Fall is time for pumpkin, and I usually bake loaves and loaves of pumpkin bread. This year, I wanted to bake something different for DH to eat for breakfast, and I haven’t made cake donuts in a while. I needed to develop a new recipe that used up an entire can of pumpkin, but didn’t make so much batter that it would make more than one dozen donuts.
The donuts needed to be lovely and tender, not too sweet. I worked on the recipe on paper for a couple of days, using good principles of baking, doing the math to be sure the ratios were likely right. Baking these up, the aroma in the kitchen was wonderful. And they came out great on the first attempt!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 donut pans with butter or non-stick spray.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the sugar and eggs until frothy. Don’t skip this step, beat those eggs well. The air incorporated in this step is essential to make the donuts light and airy.
Add pumpkin, vanilla and oil. Combine well.
Add dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon just until combined.
Scoop half the batter into a pastry bag, cut off the tip, and pipe into six greased donut pan wells.
Put the bag in a cup to make filling and refilling easier.
Repeat filling the wells of the second pan with the remainder of the batter.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until donuts spring back gently.
Remove from pan to a wire rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon and eat while still warm for a wonderful treat.
Or make a simple glaze with cinnamon, powdered sugar and milk.
Glaze the donuts after they have cooled or they will soak up the glaze.
Yum!!
Ok, yes, there is part of one missing. I challenge you to make some of these and then stay out of them long enough to take pictures! Can’t be done, LOL!! You can frost them with more glaze if you like sweeter donuts.
Spiced Pumpkin Cake Donuts
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
No-stick spray, or butter
Optional – Powdered or granulated sugar, and cinnamon for garnishing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 donut pans with butter or non-stick spray. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Beat sugar and eggs until frothy. Add pumpkin, vanilla and oil. Combine well. Add dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon just until combined. Scoop into a pastry bag, cut off the tip, and pipe into greased donut pans. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until donuts spring back gently. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon if desired, or make a light glaze with powdered sugar, cinnamon and milk – ratios to taste.
Enjoy!
Sharing
From My Carolina Home 
Looks yummy! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Now these do look too yummy to pass up so its a good thing I don’t have a donut pan or I would be making them and then eating them all before anyone else got home
I’ve gain way too much weight already this year 😦
Carole, I know that this is silly, but I so wanted to lean into the computer and smell them! LOL. I truly enjoyed reading your post and will be making these when my nephew is in town this month. Plus, I think I will make these for our Wednesday Ladies get together; they will make a spectacular snack! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful creative day!
You make me hungry!!! I don’t bake much anymore…but wish I was your neighbor to stop in for a yummy bite and tea!! 🙂
Oh man….these continue to look so yummy!
Look delicious!!! Must try this recipe soon.
Oh my, I can smell them. They look so yummy. I love pumpkin anything… almost.
Years ago…. my mom used to buy those big store pumpkins that were not really grown for cooking, more for cutting and Halloween. Well, this is disgusting but she used to sit the pumpkin out side her house, and then later, bring it in and cut it up and cook it….. THEN she would make :::GAG::: Pumpkin Quiche. She made it every year. I tried it once and thought it was disgusting. and never ever ate it. People that lived during WW2, and or great depression have some very unsavory ideas about not wasting…. or whatever.
I used to encourage her to use canned pumpkin, buy her cans, and she was all on fire about natural and not wasting etc. haha
These look very very good.
Looks delicious.Thanks for the recipe!
the other day I made pumpkin donuts too-aren’t these pans awesome? the gluten free recipe I tried was horrible-very doughy and were very very heavy-the deer loved them lol Congrats to youf for making own recipe I may just try your recipe and substitute for gluten free flour
oh and good tip to pipe in the dough-mine took be forever to fill with a spoon
What a fun fall treat, Carole! Love your donut pan, and tip for filling it!
Jenna
They look yummy, Carole! I like to bake but haven’t made any donuts yet. I should get such a pan and try it.
Can’t wait to try these! Thanks!!!!
Such a yummy looking treat! I have never made donuts before, they always seemed like such a hard thing to make. Maybe I will try your recipe this year.
I bought one of these pans on sale 2 years ago. I have a recipe to make some donuts. And foods with pumpkin are my favorites. Ok, chocolate is in a group by itself. Thanks.