Lemon cake donuts are fried cake donuts made with a creamed butter dough brightened with lemon zest and juice, then glazed with a cooked strawberry jam. The crumb is tender and tight, and the glaze sets to a thin, fruit-forward shell. They are best consumed the day they are fried.
Combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a bowl. Stir to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Bring to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce to medium heat and cook until the strawberries break down and release their juices. Puree with an immersion blender directly in the pot.
Continue cooking until the jam sets on a frozen plate: drag your finger through a small amount and the line should hold without running. Pass through a strainer to remove seeds, then chill with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface, cut with a few small holes to release steam.
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and sour cream until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the yolks one at a time, beating on high after each addition until the mixture lightens to pale yellow and increases in volume.
Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with flour, mixing on low until just combined. Work quickly to avoid overworking the gluten. Transfer the dough to a plastic-wrap-lined, floured sheet pan, press to about 1 inch thick, cover, and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to ½ inch thick. Use a 3-inch ring cutter for the donuts and a 1¼-inch cutter for the holes, tapping each cutter in flour before every cut. Place on a parchment-lined, sprayed sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
Whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and salt in a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the glaze. If the glaze thickens too much before dipping, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until it loosens.
Pour frying oil into a Dutch oven to at least 2 inches deep. Heat to 355°F, then maintain between 350°F and 360°F throughout frying. Fry 3 donuts at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated.
Once the donuts rise to the surface, cook for 30 seconds, flip with a slotted spoon, and fry for about 80 seconds until the bottom is golden brown. Flip again and fry for another 60 seconds until evenly golden. Test doneness with a cake tester: it should come out clean. Donut holes fry for 30 seconds, flip, 60 seconds, flip, then 40 to 60 seconds more until puffed and golden all over.
Dip each donut in the glaze while still very hot, about 20 seconds off the fryer, and return to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. For a thicker glaze, let the first coat begin to set, then dip again.
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Notes
Yield: Makes 12 donuts plus donut holes, cut from a 3-inch ring with a 1¼-inch center hole. Doneness Cue: A cake tester inserted into the side of a freshly fried donut should come out clean with no wet dough clinging to it. Storage: Store in a container with the lid slightly ajar to allow airflow. Donuts are best consumed the day they are fried; storing them fully sealed will soften the glaze and make the exterior sticky. Make Ahead: Cut, unbaked donuts can be held on the sheet pan in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before frying. The strawberry jam can be made and refrigerated up to 1 week in advance.