Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printable)
Baked fluffy donuts topped with vibrant icing and sprinkles, celebrating Mardi Gras in individual portions.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
→ Cream Cheese Filling (Optional)
12 - 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
→ Vanilla Icing
15 - 1 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons milk
17 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
18 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or colored sprinkles
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously grease a standard 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray or melted butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined—small lumps are acceptable. Do not overmix.
05 - In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
06 - For filled donuts: Fill each cavity halfway with batter, add 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture to center, then cover with remaining batter. For plain donuts: Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden brown and donuts spring back when lightly touched. Rotate pan halfway through for even baking.
08 - Let donuts cool in pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before icing.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
10 - Dip tops of cooled donuts into icing or drizzle over surface. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar before icing sets.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Individual portions mean no fighting over who got the baby figurine
- Baked not fried so you can eat three without the guilt
- The cream cheese filling creates these little pockets of joy that make people pause mid conversation
02 -
- Overfilling the donut pan causes them to lose their signature hole and become muffin shaped
- The cream cheese filling sinks if the batter is too thin so err on the thicker side
- Wait until donuts are completely cool before icing or the colors will bleed into sad muddy streaks
03 -
- A piping bag makes filling the donut cavities so much neater than using a spoon
- Room temperature ingredients blend better and create a more uniform texture