Ingredients
METRIC
US CUSTOMARY
1X
2X
3X
For the Donuts:
▢600 g pastry flour all-purpose flour is fine
▢15 g baking powder
▢12 g kosher salt
▢240 g granulated sugar
▢36 g unsalted butter
▢90 g egg yolks
▢380 g sour cream
▢96 oz vegetable oil for frying, can also use shortening
For the Glaze:
▢100 g whole milk 100 ML
▢4 g kosher salt
▢400 g powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the donut dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and kosher salt to distribute. Set aside.
Line a large mixing bowl with plastic wrap and then spray the surface of the plastic wrap with nonstick spray. Set this aside too.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the granulated sugar and butter on high speed until the butter has completely incorporated. There is too much sugar in proportion to butter to look “light and fluffy.”
Add the egg yolks and continue to beat on high until the mixture lightens and the volume increases. This will take about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the mixture a few times to be sure it is all evenly incorporated.
With the stand mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl a large spoonful at a time alternating with spoonfuls of sour cream. Add the next spoonful when you only see a few large streaks of flour left in the bowl. I alternate almost nonstop between the two. Stop the mixer to scrape in the last bit of sour cream. Only mix until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. You want to do this as quickly as possible so that not too much gluten develops, which will make tunnels in your donuts and also make them tough.
Transfer the dough to the plastic wrap lined bowl. Spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray and then fold the edges of the plastic over the top to cover it. Refrigerate for 60 minutes. At this point, the dough can be held in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Portion and cut dough:
Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick spray. Set this aside.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. While the dough is still in the bowl, dust the top of the dough with flour. Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface, floured side down. Lightly dust the top with more flour.
Working quickly to keep the dough cool, roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
Brush any excess flour from the top of the dough. Use 3-inch and 1 ¼ – inch ring cutters to cut the donuts and holes. You can use a donut cutter, biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or even the rim of a glass! Lightly tap the cutters in flour before cutting each donut. Place the donuts and donut holes on the prepared sheet pan.
Cover sheet pan with plastic wrap, but be sure not to let the plastic touch the top of the donuts. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to overnight at this step.
Make the glaze:
In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, powdered sugar and salt. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from getting a skin. You can heat up the glaze over a pot of simmering water on the stove if you want it to be warm. I typically dip my donuts while they are still very hot, so I don’t need to do this.
Fry the donuts:
Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 350°F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350°- 360°F while frying. You will need a clip-on fry/candy thermometer for this. I heat my oil up to 360°F before adding a batch of donuts, because the cold dough will lower the temperature of the fryer oil.
Gently place 3-5 donuts in the fryer, while keeping the remaining donuts in the fridge. The number you can fry at once depends on the size of your pot. You want the donuts to have room to move around and space to puff. Once they rise to the surface, cook for 30 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 80 seconds. Flip it again and then fry for another 80 seconds or until the color is a nice even golden brown. I usually test mine with a cake tester. Pull it out of the oil, poke it and then pull the cake tester out. It should not have any streaks of dough or crumbs. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels. Donut holes fry for 30 seconds then flip, then another 60 seconds, then flip, then another 40-60 seconds. They will puff up and be golden brown all over.
Once the donut is just barely cool enough to handle, dip the donut in the glaze and place it back on the wire rack. Dipping a hot donut will give you a nice, even glaze that isn’t too thick or too thin!
Store at room temperature in a container with the corner cracked overnight but they are best consumed the day they are fried…with coffee.
Video
AMAZING SOUR CREAM CAKE DONUTS: Easy sour cream cake donuts to make your day!
Notes
Presentation – To get a clean glaze coating, dip your donuts while they are still warm!
Flavor Tips – I use a high-quality, full-fat sour cream because it is thicker and has a more tangy flavor. The fat in the sour cream helps keep these donuts soft and tender. It provides the perfect amount of moisture necessary to make the texture of the doughnuts divine.
Technique – Keep the dough cold. Roll and cut it quickly to keep the baking powder from starting to react with the sour cream. It’s true that double-acting baking powder will react again when fried, but if we want the most leavening it’s best to keep it from reacting too early. Additionally keeping the dough cold will inhibit gluten formation, thus making the softest, most tender donuts.
Helpful Tools – Yes, a stand mixer is extremely helpful for these donuts, as it helps you keep incorporating your ingredients while not over-developing your gluten. The real MVP of this recipe is the clip-on fry thermometer, which helps keep your fry oil at the perfect temperature in the pot.
Variations – Once you’ve mastered these donuts, you have an excellent base recipe for a lot of experimentation. If you want to go in a fruity direction, check out my Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts, and if you’re feeling festive my Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts will give you the measurements for your favorite spices. You can also always mix up the glaze!
Storage – Old fashioned sour cream cake donuts are best the day they are made but will keep three days at room temperature. I do not recommend refrigerating or freezing fried cake donuts.