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These sourdough cake donuts are soft, tender, and baked—not fried—so they’re easy to make at home with minimal fuss. The sourdough discard adds a subtle tang and gives them that classic cake donut texture without making them taste “sour.” Finish them with a vanilla glaze, rich chocolate topping, or cinnamon sugar for a nostalgic, bakery-style treat.
If you’ve got extra discard, our sourdough chocolate muffins and sourdough brownies are more great ways to put it to use.
And, since they are cake donuts, they are much faster to make than our raised sourdough donuts, which need time to rise.
Here is Why This Recipe for Sourdough Cake Donuts Works
Great Use for Sourdough Discard: This recipe turns your extra sourdough starter into soft, bakery-style donuts without the need for long fermentation or rise time.
Tender Cake Donut Texture: The combo of sour cream, sourdough discard, and just the right amount of fat creates a moist, tender crumb that stays soft even after baking.
Customizable Toppings: Whether you go with chocolate glaze, vanilla glaze, or cinnamon sugar, these donuts are endlessly adaptable, and just as good plain.
Baked, Not Fried: No hot oil or deep fryer needed. These donuts bake up quickly in a standard donut pan, making them an easy weekend project (without the mess).
Got extra discard and a chocolate craving? These sourdough brownies should fix both.
Recipe Tips
Add nutmeg for that classic donut flavor: Just a pinch gives these donuts that familiar bakery-style taste. It’s subtle, but it brings everything together.
Freshly grated nutmeg makes a difference: If you have whole nutmeg, use a microplane to grate it. The flavor is stronger and more aromatic than pre-ground.
Don’t overmix the batter: It’s totally fine if the batter looks a little lumpy. Overmixing will knock out the tenderness and make the donuts dense.
Use a piping bag for clean filling: A piping bag (or zip-top bag with the corner cut off) makes it much easier to fill the pan evenly without a mess.
Grease the pan generously: Even if you’re using a nonstick donut pan, give it a good coating of baking spray (preferably one with flour) or butter and flour it well to prevent sticking.
Cool completely before glazing: If the donuts are still warm, the glaze will melt off. Let them cool fully so the glaze sets properly.
Best enjoyed fresh: These are at their softest the day they’re baked but will keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze unglazed donuts for later: Let them cool completely, freeze them in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temp and glaze just before serving.
Baked Sourdough Donuts
These sourdough cake donuts are soft, tender, and easy to make, no frying needed. With a simple batter and a few topping options, they’re everything a homemade baked donut should be. If you’ve been looking for a sourdough discard recipe that doesn’t involve bread, this is a sweet place to start.
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Baked Sourdough Cake Donuts
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 134 grams
- ⅔ cup sour cream, 160 grams
- ⅓ cup sourdough discard, 76 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 210 grams
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, optional
- pinch salt
Chocolate Donut Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, optional
- pinch salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
For the Sourdough Cake Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Combine the first eight ingredients in a large mixing bowl (sugar, sour cream, sourdough discard, egg, egg yolk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla).
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg over the bowl and use a wide spatula to fold the batter until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a food storage bag and cut the corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into each donut form, filling them ⅔ to ¾ full.
- Bake the donuts for 10 to 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in them comes out clean.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and let them rest in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes then turn them out on a rack to cool completely. Make the toppings while the donuts cool.
Vanilla Glaze
- Combine all the ingredients in a wide shallow dish and whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time if the glaze is too thick.
- Dip the tops of the donuts in the glaze and transfer to a wire rack. If desired, add sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.
Chocolate Glaze
- Combine all the ingredients for the chocolate glaze in a wide shallow dish and whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time to get your preferred consistency.
- Dip the tops of the donuts in the chocolate glaze and transfer them to a wire rack until the glaze sets. If desired, dip them in sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow dish.
- Dip the tops of donuts in the melted butter then dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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