King Cake Donuts Mardi Gras (Printer-Friendly)

Soft baked donuts with vanilla glaze and colorful Mardi Gras sprinkles creating a festive treat.

# What You Need:

→ Donuts

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 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Glaze

12 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

15 - Green, purple, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a donut pan with nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Spoon or pipe batter evenly into donut pan cavities, filling each approximately 2/3 full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - Allow donuts to cool in pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
09 - Dip cooled donuts into glaze, allowing excess to drip off before placing on a rack.
10 - Immediately sprinkle with green, purple, and gold sanding sugar in sections to create the classic King Cake appearance.
11 - Allow glaze to set completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • These bake instead of fry, so your kitchen doesn't smell like a deep fryer for three days.
  • The lemon zest tucked into the batter gives you this subtle brightness that keeps people guessing what makes them taste so good.
  • Decorating them feels like a celebration every single time, even if it's just a Tuesday.
02 -
  • Do not overmix your batter or you will have dense, tough donuts that taste like disappointment, and overmixing takes maybe ten extra seconds of stirring.
  • The donuts must be completely cool before you glaze them, otherwise the heat melts the glaze right off and everything runs together.
03 -
  • If your glaze is too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches that perfect dipping consistency, and don't rush this step.
  • Measure your batter into the pan with a small cookie scoop or a piping bag with a large round tip for even, professional-looking donuts every time.
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