Cinnamon Swirl Cake Doughnuts

Every year, spring arrives in what seems to take a forever amount of time, and quickly turns into summer within a week. At least that is what it feels like in New England. We are fortunate to live in the middle of farm country in CT. We have Christmas tree farms to our right and left, blueberries and strawberries growing in our front yard and corn fields to the back. But the best part besides all of that local produce being within walking distance, is the homemade ice cream. Every year, they come up with new and exciting flavors.

It seems as though new ice cream flavors are always a spin off of popular cake and candy flavors or new trendy drinks. As I was eating a new cinnamon bun ice cream cone the other day, I thought the opposite. This would make a delicious cake doughnut!

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Cinnamon. Sugar. Vanilla Cake. Sweet Vanilla Glaze. All rolled into a doughnut. Honestly, need I say anymore?

Warning: Do Not attempt eating this much sugary goodness without a full glass of cold milk in the other hand.

And there you have it, a complete snack!


Cinnamon Swirl Cake Doughnuts


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Cinnamon Swirl:

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze:

3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp heavy cream or milk


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a donut pan with cooking spray. You can also use a muffin tin and line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, baking powder and salt.

3. Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla and butter.  Stir to combine with dry ingredients.

4. For the Cinnamon Swirl, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugars and cinnamon and remove from heat.
5. Pipe approximately 1 Tbsp of the batter into each cavity. Swirl in 1 tsp of the cinnamon sugar swirl. Repeat with another layer of the batter, and another layer of the swirl.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes. Doughnuts are done when toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let doughnuts rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
7. For the Vanilla Glaze, whisk the sugar, vanilla and heavy cream together.
8. Glaze the top of of each doughnut either by dipping the top in the glaze, or by spooning 1 Tbsp of the glaze over the top.

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