Doughnut Bundt Cake

Not a cake doughnut a doughnut cake.

The inspiration for this is from an old-fashioned doughnut. Which means cake.

Doughnut, donut, whatever.

The flavour profile is that of a very classic doughnut which means nutmeg in the dough. You then add a cinnamon-sugar coat over the top for that crunch and complementary spice (and holiday spirit??).

If you think this is healthier than a doughnut the amount of fat is amped up by brushing on almost a stick worth of melted butter over the cake once its been baked.

Me awkwardly trying to lift a slice with one hand while taking a picture.

Overall, a very satisfying, slightly-rich, and nostalgic cake thats perfect with a cup of coffee.

This recipe was from the New York Times, although I adjusted the metric conversions to what I thought was more accurate conversions.

Ingredients (for a standard 10-12 cup Bundt cake)

Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks/227g) unsalted butter, softened/room temp (plus some extra melted butter to grease the pan)
• 1 1/2 cup (300g) granulated sugar (plus some extra to dust the pan)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups (438g) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

Finishing

• 1/2 cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
2. Brush the Bundt pan generously with butter, making sure to get into all the grooves of the pan.
3. Add a couple of big spoonfuls of sugar into the greased pan, then tap the sugar around the pan until theres an even coat of sugar sticking to the greased pan. Tip out any excess sugar.

Cake

1. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter (227g) and 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar until light and fluffy, and lightened in colour.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg, until all the eggs are well-incorporated.
3. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add half the flour mixture to the butter+sugar mixture, and fold in the flour mixture.
6. Add the buttermilk slowly, incorporating the buttermilk a bit at a time and mixing after each addition (or if youre using a stand mixer, stream in the buttermilk while the mixer is running on low).
7. Fold in the remaining flour, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly.
9. Bake in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 45-55 minutes.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then flip the pan onto a cooling rack set over a pan and let cool.

Finishing

1. While the cake is cooling, mix together 2/3 cup sugar (133g) and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. While the cake is still warm, brush the cake all over with melted butter. Then, spoon the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the cake, using your hands to press the cinnamon-sugar into the cake if needed to help it stick.
3. If there are any bare areas, brush it with melted butter and go over it with cinnamon-sugar. You can reuse any cinnamon-sugar that isnt clumped up in the pan under the cooling rack.
4. Let the cake cool completely before serving. If you want the cake to taste more like a doughnut, wrap the cake with clingfilm once it has completely cooled and let sit at room temperature overnight before serving (for up to 4 days).

Notes

• Nutmeg is one of those spices that genuinely tastes better freshly ground so I recommend that. Just a stronger flavour and more aromatic all around.
• This cake, according to the comments section on the original recipe, really tends to stick to the pan. The trick of coating the pan with butter and sugar helps though, and I had no problems at all releasing the cake from the pan.