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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I made this the other day and ….. wow! My family scarfed it down! My husband asked for a second batch to take to the office and I obliged. After saving half the batch back to share with my girlfriends at our sewing tea. Thanks Jen!
Oops! forgot to list 5 stars!
Another 5 star recipe from Jenn! We have already made this twice and it is now my daughter’s favorite cake. So easy to make and has a delicious and unique flavor!
This cake is powdered donut perfection! The kitchen smells incredible while it’s baking. As with every recipe on the site, the instructions were clear and foolproof. I sent the recipe link to all my donut-loving friends and insisted they bake it immediately because it’s just that delicious!
Hi Jenn,
I made this easy cake one evening on a whim after looking at what was new on your site. It was delicious and my little boy loved it too. It was moist and the nutmeg/donut flavor was just right. Thank you! I always look to your site for inspiration.
This recipe is divine! Amazing how much it tastes like an actual powdered donut. My family loved this! Thank you!
Made this cake for my son’s birthday. It was an easy recipe, one you can whip up during a weekday evening. The cake was moist and fluffy with deliciously simple flavor. The nutmeg added just enough spark to keep it interesting without overwhelming the taste buds.
Our family enjoyed this cake and we all agreed the recipe
Is a keeper.
This was delicious. The nutmeg is what gives it that donut flavor. It’s just a hint but perfect. My kids loved it. It was hard not to eat the whole thing in one sitting!
I love powdered mini donuts and I was surprised that this cake captures that taste perfectly. It’s easy and yet still unexpected. I loved it and immediately ordered the cookbook.
This recipe came together so easily – no mixer needed and typically ingredients we have on hand. Very moist, tender and tastes just like a powdered donut! Nutmeg is bordering on a bit strong so you may want to decrease nutmeg if you don’t love nutmeg. Will definitely make this again (it’s a little too easy to make ;))!
This is comfort food at it’s best! I made this for my family and they devoured it! In my opinion it tastes best right when done however, it does store well. Another fabulous fail proof Jen recipe!!