Description
Delight in these fluffy Blueberry Cake Donuts coated with a luscious blueberry glaze. Made with frozen wild blueberries, buttermilk, and a hint of vanilla, these fried cake donuts offer a perfect balance of tender crumb and vibrant blueberry flavor, ideal for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Donut Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted European butter, melted
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
- Neutral frying oil, like vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
For the Blueberry Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2–3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberry powder
- 1 teaspoon blueberry emulsion or extract
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, egg, sour cream, and vanilla bean paste until well combined.
- Combine batter: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until almost combined, then gently fold in the frozen wild blueberries. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes to rest.
- Heat oil: Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with 2 inches of neutral frying oil and heat it to 355°F (180°C), maintaining the temperature throughout frying.
- Prepare draining setup: Place a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain the fried donuts and keep them crisp.
- Fry donuts: Using a spring-loaded two-tablespoon scoop, carefully drop dough portions into the hot oil. Fry for 3 minutes, flipping once halfway to ensure even golden browning. Remove donuts with a slotted wooden spoon and place on the wire rack. Only fry 6 to 8 donuts at a time to prevent oil temperature drop, reheating oil to 355°F between batches.
- Make blueberry glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, freeze-dried blueberry powder, whole milk, and blueberry emulsion or extract until smooth. Microwave the glaze for 1 minute until warm and runny for easy coating.
- Glaze donuts: Dip each donut into the blueberry glaze until fully covered. Use a slotted spoon to remove from glaze, tapping off excess, then return the donuts to the wire rack to set before serving.
Notes
- Measure your dry ingredients properly using the spoon-level method or a kitchen scale for best baking results.
- Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days to maintain freshness.
- Use frozen wild blueberries as they are smaller and impart better texture and flavor than fresh or regular frozen blueberries.
- Blueberry emulsion enhances the glaze’s flavor, but blueberry extract or omission is also acceptable, noting a milder blueberry taste.
