Homemade Cake Donuts

Name: Homemade Cake Donuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup salted butter (room temperature); 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 large eggs; 2 cups buttermilk; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 8 1/2 - 9 cups all-purpose flour (divided); vegetable oil (to fill pot 3 inches)

4.50 from 2 votes

These Homemade Cake Donuts are dense, tender, and taste like a classic cake donut. These old-fashioned donuts are flavored with buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract, and a little nutmeg. They’re fried until deep golden brown and are especially good dunked into a cup of coffee.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

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These Homemade Cake Donuts are soft and tender on the inside with a golden, slightly crisp outside. They’re made from scratch with buttermilk, a little nutmeg, and a splash of vanilla and almond extract for that classic old-fashioned donut flavor.

A stack of three homemade cake donuts sits next to a glass of milk, with more donuts in the background on a crumpled white surface.

Unlike yeast donuts, these don’t require any rising time. You can mix the dough, roll it out, cut your donuts, and start frying. Roll them in granulated sugar while they’re still warm, or enjoy them plain with a cup of coffee.

My two biggest secrets to making great homemade cake donuts is getting the dough consistency and oil temperature right. You want a dough that’s easy to handle without adding so much flour that your donuts turn out dry. Keeping the oil at the right temperature is what gives you that golden outside without leaving the middle raw.

I used to work at a restaurant while I was in college that always had cake donuts on the counter. I worked the weekends by myself where I ran my tush off, but during the down time I would grab a cake donut out and soak it in my coffee before eating it. It’s no secret that I’m a dunker. I will dunk anything that fits in my coffee cup. Except pizza or tacos. That would be gross.

What I’m getting at is dunk these dense little homemade cake donuts. They’re outstanding.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Made completely from scratch.
No yeast or rising time required.
Delicious plain or coated in sugar
Includes plenty of donut holes for snacking!

Ingredient Notes

Baking ingredients on a countertop for homemade cake donuts: bowls of flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, butter, vegetable oil, plus vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg in small containers.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.

Salted butter – Use room temperature butter! If you’re using unsalted butter, be sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Eggs – Use large eggs. They help bind the dough together and provide structure.

Buttermilk – Adds a slight tang and helps create a tender donut. Its acidity also reacts with the baking soda to help the donuts rise.

Ground nutmeg – This is one of the ingredients that gives old-fashioned cake donuts their recognizable flavor. Do not skip it if you love that classic donut taste.

Baking powder and baking soda – These are the leavening agents that help the donuts rise during frying. An acid such as the buttermilk or soured milk is needed to help the baking soda activate and react.

All-purpose flour – The recipe calls for 8 1/2 to 9 cups, but the amount you need can vary depending on how you measure the flour and how much you use while rolling out the dough.

Substitutions and Variations

You can substitute the buttermilk with soured milk. To make soured milk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk. Let sit for 5 to 7 minutes until it has curdled.
Skip the almond extract. If you don’t like almond flavor, you can omit the almond extract and use a little additional vanilla instead.
Coat these in a cinnamon sugar mixture to make a cinnamon sugar cake donut.
Let the donuts cool and coat them in powdered sugar.

NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations

How to Make Homemade Cake Donuts

A mixing bowl with thick, light brown batter for Homemade Cake Donuts and a plastic mixing blade, placed on a white surface next to a blue cloth.

Step 1: Mix 4 cups of flour with the butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, extracts, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda until combined.

Thick cookie dough mixture in a white mixing bowl with a metal dough hook attachment, viewed from above—perfect for crafting homemade cake donuts.

Step 2: Gradually add an additional flour until the dough is easy to handle, about 4 to 4 1/2 cups.

Homemade Cake Donuts are taking shape as round doughnut rings are cut from soft dough with a metal cutter on a floured surface, surrounded by a rolling pin and measurement mat.

Step 3: Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface. Roll it out to 3/8-inch thickness and cut out the donuts with a floured donut cutter.

Eighteen plain bagels cooling on a black wire rack, arranged in even rows on a light surface with a blue cloth partially visible in the top left corner—creating a cozy atmosphere that evokes the warmth of baking homemade cake donuts.

Step 4: Add the donuts to a pot of 375 degree F oil in it. Cook on each side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Drain the excess oil and enjoy!

I love how fried dough turns that deep golden brown color. It makes my mouth water just looking at it. Am I just crazy or does that happen to you too?

Tips for the Best Homemade Cake Donuts

Don’t add too much flour. I know I keep beating this drum, but it’s so important. Adding too much flour is the quickest way to end up with dry cake donuts.
Don’t overwork the dough. The dough will come together in 2 to 3 full kneads with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour. Overworking the dough can develop too much gluten and make the donuts tougher.
Roll the dough to approximately 3/8-inch thick. If some donuts are thicker than others, they’ll need different frying times.
Flour the donut cutter before cutting out each donut to prevent sticking.
Use a thermometer to maintain the correct oil temperature.
Fry in small batches. Adding too many donuts at once can lower the oil temperature and cause uneven cooking and greasy donuts.
Save the donut holes. Fry them separately, keeping in mind that they’ll cook faster than the full-size donuts.
If you’re coating the donuts in sugar, do this while they’re still warm so the sugar sticks better.

What Should Cake Donut Dough Feel Like?

This is one of the most important parts of making these old fashioned cake donuts.

The dough should be soft and manageable enough to roll out and cut without sticking excessively to your hands or work surface. You don’t want it so wet that you can’t handle it, but you also don’t want to keep adding flour until it becomes stiff and dry.

Start with the initial 4 cups of flour called for in the recipe, then gradually add more until the dough reaches a workable consistency.

Keep your work surface lightly floured and use just enough additional flour to prevent sticking. Too much flour can leave you with dense dry donuts instead of tender onces.

How Do You Know When Cake Donuts Are Done?

The outside should be an even golden brown and the donut should feet set rather than overly soft or doughy.

The recipe calls for frying appoximately 2 to 3 minutes per side, but the exact time can vary depending on the thickness of your dough and how well the oil maintains its temperature. This is why a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer comes in handy instead of guessing.

For your first batch, I recommend cutting one donut open after it has cooled enough to handle. The center should look fully cooked with a tender, cake-like crumb and no wet, raw dough.

If the outside is dark but the center is still raw, your oil is likely too hot. If the donuts are taking too long to brown and feel greasy, your temperature is likely too low or has dropped from adding too many donuts at once.

A metal basket filled with round, golden-brown donut holes sits in front of several Homemade Cake Donuts arranged in the background.

How to Store and Freeze

Homemade cake donuts are great enjoyed the day they’re made especially while they’re still slightly warm. That’s how it is with these Potato Donuts as well.

However these old fashioned cake donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze these donuts once they’re fried and cooled completely. Place the donuts in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers. Place in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 months. You can pull a few out at a time and thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before enjoying.

A broken homemade cake donut rests on parchment paper among other whole donuts, with a tray of more donuts in the corner.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this dough ahead of time?

This dough uses chemical leaveners, so I recommend making and frying it immediately afterwards.

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

Buttermilk provides the acidity that reacts with the baking soda, so regular milk isn’t a substitution I would recommend. Instead, use soured milk. You’ll need 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of whole milk. Let sit for 5 to 7 minutes until it has curdled.

Why do my donuts taste oily?

The oil was likely too cool, or too many donuts were added at once. Keep the oil as close to 375 degrees F as possible and fry in small batches.