Vanilla Cream Filled Doughnuts Recipe | Light Fluffy Bakery Style Donuts
Bakery-style vanilla cream filled doughnuts with a fluffy, enriched dough and silky pastry cream. Follow clear steps for proofing, frying, and filling for a professional result at home.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F
- Active dry yeast
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Large eggs
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Fine salt
- Neutral oil for frying (canola or peanut)
- Whole milk (for pastry cream)
- Egg yolks
- Granulated sugar (for pastry cream)
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter (for pastry cream)
- Pinch of salt (for pastry cream)
- Heavy cream, optional, for folding into pastry cream
- Superfine or granulated sugar, for rolling
- Powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for simple glaze (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth, then heat milk with a pinch of salt until steaming.
- Temper the yolk mixture with half the hot milk, return to the saucepan, and cook over medium heat while whisking until thick and bubbling, 2–3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until glossy, then spread in a shallow dish, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill until cold.
- For a lighter filling, whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the chilled pastry cream just before filling.
- Warm milk to 105–110°F, stir in yeast and a teaspoon of sugar, and let it foam for 5–10 minutes.
- Combine flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a mixer bowl, add the foamy yeast mixture and eggs, and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead on medium, add softened butter in pieces, and continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky with a windowpane.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, pat into a rectangle, cover, and chill 20–30 minutes to firm up for shaping.
- Roll to about 1/2 inch thick, cut 3-inch rounds, re-roll scraps once, and place on parchment-lined sheets with space between.
- Cover and let rise until puffy and lighter, 45–75 minutes, until a gentle tap springs back slowly and leaves a slight indentation.
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil to 350–355°F and fry 2–3 doughnuts at a time for 1–2 minutes per side until deep golden with a pale band.
- Drain on a wire rack and roll warm doughnuts in sugar, or let cool completely if glazing.
- Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, optionally fold in whipped cream, then load into a piping bag fitted with a Bismarck or small round tip.
- Poke a hole in the side of each cooled doughnut and pipe cream until it feels slightly heavier and just begins to swell without leaking.
- Serve soon after filling, or refrigerate filled doughnuts in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
For best texture, fill doughnuts when completely cool. Keep frying oil at 350–355°F for even color and minimal grease. Avoid underproofing to prevent dense centers. If pastry cream sets too firm, whisk and add a splash of milk to loosen, then strain if needed. About 2–3 tablespoons of filling per doughnut is ideal. Dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated after the first rise.