food processor and puree until smooth.

Strain the strawberry puree through a mesh strainer set over a bowl to catch as many seeds as possible.

Next, add in about 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of fine salt. Whisk well to combine.

Whisk well to combine.

Dip the doughnuts halfway into the glaze. Allowing any excess glaze to drip back into the bowl.

Transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment paper lined sheet pan.

Repeat with the remaining buttermilk doughnuts.

All that’s left to do is start shoveling these into your mouth.

The sweet icing and the moist buttermilk cake doughnuts make it genuinely hard to stop after one. So I wouldn’t fight it.

HOW SHOULD YOU STORE BAKED DOUGHNUTS?

Store the doughnuts in an air-tight container at room temperature. I personally thing these are dependable day of because the glaze does get absorbed by the doughnuts as they sit – although they still taste savory!

HOW LONG WILL BAKED DOUGHNUTS LAST?

If stored properly, these doughnuts should last for 1 to 2 days or longer.

Enjoy! And if you give this Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts Recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!