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 whipped up this Powdered Donut Cake last minute for family dinner and it was SUCH A HIT! All of the men in my family loved it. It tastes just like a donut! It was simple and smelled oh so good in the oven! Thanks for another great recipe, Jenn 🙂
Hi there!
Recipe sounds delicious! Would it be too thin if baked in a 9×13 pan? Or could I double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 Pan? If so what would be the bake time? Looking to get 24servings.
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sam, If you want to use a 9 x 13-inch pan, I’d definitely double the recipe. Bake time may be a touch different so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
This cake is absolutely delicious. Like, CRAZY delicious. Very light and tender, actually does taste like a cake donut, and stays fresh for at least a few days. An 11/10.
This was quick and delicious. More than half gone in one afternoon!
Yum, this surprisingly tasted like a donut! My whole family enjoyed this and didn’t last us very long. I do think I slightly overbaked it on accident but was still delicious.
This is very yummy!
This cake does taste like a cake donut. It is lighter of course since it’s a cake but surely takes me back to my donut eating days. The cake is light and moist. It’s not chiffon light, but it’s not real dense either. You can taste the right amount of nutmeg. I would use this cake as a snack during the day but still is nice enough for after dinner. Ok, well maybe breakfast too if you want to imagine eating that donut on your way to work. Do place a napkin on your lap while driving so you won’t have powdered sugar all over your pants, or shirt for that matter.
I would recommend this recipe and definitely share it with family and friends. Easy to put together. Just one bowl. Takes about 10 minutes to put together and pop in the oven. I did use an aluminum pan and not the glass one that Jennifer shows in the picture above. In my oven, it took the full 35 minutes to completely bake. Glass usually bakes up quicker. It was just a personal preference on my pan choice. Hope you enjoy this cake as much as I did.
Bon Appetit!
Super moist and simple! Love recipes that use ingredients that are already in my pantry. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!!!
When I think of powdered donuts, it brings to mind those bagged things we ate in the 70’s and for me it is not a great motivator to make this cake! Despite the name and my personal negative association with the name, I made this because the ingredients remind me of a muffin I made all the time for my kiddos called “French Breakfast Puffs” that were simple muffins with a nutmeg flavor and cinnamon top. I am SO glad I went ahead and tried this cake because it was super easy and delicious. Perfect with a cup of tea and something you can just easily whip up. The nutmeg is really essential, and if you have the fresh stuff, use it. You won’t be disappointed. Thumbs up from the whole family. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I know those breakfast puffs, I make them all the time too.
The Powdered Sugar Donut Cake was easy to make. It turned out just like the pictures. My recipients loved it and really enjoyed the nutmeg flavor coming through. I will make this again.
Easy and delicious cake. Sometimes you just need something simple! Great flavor.