This Old-Fashioned Donuts recipe is tender in the middle with the perfect crisp on the outside. It has a yummy glaze and is made without any special equipment.
Want more yummy desserts? Try Dulce de Leche Cake, Biscoff Cookies, Sticky Toffee Pudding, No-Bake Cheesecake, or Bananas Foster.
Old Fashioned Donuts
Old Fashioned DonutsI’m a big sucker for an old-fashioned cake donut and these are really fun to make from scratch. You don’t need a special donut pan, or any weird ingredients, and they come together pretty quick.
There’s something about the crisp edges, and soft, cake-like inside that’s so delicious. What’s your favorite donut?
How to make Sour Cream Donuts:
Make Dough: Sift cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar, then add egg yolks, mixing well. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding dry mixture, and sour cream, a little at a time to the dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Cut Out Donuts: Roll out donut dough to about ½ inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a donut cutter or two round biscuit cutters to cut as many donuts out as possible, you should get about 12.
Fry Donuts: Heat 2 inches of canola oil to 325°F in a heavy bottomed pot. Fry two donuts at a time, making sure to not overcrowd. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Dip each cake donut in the glaze, covering on each side then place on a wire rack above a baking sheet. Let donuts sit for 15-20 minutes until glaze is set. Old fashioned donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
More of my Bakery Favorites:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Scones (any flavor)
- Sopapillas
- Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- English Muffins
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Oatmeal Creme Pies
- Orange Rolls
- Snickerdoodle Muffins
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Recipe
Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts
Equipment
- Donut Cutter , optional
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter , room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- canola oil , for frying
Glaze:
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar , sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup hot water
Instructions
- Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined (the texture will be sandy). Add the egg yolks and mix well.
- Combine in batches: Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, and ending with flour.
- Chill: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then chill for 1 hour.
- Form Donuts: Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to about ½ inch thickness. Use a donut cutter (or two round biscuit cutters) to cut as many donuts out as possible. You should get around 12.
- Fry: Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 325° F. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Glaze: Whisk together glaze ingredients in a shallow bowl, until smooth. Place a wire cooling rack above a sheet pan. Dip donuts in the glaze, covering on each side, and place on the wire rack. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until glaze is set.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe July 2014. Updated July 2018 and October 2024.
Original recipe adapted from Handle the Heat
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These are very dry and bland. They’re missing a lot. Wasted an hour and a half of my life, then my wife had to go to town for breakfast.
Very disappointing, didn’t rise, and dough was like sand! Don’t waste your money and time. This donut recipe isn’t it! Went in the trash
I love this recipe so much! I have made these donuts, both gluten-free and gluten and dairy free and they turn out amazing every time! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
Didn’t work out for us. Dough wasn’t dough (still very “sandy”), needed to add a little milk, but…
After an hour in the fridge, as instructed, it wouldn’t roll out either. Ended up with just donut holes.
Anyway, tried our best, didn’t work out. Still love this Foodie tho.
Can you make baked sour cream donuts?
These were terrible, too dense, dry. Followed instructions and fried them at 325 with a thermometer. I tried a couple and ended up tossing the bunch. Disappointing.