Sour Cream Cake Donuts | Maple Brown Butter Glaze Bakery-Style Treat
Tender sour cream cake donuts with a classic crackly ring, finished with a glossy maple brown butter glaze. They fry up quickly for a bakery-style treat at home.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Neutral oil for frying (about 6–8 cups; canola, peanut, or vegetable)
- 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2–3 tbsp milk or cream, plus more as needed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
Instructions
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until no dry streaks remain; the dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Lightly flour the counter and the top of the dough, then roll to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut donuts with a 3-inch cutter and a 1-inch center cutter, re-rolling scraps once if needed, and place on a parchment-lined sheet.
- Heat 3 inches of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 350–360°F and set a wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Fry 2–3 donuts at a time for 1–2 minutes per side until deep golden with a crackly ring, adjusting heat to maintain temperature.
- Transfer fried donuts to the rack to drain, and fry donut holes last for about 1 minute total, turning often.
- Brown the 4 tbsp butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat until nutty and the milk solids are toasty brown, 3–5 minutes, then immediately pour into a bowl.
- Whisk in powdered sugar, maple syrup, 2 tbsp milk or cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable, adding more milk as needed until it flows like warm honey.
- When donuts are warm but not hot, dip the tops into the glaze, let excess drip back, place on the rack, and let the glaze set for 10–15 minutes.
Notes
Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature and achieve even browning. Let cut donuts rest while the oil heats to encourage the signature cracks. Store glazed donuts airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze unglazed up to 2 months and glaze after thawing. Warm in a 300°F oven for 5–6 minutes to refresh.