Delightful Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts: Your Guide to Perfectly Fried, Glazed Perfection
Indulge in the heavenly taste of these homemade, fried Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts. Each bite offers a blissful combination of a soft, tender lemon almond cake, enveloped in a vibrant, sweet-tart strawberry glaze. This isn’t just any glaze; it’s crafted with a quick, irresistible homemade strawberry jam, elevating these donuts to a truly divine dessert experience. Prepare to be enchanted by their exquisite flavor and delightful texture.
Happy National Donut Day! Or any day you decide to celebrate with these incredible treats – proof that deliciousness knows no bounds!
At my restaurant, the daily donut special has become quite a sensation, with each new creation striving to outshine the last. Remember those decadent Red Velvet Donut Ice Cream Sandwiches? Well, these Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts are here to claim their rightful place in the donut hall of fame.
The Irresistible Harmony of Strawberry and Lemon
No one can dispute the magic of one of Spring’s most delightful combinations: strawberry and lemon. The bright, zesty tartness of lemon perfectly complements the sweet, juicy burst of strawberry. It’s a flavor marriage made in culinary heaven, promising a symphony of tastes with every bite. This classic pairing brings a refreshing lightness to our indulgent cake donuts, making them utterly addictive.
But let’s not get sidetracked by other fantastic duos – like peanut butter and chocolate, which has its own dedicated spot in my Glazed Chocolate Donuts recipe. Today, our focus remains firmly on the vibrant charm of strawberry and lemon!
Crafting the Perfect Lemon Almond Cake Donut
These Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts are a testament to perfect texture: incredibly soft, wonderfully tender, and delightfully cakey. The secret lies in a carefully balanced blend of ingredients. A generous amount of fresh lemon zest and juice infuses the cake with a bright, uplifting citrus note, cutting through the sweetness and adding a refreshing tang. What truly sets these donuts apart is the addition of almond meal. This ingredient isn’t just for flavor; it contributes to a lighter, more delicate crumb compared to a traditional dense cake donut, making each bite an airy, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Whipping Up the Luscious Strawberry Glaze
The star of the show, beyond the donut itself, is undoubtedly the simple yet sensational strawberry glaze. This glaze is remarkably easy to prepare, whether you choose to make a quick homemade jam or opt for a quality store-bought version. In the accompanying recipe and video, I’ve guided you through creating a speedy 30-minute strawberry jam from scratch, which imparts an unparalleled fresh fruit flavor. However, feel free to use your favorite jam – any variety will work beautifully! For an even quicker route to donut bliss, you can even use my classic donut glaze recipe as a base, then simply swirl in your strawberry jam for that delightful pink hue and fruity taste. Imagine this same luscious glaze gracing my French crullers too – the possibilities are endless!
There’s an undeniable joy that comes with a perfectly pink donut, especially one adorned with colorful sprinkles. It’s a treat for the eyes as much as it is for the palate, promising a smile with every delicious bite.
One bite of these homemade Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts, and you’ll find yourself wishing every day was National Donut Day! The good news is, with this recipe, it can be.
Mastering the Art of Frying: Essential Tips for Perfect Donuts
Frying can seem daunting, but I promise you, if I can conquer my initial fear of hot oil, so can you! With a few simple, yet crucial, rules and a bit of confidence, you’ll be frying up golden, fluffy donuts like a pro in no time. Think of these as your personal commandments for delicious, safe frying. I’ve endured the burns so you don’t have to – consider it my gift to you!
The Fryer Rules: Your Guide to Frying Success!
- Keep the Dough Cold: The Foundation of Fluffy Donuts. This is paramount! Work quickly when rolling and cutting your donut dough. Keeping it chilled prevents the baking powder from reacting prematurely with the sour cream. While double-acting baking powder will activate again when fried, we want to preserve all its expansion power for that glorious moment in the hot oil. A cold dough also results in a more stable structure, ensuring your donuts hold their shape beautifully and achieve that coveted airy texture.
- Choose the Right Oil: Neutrality is Key. Always opt for a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil. These oils won’t impart unwanted flavors to your delicate donuts and can withstand the necessary high frying temperatures without breaking down or burning.
- Monitor Your Oil Temperature: The Golden Zone. This is arguably the most critical rule. Your target temperature range is a precise 350°-360° F (175°-182° C).
- Too Cold (e.g., 340° F / 170° C): The donuts will absorb too much oil, resulting in a greasy, heavy, and unappetizing texture.
- Too Hot (e.g., 380° F / 193° C): The outside will burn quickly to a dark, unpleasant color, while the inside remains raw and gooey. This is a common pitfall that leads to truly disappointing donuts.
Invest in a reliable clip-on fry/candy thermometer and adjust your heat meticulously. Don’t be afraid to turn off the stove briefly if the oil gets too hot, or wait a moment if it cools down too much. Temperature control is your superpower in frying.
- Handle with Care: Safety First. Remember, 350° F oil is extremely hot and can cause severe burns. Always use a slotted spoon or a spider to carefully place the donuts into the oil and remove them. While I may demonstrate a more daring technique (developed through years of training and a few battle scars), always prioritize safety. Gentle handling prevents splashing and ensures a perfectly formed donut.
- Oil and Water Don’t Mix: A Crucial Warning. This rule cannot be overstated. When water comes into contact with hot oil, it causes violent splattering, which is both dangerous and messy. Ensure all your utensils are completely dry after rinsing. If, by chance, there’s any moisture on your donut dough (though proper wrapping should prevent this), gently blot it dry before introducing it to the oil. Always keep a safe distance and be prepared to step back if a splatter occurs.
- Drain Properly: Say No to Soggy Bottoms. As soon as your donuts are fried to a beautiful golden brown, transfer them immediately to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet or a few layers of paper towels. This allows excess oil to drip away and ensures air circulates around the donuts, keeping their bottoms perfectly crisp and preventing any dreaded sogginess.
- Glaze While Warm: The Secret to Perfect Adherence. Dip your donuts in the glaze while they are still warm, but cool enough to handle. This warmth helps the glaze adhere beautifully and evenly, creating a smooth, thin coating that isn’t too thick or too runny. It also locks in moisture, ensuring your donuts stay delightfully moist. Forget the chopsticks – embrace the tactile experience! Using your fingers (carefully, once the initial heat has dissipated) gives you better control and, as my dad always taught me, it builds character (and a little heat tolerance!).
NOTE: All photos without @American Heritage Cooking and the video are by Timothy Racca
Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts
Pin Recipe
Comment
Print Recipe
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 250 g Sugar
- 1 Lemon zested
- 42 g Butter
- 90 g Yolks
- 333 g Sour cream
- 33 g Lemon juice the juice from about 1 large lemon
- 567 g All Purpose Flour
- 83 g Almond flour blanched
- 15 g Baking powder
- 12 g Kosher Salt
For the Strawberry Jam:
- 350 g Strawberries medium chopped
- 105 g Sugar
- 10 g Lemon juice
- ½ Lemon zested
For the Glaze:
- 75 g whole milk
- 150 g Strawberry jam
- 2 g kosher salt
- 400 g powdered sugar
Instructions
To Make the Strawberry Jam:
-
Mix the cut strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl, stir to coat, cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. This step is optional but will enhance the flavor. You can mix all the ingredients together in the pot and immediately proceed to the next step instead.
-
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium until the strawberries begin to break down and release their juices. Puree in the pot with an immersion blender, or you can carefully transfer to a blender, puree and then return to the pot.
-
Continue to cook until jam jells on a frozen plate. You will be able to draw your finger through it and it will not run at all.
-
Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Chill in a bowl with a piece of plastic wrap on the surface. Cut a few holes in the plastic wrap to allow steam to release.
-
Note: you can use the jam hot in the glaze
To Make the Donut Dough:
-
In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice and sour cream until smooth. Set aside.
-
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and then sprinkle with a generous amount of flour. Set aside.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the granulated sugar and butter until a coarse sandy mixture resembling sand has formed. Add the yolks one at a time and beat on high until fully incorporated. Beat on high speed until the mixture lightens to a pale yellow and the volume increases.
-
Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low until just combined. You want to do this as quickly as possible so that not too much gluten develops, which will make tunnels in your cake and it will be tough.
-
Transfer the dough to the plastic wrap lined sheet, sprinkle dough with more flour and press down until flat and about an inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1-2 hours.
To Cut & Fry:
-
Line a baking half-sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick spray and set aside.
-
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface.
-
Working quickly to keep the dough cool, roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
-
Brush any excess flour from the top of the dough. Use a 3-inch and 1 ¼ – inch ring cutters to cut the donuts and holes. Lightly tap the rings in flour before cutting each donut. Place the donuts and donut holes on the prepared sheet pan. [After I cut all my donuts, I went back and cut more “holes” with the small cutter from the scraps of dough. Waste not, want not!]
-
Cover sheet pan with plastic wrap, but be sure not to let the plastic touch the top of the donuts. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. You can chill for up to 3 days at this point.
-
While your donuts chill, make the glaze. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, strawberry jam and salt. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap directly on the surface. You can heat up the glaze over a pot of simmering water on the stove if you want it thinner. I dipped my donuts while they were still very hot, so I didn’t need to do this.
-
Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 350° F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350° – 360° F while frying. You will need a clip-on fry/candy thermometer for this. I heat my oil up to 355° F before adding a batch of donuts because the cold dough will lower the temperature of the fryer oil.
-
Gently place 3 donuts in the fryer, keep the remaining donuts in the fridge. Once they rise to the surface, cook for 30 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 80 seconds. Flip it again and then fry for another 60 seconds or until the color is a nice even golden brown. Gently lift the donut out of the fryer with a slotted spoon or spider and test for doneness with a cake tester. If it comes out clean transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels. Donut holes fry for 30 seconds then flip, then another 60 seconds, then flip, then another 40-60 seconds. They will puff up and be golden brown all over. You can cook them for the same amount of time as the full donuts but they will be a little [lot] dry.
-
Once the donut is just barely cool enough to handle (I only waited about 20 seconds but I have no feeling left in my fingertips…), dip the donut in the glaze and place back on the wire rack. Dipping a hot donut will give you a nice, even glaze that isn’t too thick or too thin! With this strawberry glaze, you can feel free to double dip! Let the first dip begin to set and then dip again! Voila, more strawberry in every bite!
-
Store in container with one side cracked for air flow but they are best consumed the day they are fried…with coffee. Or whipped cream. Or ice cream. Or all three!
Video
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions and Storage
These Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts are best enjoyed the day they are fried, when their cakey texture is at its peak and the glaze is perfectly set. Imagine them alongside a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee for a delightful breakfast or brunch. For an extra touch of indulgence, serve them with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream – or why not all three? They’re also perfect as a cheerful dessert for any occasion.
To store any leftovers, place them in an airtight container, leaving one side slightly ajar to allow for a little airflow. This helps prevent them from becoming too soggy while keeping them fresh for a short period. However, trust me, they likely won’t last long!
Before You Go!
I sincerely hope you enjoyed creating and tasting this professional chef-tested recipe for Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts. It’s a delightful treat that brings together the best of spring and summer flavors. If you’ve loved this recipe, I invite you to explore our other delicious, chef-developed donut recipes for more fried perfections. Or, if you’re in the mood for another wonderfully cakey delight, you might enjoy my easy peach loaf cake next! Happy baking and happy eating!