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Powdered Donut Cake

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Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape.

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This donut cake comes from the wonderful new cookbook Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossy Arefi. I’m having so much fun baking my way through this sweet book—all the cakes are made using just one bowl (no electric mixers needed!) with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Yossy writes, “Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape—no frying necessary! Just take my word for it, and don’t wear a black shirt when you eat it. You are definitely going to get confectioners’ sugar all over yourself with every bite.”

Powdered Donut Cake Ingredients

donut cake ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs.

egg and sugar in mixing bowl

Whisk until pale and foamy, about 1 minute.

whisked eggs and sugar

Add the sour cream, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt.

adding sour cream, butter, nutmeg and vanilla to mixing bowl

Whisk until smooth and emulsified.

whisked wet ingredients

Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

adding dry ingredients

Whisk until well-combined and smooth.

donut cake batter

Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan. donut cake batter in pan - ready to bake

Bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.

donut cake cooling on rack

Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool almost completely.

Finish the cake: While the cake is just warm to the touch, brush the top with the melted butter. brushing cake with melted butter

Dust with the confectioners’ sugar — you should have a nice thick layer, more than you think might be necessary. Cut into squares and enjoy!

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Powdered Donut Cake

Metric Cup Measures
Reprinted with permission from Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossy Arefi

Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape.

Servings: 16 squares
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1¼ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

For Topping

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.
  2. Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.
  4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool almost completely.
  5. Finish the cake: While the cake is just warm to the touch, brush the top with the melted butter and dust with the confectioners’ sugar. You should have a nice thick layer of confectioners' sugar—more than you think might be necessary. (Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. The cake will absorb the sugar on top, so it might need a fresh dusting of confectioners’ sugar after the second day.)

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (16 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 square
  • Calories: 181
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 21 g
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 190 mg
  • Cholesterol: 46 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Delicious!!! Thanks for another awesome recipe!! 😀

    • — Jenn on August 1, 2022
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December 3, 2020