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Baked Lemon Doughnuts

Sarah Nolan
These doughnuts are so light and fluffy you won't ever miss that they aren't fried! The subtle hint of lemon gives these doughnuts a freshness that will keep you going back for more!
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Equipment

  • Baked Doughnut Pans

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil The original recipe calls for vegetable oil, so if you have that on hand, go for it!  Avocado oil is also a neutral oil that your body can break down more easily.  
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For sugar coated doughnuts:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For glazed doughnuts:

  • 2 cups confectioners sugar (or icing sugar)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (or 200 C) and grease two doughnut pans.*
  • Whisk the sugar and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  
  • In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.**  Add this all at once to the liquid and whisk until well combined. The batter will still seem quite liquidy.
  • Transfer the batter to a measuring cup, or anything with a spout, and slowly pour the batter into each doughnut cup, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the doughnuts spring back to the tough, but there is no browning on the top.  Cool doughnuts for 10 minutes and prepare your topping of choice.
  • For the coating, whisk the sugar and lemon zest together.  While the doughnuts are still warm, roll them in the sugar mixture and set aside to finish cooling.
  • For the glaze, whisk together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.  Take one doughnut at a time and dip the top of the doughnut into the glaze without dropping it and coat the doughnut generously.  Allow excess glaze to drip off and set aside on a rack to set.  If you want to add sprinkles, now is the time to do it!

Notes

* I greased my non-stick pans with avocado oil and they needed some help to come out of the pan.  I ran a knife around the outer edge of the mold and they came out with no issues.
** Don't skip the step to SIFT! I have often forgotten to do this and I am always left with lumps.  If you don't have a sifter, just use a fine-mesh sieve.