Light, cake donuts with fresh raspberries stirred in topped with a lemony glaze. These easy baked donuts are delicious and easy to make any time. No more trips to the donut store required!
Sometimes only a donut will do. If you are having a craving for one nothing else will satisfy.
These baked doughnuts are so easy after you make them once you’ll be hooked. They are lighter than most cake donuts and filled with the fresh flavors of raspberries and lemon.
They would be great for an Easter brunch, Mother’s Day surprise or a weekend breakfast treat.
Really? There is no bad time to eat one.
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Why make baked donuts?
The two ways to make donuts are deep frying them or baking them. Baking them has some distinct advantages:
Fried doughnuts use yeast which give them a light, airy texture. But it also makes the process more complicated. Baked doughnuts without yeast use baking powder allowing them to rise while they bake.
The only equipment needed is a doughnut pan. No special deep frying equipment or loads of oil.
They are easy to make. Much like other baked goods, you make the batter, add it to the pan and bake them.
Less oil. There is a reason fried donuts are so delicious: all the oil. Baked donuts don’t have that so are more cake like but also have less fat.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Cake Donuts
Granulated sugar and Brown sugar. The combination of the two sugars gives just the right amount of sweetness. The donuts are not overly sweet with works well with the fresh berry sweetness and glaze.
Vegetable oil. Any oil without a strong flavor can be used.
Egg.
Baking powder. The rising agent that makes the donut rise and be fluffy.
All purpose flour. Regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend can be used. We’ve made them with each! The gluten-free version of all our recipes are tested with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Milk. We used dairy milk but any milk should work. Higher fat percentage milk (like whole milk) will add more richness to the end results.
Raspberries. Rinsed and dabbed dry with paper towels. Halved, quartered or chopped so they mix in more evenly into the donut batter. If they are not very sweet they can be tossed in sugar before adding to the batter too.
Glaze
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar. This is the classic ingredient for making a glaze.
Heavy cream. Thins the powdered sugar to the perfect consistency.
Lemon juice. Just a touch of lemon juice gives the glaze a light lemon flavor perfect with the raspberry flavor in the donuts.
Tried and Tested Recipe
This recipe has been tested with regular all purpose flour, gluten-free measure-for-measure flour*, at altitude and sea level. Delicious results every time!
How to Make it – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Preparation.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a donut pan (metal or silicone) with non-stick spray.
STEP 2. Make the batter.
In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vegetable oil (photos 1-3).
Whisk in the egg and baking powder (photos 4-6).
Add half of the flour to the batter (photos 7-8).
Mix in the milk (photo 9) followed by the rest of the flour (photo 10).
Add half of the flour to the batter (photos 7-8).
Mix in the milk (photo 9) followed by the rest of the flour (photo 10).
STEP 3. Fold in raspberries.
Gently fold the raspberries into the batter (photo 11).
STEP 4. Bake and cool.
Fill the prepared donut cavities 2/3 to 3/4 full (photo 12). See our Pro Tip below for a great trick!
Bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan. When cool to the touch transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling (the bottoms will still be warm).
STEP 5. Glaze.
When the donuts have totally cooled, place in the glaze and gently twist to coat the top (photo 13-14).
Alternatively the glaze can be spooned onto the donuts.
Place glazed donuts onto the cooling rack to set.
Tips for Glazing the Baked Donuts
The donuts have a softer consistency than dense cake doughnuts. A few tips will ensure they come out perfect!
Wait until the donuts are fully cooled before glazing them. They will have the a sturdier consistency when cooled (especially if making them gluten-free).
The glaze is purposely thick. If the glaze is too thick to easily glaze by putting the donut in the glaze, thin the glaze with a teaspoon or two of additional cream OR spoon the glaze onto the donuts instead.
If spooning on the glaze, place the wire cooling rack in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet first. Place the donuts on the rack and spoon on the glaze. Any excess will drip below the rack onto the foil. This makes for easy clean up and the donuts won’t sit in the glaze.
Pro Tips
Cut the raspberries. Biting into a whole raspberry in the donut is delicious however unless they are halved or quartered (if large) it’s difficult to make sure they’ll spread evenly throughout the batter. The donut structure is more solid with smaller pieces of raspberry too.
Pipe the batter into the pan. For the easiest, fastest, least messy method use a disposable piping bag or a gallon zipper top plastic bag. Add the batter to the bag, snip off the end or corner for the plastic bag. Pipe the batter into the mold.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use a hard non-stick 6-cavity donut pan from Wilton which I love. One of our team members swears by a silicon donut pan (seen in the photos). Any full size donut pan will work.
Yes! Thaw first and break into smaller pieces before adding to the batter.
I have heard of a method using a muffin tin and fashioning a donut mold with foil. Because the pans are affordable, especially if you’ll use it multiple times, I think using an actual donut pan is the easiest and best method.
Storing Leftovers
Store the donuts in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Do not store in the sun or in a hot area.
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Recipe
Baked Donuts with fresh raspberries
Ingredients
Donuts
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup raspberries rinsed and dabbed dry with paper towels. Halved, quartered or chopped
For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Baked Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a donut pan (metal or silicone) and set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the sugar, brown sugar and vegetable oil.
- Add the egg and whisk to combine along with the baking powder.
- Add half the flour and stir in with a spatula. Pour the milk and mix it in.
- Add the remaining flour and stir just until it is mixed in. Do not overmix.
- Add the raspberries and carefully fold them in.
- Fill the donut pan cavities 2/3-3/4 full. Either spoon in the batter or (recommended) add the batter to a disposable piping bag or gallon plastic bag, cut off one corner and ‘pipe’ it into the donut pan cavities.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown and done. Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool completely before removing from the pan. Turn them out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Adding the Glaze
- While the cake donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. Whisk the glaze ingredients together until fully combined and shiny.
- Deep each donut in the glaze twisting to take out. Let them dry before serving.
Katie says
These are so good! I love how light they are, and the raspberry adds a bit of tartness with the sweet. Excellent combo!
Lisa says
These were so fast and easy to make. WE loved the fresh fruit in them.
Rebecca says
I have never made baked donuts before and they were so easy! The flavor combination of the raspberry and lemon glaze was absolutely delicious.
Ann Gerard says
I love these so much. Thank you for baking them, they’re just as delicious as fried donuts!
Pam Greer says
I bought a donut pan last year and never made any donuts! I kept searching for the perfect recipe and this is it!
Maria says
I love cake doughnuts! These raspberries in the donuts made these extra delicous.
Rebecca Hubbell says
I decided to make these this weekend because I wanted something a little different than our typical blueberry donuts, these are fantastic. The kids went crazy for the raspberry flavor and loved the frosting!
Karen says
These are some of the most beautiful donuts I have seen in a long time!! I love and raspberry lemon flavor combo. They taste like spring.
Allyson Zea says
I had no idea it was so easy to make these donuts, and the raspberries add such a delicious touch!
Katherine says
These baked donuts are awesome! I love the addition of raspberries and the lemony glaze.