Baked Greek Yogurt Doughnuts with Cardamom and Vanilla

I am not typically a fried doughnut person, I generally find them too greasy or overly sweet, and so I figure my fried food intake should be best utilised for other things (helloooo, fries!). If I’m feeling the doughnut urge, a good cake doughnut is my choice – alongside a mug of black coffee, of course. My husband, similarly, is not a doughnut fan (or a sweets fan in general), though he’ll make exceptions for a couple of things – peanut butter desserts, and blueberry muffins – so I’ve included an adaptation on this recipe to make these into the baked blueberry doughnuts dreams are made of.

You will need a doughnut pan for this recipe – I use this one, made by Wilton; it comes in a set of two for around $10 – and they stack within each other to save on space (perfect for my small apartment kitchen). Another tip, which I learned the hard way, is to not overfill the cavity of the pan, otherwise you will have something akin to a muffin, but UFO-shaped (the doughnut hole closes in). I used a reusable piping bag and a plain piping tip to pipe these into the pan (don’t worry if they’re a little uneven, as they rise they’ll conceal any imperfections in your piping work):

Another word of caution – one side (the top side) of your doughnut will not be particularly browned and crispy (like the underside that touches the pan) – this is okay, and doesn’t affect the texture of the doughnut at all. The lighter side of the doughnut is the side I dip into the icing, so you don’t even notice – but don’t be tempted to flip them to get an even bake – it’ll just make your doughnuts fall / flatter on top. I tried several times at different points in the baking process and it just didn’t work. I promise your doughnuts will still look (and taste!) amazing.

After baking in a 350°F / 175°C oven for 12-16 minutes (until the tops are firm and golden), remove from the pan and place them on to a wire cooling rack. While they’re cooling, you’ll want to make your icing. I usually let the doughnuts cool for about twenty or thirty minutes before dipping, so that your icing doesn’t drip off entirely! If you like yours a bit heavier on the icing you can always double dip:

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Once you’ve dipped they are ready to eat! The icing will harden slightly after a few minutes, but these are definitely best if consumed within a few hours. Because it’s a cake, after a day or so the icing will eventually be absorbed by the doughnut and become a little softer – still delicious, but without the lovely crisp exterior (and less attractive, if that concerns you). You can always store them (or freeze!) and ice them right before serving them for optimal texture.

And speaking of texture, check out the glorious rich, dense crumb of these doughnuts:

Un-iced, these will store for two days in an airtight container. Freeze if you’re waiting longer. Dip them in your icing within a few hours before serving.

But wait! I hear you say… You mentioned blueberry doughnuts, did you not? I did indeed. This recipe can easily be customised by adding one half cup of blueberries (about two handfuls), and using an icing made with blueberry jam instead. For the icing, use four teaspoons of blueberry jam, one cup of icing sugar, and enough water (2 tsp or so) to create a thick icing for dipping.