Powdered Donut Cake
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Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape.
This donut cake comes from the wonderful new cookbook Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossy Arefi. I’m having so much fun baking my way through this sweet book—all the cakes are made using just one bowl (no electric mixers needed!) with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Yossy writes, “Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape—no frying necessary! Just take my word for it, and don’t wear a black shirt when you eat it. You are definitely going to get confectioners’ sugar all over yourself with every bite.”
Table of Contents
Powdered Donut Cake Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs.
Whisk until pale and foamy, about 1 minute.
Add the sour cream, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt.
Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Whisk until well-combined and smooth.
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan. 
Bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool almost completely.
Finish the cake: While the cake is just warm to the touch, brush the top with the melted butter.
Dust with the confectioners’ sugar — you should have a nice thick layer, more than you think might be necessary. Cut into squares and enjoy!
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Powdered Donut Cake
Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1¼ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For Topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool almost completely.
- Finish the cake: While the cake is just warm to the touch, brush the top with the melted butter and dust with the confectioners’ sugar. You should have a nice thick layer of confectioners' sugar—more than you think might be necessary. (Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. The cake will absorb the sugar on top, so it might need a fresh dusting of confectioners’ sugar after the second day.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 square
- Calories: 181
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Cholesterol: 46 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi – I am contemplating making this. Is parchment paper necessary or can you sub wax paper? I just bought wax paper and would like to get rid of it. 🙂
I don’t recommend wax paper, Kristi — sorry!
Whats the best gluten free flour substitute for this recipe??
A number of readers have commented that they have good luck baking with King Arthur gluten-free flour. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
I just made this and it is wonderful! It is so easy to put together. I love the light texture and moistness. Next time I am going to do half nutmeg and half cinnamon. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipes!
Have a beautiful day!
Sara Dolan
Hi Jenn,
Finding fresh nutmeg is almost impossible these days. Will the ground variety work as well. I primarily use Penzey’s spices and they have excellent flavor. Would it be a one-to-one substitute?
Thank you.
Sure, Judy – ground will work (and you can use the same amount) .
Judy, try World Market if you have one nearby. They almost always have whole nutmegs in stock with their other spices.
Jenn . . . This sounds wonderful!! My family is not crazy about nutmeg. What other spice could I substitute that would keep that “doughnut” taste? Thank you!
Hi Edie, Unfortunately, it’s the nutmeg that gives it that distinct donut flavor. Maybe just reduce the amount?
How do you think this recipe would work as cupcakes?
I think it would work well, but you’ll need to reduce the baking time a bit. I’d start checking around 18 to 20 minutes.
Do you think this will come out the same if I use gluten-free flour that’s measure for measure? Also what if I put a dollop of jelly between two layers of dough to make it a jelly doughnut cake? Thanks
Hi Sharon, I don’t think the cake would come out exactly the same with GF flour, but I think it would probably work. As for the jam, I would dollop it on top before serving; adding it to the cake might make the cake a bit wet.
Can I sub nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
I haven’t tried it, Shelly, so I can’t say for sure. If you want to give it a shot, I’d probably opt for at least 2% Greek yogurt.
Trying it right now with 1:1 flour. Will let you guys know!
Hi Samantha. I have celiac so I am interested how it turned out. I usually use King Arthur 1:1 gluten free baking flour
Sounds delish! Do you think I could make in a donut pan and adjust the baking time?
Yep 🙂
Looks yummy! What could I substitute for nutmeg?
Hi Trish, Cinnamon would be good, but the nutmeg is what gives it the flavor of a donut.
I made this cake last night! I couldn’t decide between the powdered sugar topping and the vanilla glaze so did both, and halved the toppings. I browned the butter. We loved it.
What else have you made?
The chocolate peanut butter and pear/cranberry. It’s such a fun book! What about you?
This was my first recipe-I”m curious about the PB cake and the cocoa powder cake. My 8 yo requested the vanilla cake as cupcakes so that’s for tomorrow!