Introduction: Baked Cinnamon Vanilla Donuts (plus a DIY Donut Pan)

By Top With Cinnamon

Have you ever wanted to make those baked donuts that are all over the internet, but couldn't because you don't have some fancy donut pan? This tutorial will show you how to make your very own donut pans, so you can fulfill your cinnamon-sugar coated cravings!

(the recipe for the donuts is slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour's 'Doughnut Muffins')

Step 1: You Will Need

For Donut Pans:
Foil
Tape
Scissors
Paper towels/ tissues/paper

Ingredients:

For Donuts
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 - 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg, to taste
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

For topping
3tbsp butter
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup sugar
1- 2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp vanilla sugar (optional)

Utensils
Pastry brush
Medium and small bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Shallow bowl
Dispsable plastic sandwich bag
Scissors
Cookie Sheet
Oven
(Microwave)


Step 2: Make the Donut Pan Former

Take your paper towels/tissues/paper and roll it / them up into a cylinder. Wrap the foil around it tightly until you get a cylinder whos  diameter is as thick as you want your donuts to be. 

Curve the cylinder round into a circle (you can trim the ends to make the donut smaller so the hole in the middle of the donut is narrower).

Secure ends with tape.

Step 3: Make the Donut Pans

Cut a large sheet of foil out and fold in half. Cut it in two so you now have two pices of folded in half foil.

Center one of these pieces on top of the foil donut you just made and carefully push it into the middle of the donut, making sure you don't tear the foil sheet. Then tightly form the foil around the edges of the donut.

Remove the foil donut from the foil around it. Roughly trim the edges off the mold. Form the scraps of foil into a ball you can use to help you form the center of the next donut mold you make.

Repeat until you have enough donut molds ( I made 6 because I got bored, but this recipe needs about 12)

Step 4: Make the Donuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray your diy donut pans using non stick spray or, brush with oil using a pastry brush. Place them on a cookie sheet.

In a bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

Add the eggs, beating to combine.

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter into a disposable plastic sandwich bag. Cut off the tip of one corner and pipe batter into the prepared pans, filling each cavity 2/3 full

Bake the donuts for 10-18 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the donuts comes out clean.

Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave), and mix cinnamon and sugar(s) in a shallow, wide bowl.

Remove the donuts from the foil donut pans. Use a pastry brush to brush the each donut with the melted butter, then roll in cinnamon and sugar.

Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.