King Cake Donuts Mardi Gras (Print Version)

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

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the 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

→ For the Glaze

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

→ For Decoration

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

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 12-cavity donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, melted unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until fully incorporated.
04 - Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb structure.
05 - Spoon or transfer batter into a piping bag and evenly distribute into each donut cavity, filling approximately two-thirds full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow donuts to rest in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - Whisk together powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
09 - Dip each cooled donut into the vanilla glaze, rotating to coat evenly and allowing excess glaze to drip back into the bowl.
10 - Immediately sprinkle green, purple, and gold sanding sugar onto the glazed donuts in distinct sections to create an authentic King Cake appearance.
11 - Allow the glaze to fully set before serving, approximately 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake instead of fry, so your kitchen doesn't smell like a deep fryer for three days afterward.
  • The lemon zest keeps them from tasting heavy or one-dimensional, like you're tasting something both festive and secretly sophisticated.
  • They come together in under 35 minutes total, which means you can actually pull off homemade donuts on a weekday morning.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter—this is the one mistake that will turn them dense, and once that gluten develops, there's no taking it back.
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly, so if you have time, pull your eggs and milk out of the fridge 15 minutes before you start.
  • The donuts should cool completely before glazing, otherwise the glaze will melt off and puddle, and your colors will bleed together into brown.
03 -
  • Use a pastry bag for filling the donut pan—it's faster than spooning and your donuts come out more uniform in size and shape.
  • If your powdered sugar has any lumps, sift it before whisking into the glaze, or you'll end up with a textured coating instead of a smooth one.
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