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 thought it was impossible to get that classic donut thrill without all the classic donut questionable ingredients, but WOW–this recipe is IT. I’ve subbed in whole Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and I think the recipe might even be a tad more delicious that way 🙂
This cake is incredible! The flavor reminds me of those donuts from the neighborhood bakeries when I was growing up. It’s so simple to make, such a perfect crumb – moist and comforting – like a hug! This will be baked many times!
Made this tonight and topped with a glaze instead of powdered sugar. Very nice. Not as dense as sweet as a donut but absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Hi, Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream? Also, on the nutmeg I have only ground how much should I use? I can’t wait to bake this cake. Looking forward to your answer. Have a wonderful day. Joan
Hi Joan, yes, Greek yogurt will work in place of sour cream and ground nutmeg will work. You’ll need the same amount as the fresh. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I was wondering if I could substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Sure, that will work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Would self-rising flour work if the baking soda, baking powder, and salt were left out?
Hi Lily, for the most predictable results, I’d stick with all-purpose flour — sorry!
Would this be good in a bundt pan? If so, any adjustments to the baking time? Thx!
Hi Jenny, I haven’t tried it so not sure how stick-proof it is, but it should work. Depending on the size of your pan, you may want to increase the recipe which may impact the baking time so make sure you keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Just made it today and it’s outstanding!!! I make my own vanilla (super simple) and I scraped a skosh of the vanilla bean into the batter….wow!!! Mind blown! My 94 year old neighbor said that, “It’s a keeper!”
Oh…and yes, I also used fresh grated nutmeg.
Excellent recipe. This really tasted like a donut. I was worried that I did something wrong because my batter was so thick but it came out perfectly at 35 minutes. I baked it in a glass baking dish as shown in the pics. I didn’t have powdered sugar but took another reviewer’s tip and made a cinnamon sugar topping so it tastes like a cinnamon sugar donut. I subbed ground nutmeg for fresh nutmeg 1:1 ratio.
Oops, I forgot to rate this: FIVE STARS!
I don’t know about donut cake, I would consider it more a nutmeg vanilla cake, but WOW is it good!! It took a while to bake but so worth it.
It’s a donut cake because it’s based off sour cream cake donuts, not your average yeasted glazed donut (different yet also uniquely delicious). Think of the type of donuts you’d get in a bag at the fair.
I made this cake per the recipe and it turned out great! 35 minutes on the dot, came out of the pan beautifully, I ate two pieces last night and just had a 3rd for breakfast with coffee (recommended). Obviously this is why I can’t have cakes around. Well done!