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Nine freshly baked sourdough donuts topped with chocolate glaze with sprinkles, vanilla glaze with sprinkles, and cinnamon sugar.

Baked Sourdough Cake Donuts

These baked sourdough cake donuts are soft, tender, and fluffy. The sourdough starter improves the texture of the cake donuts and gives them a subtle tangy flavor. Finish them with chocolate glaze, vanilla glaze, or a cinnamon sugar topping.
This recipe is a great way to use up a sourdough discard.
4.88 from 24 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup sour cream
  • ⅓ cup sourdough starter discard
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon 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 nutmeg

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup optional
  • pinch of salt

Chocolate Donut Glaze

  • ¾ cup confectioners sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup optional
  • pinch of salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons melted butter

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

  • A small amount of nutmeg gives the donuts a classic flavor. It is a subtle flavor that makes them taste like bakery-style donuts.
  • If you are using whole nutmeg, use a microplane grater to grate the nutmeg. Freshly ground whole nutmeg will have a stronger flavor than pre-ground nutmeg.
  • Don’t over-mix the batter. It is ok if the batter seems a bit lumpy. If you mix it until it is smooth, the donuts will not be as soft and tender. 

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 276mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g