Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts

These Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts are flavored with real pumpkin puree and warming spices.  I’ll show you how to fry them to perfection so they are tender and moist every time.  

Let me tell you the true story of how these magical Pumpkin Spice Cake Donut came to be. One day I was just casually walking home from Staples when {BAM!} I was hit by a massive craving for a pumpkin spice donut. I popped into Dunkin Donuts, but one bite had me wondering, “where’s the pumpkin?” It was orange like pumpkin, there was kind of a spice flavor, but absolutely zero pumpkin. I took one more bite just make sure. Unacceptable. There is no disappointment quite like a pumpkin craving let down, and we know I have a lot of pumpkin cravings (as I made clear with my 25 Best Pumpkin Recipes...).

So I went home, cast aside my printer cartridges and made some pumpkin spice cake donuts. Like my Mom always said, “If you want it done right, do it yourself.” Unless you live in Brooklyn where there are approximately 12 great donut shops per capita. These pumpkin spice cake donuts won’t let you down. They are everything a pumpkin spice cake donut should be: pumpkin-y, spicy, moist and delightfully cakey.

Instead of the traditional donut glaze you could roll them in cinnamon sugar. Perhaps even top them with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent desert. And maybe, if you’re feeling wild, you could drizzle it all with caramel sauce! OR with a maple caramel sauce…now we’re talking.

How to Fry Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts like a pro

• Monitor your oil temperature. 340° F is too cold. This doesn’t allow for any temperature drop once you add 4 donuts straight from the refrigerator. The oil temperature will dip and your donuts will be greasy. 380° F is way too hot. The outside will be dark while the inside is still gooey. Umm gross. 350°-360° F is your target range. Adjust your heat as it approaches the boundaries. Don’t be afraid to turn off the stove. This is the great thing about frying. If the oil temperature isn’t where you want it, just wait. So liberating.
• The oil can get too hot: That being said, if the oil gets way too hot, it will scorch and everything you fry afterwards will have an off flavor. How will you know? Just like your mom always said about finding true love, you’ll know when you see it. Or smell it in this case. Better the adjust the heat down earlier rather than later. As a last ditch effort to lower the oil temperature, you can add as much cold donut dough as will fit in the pot. This can backfire when you now have too many poorly cooked donuts. Your kitchen, your call.
• Do be careful. The oil looks so happy and peaceful in there, but I can assure you that 350° F oil is VERY hot. I have the scars from work to prove it. Carefully use the slotted spoon to place the donut in the oil and to remove it. I gently drop it in the oil with my hand so that it slips inside, but I have been trained to have no fear. And the burns to prove it….
• Test for Doneness: While time and color are great indicators of doneness once you have honed in on maintaining the perfect oil temperature, a cake tester will be your best friend while you are getting to that happy place. Think of the first one like a tester pancake; if it’s a little raw or a little dark, no big deal. Adjust and carry on. Just a little PSA: May I remind you that oil and water do not mix. When water gets into hot oil, it splatters violently. If this happens, back away. Quickly. This is easily avoidable if you dry all your utensils after rinsing them off. If there is any water collected on the top of your dough, which there shouldn’t be if you properly wrapped them, then blot it off before putting it in the oil.

Possible Substitutions for Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts

• Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: You can substitute 6 teaspoons of my pumpkin spice mix for all the individual spices listed. Then make some pumpkin spice bran muffins for tomorrow while the donut dough rests. You are a Fall Breakfast Champion.
• Pumpkin Puree: I would not suggest substituting homemade pumpkin puree due to the varying moisture content. Canned pumpkin puree is tightly controlled within a certain percentage. Too much moisture will make the donuts gummy.
• Sour Cream: I use a high-quality, full-fat sour cream because it is thicker and has a more tangy flavor. The fat in the sour cream helps keep these donuts soft and tender. You cannot decrease the fat and expect the same results. Will it work with low fat, yes. Will they be lighter and less cakey, absolutely. This is especially true because of the extra water content in pumpkin puree.
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder will react instantly when it is mixed with an acid, which is sour cream here, and then again when it is heated. Baking soda will not leaven these as well especially if making the dough a day or two in advance. It will react once and then it won't have much left once it hits the oil. Dense donuts anyone?
• Egg Yolks: While you could use whole eggs instead of the egg yolks, the texture of the donuts will be impacted. You are adding moisture from the whites without fat and that is just going to make a tougher donut. Take the moment to separate them and then make a pavlova for dessert.

Professional Tips for making the best pumpkin cake donuts

• Keep the dough cold. Roll and cut it quickly to keep the baking powder from starting to react with the sour cream. Double acting baking powder will react again when fried, but let’s save all the expansion power for later, shall we.
• Don’t overwork the dough: Donut dough is no different than pie dough. Too much gluten means tough doughnuts! Alternate wet and dry quickly and only mix just until combined. I also whisk together my pumpkin puree and sour cream ahead of time for just this reason.
• Use canola oil or some other neutral tasting oil that has a high smoke point.
• Place your fried donuts on a wire rack over a baking sheet or towels to catch the extra oil. This will keep the bottoms crispy. There will be no soggy bottoms on our donuts!
• Dip the donuts in the glaze while they are still warm so you don’t need to heat up your glaze. People say to use chopsticks. Come on. Isn’t life hard enough? Just use your fingers. It’ll toughen them up. It’s good for you. My Dad taught me that.

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: I prefer to use all-purpose flour in the majority of my donut recipes because it has the perfect amount of gluten for developing a strong network but remaining tender and soft.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar is here for sweetness but also to add leavening when beating with the eggs. It helps create a soft, tender, light texture.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt heightens the flavor of the donuts.
• Egg Yolks: The egg yolks are here to add fat, moisture and leavening. The fat from the yolk adds richness and shortens some of the gluten strands to keep the donuts cakey and tender.
• Butter: Unsalted butter allows you to control the flavor of the dough while still adding all the buttery goodness!
• Pumpkin Puree: I use Libby's pumpkin puree because it is what I use to develop all my recipes. Use whichever brand you prefer but just be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix!
• Sour Cream: This should go without saying here but sour cream is essential in sour cream cake donuts. This is all the moisture in the donuts and is what will hold the dough together without making it too wet (read: tough)
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder reacts instantly when it is mixed with an acid and again when heated. Baking soda will not leaven these donuts as well especially if making the dough a day or two in advance. It will react once and then it won't have much left once it hits the oil.
• Spices: Use spices within one year of purchase. They will be most potent and true to their original flavor.  
• Canola Oil: I use canola oil for frying but another neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point will do like crisco.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chef Lindsey's Recipe Tips

If no other tips from this post stick, just remember this one. Stay calm and just keep going! If the dough feels too sticky when rolling, add more bench flour and persevere. If your first doughnut comes out doughy yet dark, lower that temperature and test it with a cake tester. You’ve got this!

Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts

Chef Lindsey

These Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts are packed with real pumpkin and warming spices! Pumpkin donuts with a sweet cinnamon sugar glaze.

PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Chill2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time3 hrs 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Dutch

Servings 12 people

Calories 497 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

For the Donuts:

• ▢ 240 g Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 36 g butter
• ▢ 90 g egg yolks
• ▢ 275 g sour cream
• ▢ 236 g Pumpkin puree
• ▢ 650 g pastry flour (yes All-purpose flour is fine)
• ▢ 15 g Baking powder
• ▢ 12 g Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon mace
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• ▢ 96 fl oz oil for frying (I use canola)

For the Glaze:

• ▢ 100 g whole milk
• ▢ 4 g kosher salt
• ▢ 400 g powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

 

To Make the Donut Dough:

• In a small saucepot cook the pumpkin over low heat to remove excess moisture, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and drain off any moisture that separates.
• In a large bowl whisk together the pastry flour, baking powder, salt and all spices. Set aside.
• Line a large mixing bowl with plastic wrap and then spray the surface of the plastic wrap. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the granulated sugar, butter, and yolks on high speed until the mixture lightens and the volume increases, about 2 minutes.
• Stop the mixer and add the sour cream and pumpkin, then mix on medium until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
• With the stand mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl a large spoonful at a time. Add the next spoonful when you only see a few large streaks of flour left in the bowl. Stop the mixer when the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. You want to do this as quickly as possible so that not too much gluten develops, which will make tunnels in your cake and it will be tough.
• Transfer the dough to the plastic wrap lined bowl, spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray and then fold the edges of the plastic over the top to cover.
• Refrigerate for 60 minutes. At this point the dough can be held in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To Cut and Fry:

• Line a baking half-sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Generously dust a work surface with flour – this dough is stickier than other donuts. While the dough is still in the bowl dust the top of the dough with flour. Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface, floured side down. Dust the top with more flour.
• Working quickly to keep the dough cool, roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
• Brush any excess flour from the top of the dough. Use a 3-inch and 1 ¼ – inch ring cutters to cut the donuts and holes. Tap the rings in flour before cutting each donut. Place the donuts and donut holes on the prepared sheet pan. [After I cut all my donuts, I went back and cut more “holes” with the small cutter from the scraps of dough. Waste not, want not!]
• Cover sheet pan with plastic wrap, but be sure not to let the plastic touch the top of the donuts. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. I let mine chill overnight at this step.
• While your donuts chill, make the glaze. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap directly on the surface. You can heat up the glaze over a pot of simmering water on the stove if you want it thinner. I dipped my donuts while they were still very hot, so I didn’t need to do this.
• Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 350° F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350° – 360° F while frying. You will need a clip-on fry/candy thermometer for this. I heat my oil up to 360° F before adding a batch of donuts because the cold dough will lower the temperature of the fryer oil.
• Gently place 3 donuts in the fryer, keep the remaining donuts in the fridge. Once they rise to the surface, cook for 30 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 65 seconds. Flip it again and then fry for another 65 seconds or until the color is a nice even golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels. Donut holes fry for 30 seconds then flip, then another 40 seconds, then flip, then another 40-60 seconds. They will puff up and be golden brown all over. You can cook them for the same amount of time as the full donuts but they will be a little dry. [Before I fried all of my donuts, I tested one and broke it open to make sure it was cooked. ]
• Once the donut is just barely cool enough to handle (I only waited about 20 seconds but I have no feeling left in my fingertips…), dip the donut in the glaze and place back on the wire rack. Dipping a hot donut will give you a nice, even glaze that isn’t too thick or too thin!
• Store in an airtight container overnight but they are best consumed the day they are fried…with coffee.

Video Instructions

Notes

Yield: 12 donuts

Keyword donuts, doughnuts, pumpkin spice dessert

Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr