Easy doughnuts are possible! If you’ve been too intimidated to make homemade doughnuts in the past, start with this incredibly simple recipe. Thanks to our baking mix, you’ll have light, nutmeg-scented cake doughnuts with crisp, shaggy, sugar-coated exteriors in about 30 minutes. It’s the perfect way to make a weekend breakfast (or an afternoon snack) feel special with very little effort.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the baking mix, sugar, and nutmeg.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the egg, milk, and melted butter until combined.
Using a flexible spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened; the dough will be firm. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
While the dough is resting, heat 1" of vegetable oil in a high-sided skillet or saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. Line a wire rack with paper towels and place the 1/4 cup (50g) sugar for coating in a broad, shallow mixing bowl or in a paper bag.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 5 to 6 times, until smooth and bouncy. Roll the dough out to 1/2" thick (about 6" x 6"). Using a floured 2 1/2" doughnut cutter, cut out as many doughnuts as possible. (If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, use a 2 1/2" round cutter, then punch a hole in the center of each round with a 1/2" cutter.) Set the centers aside for doughnut holes. Re-knead the scraps and repeat to make 8 total doughnuts.
Add the doughnuts to the hot oil one at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (you might have to work in 2 or 3 batches). When the bottoms are deep golden brown, 60 to 90 seconds, use a chopstick or dough whisk to carefully flip the doughnuts and cook until the bottom side is golden brown, another 90 seconds. (In order to achieve the classic doughnut “crack,” be sure to wait until the first side is deep golden brown before flipping, and then flip only once.)
Transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined wire rack and set aside to drain briefly, about 1 minute. Transfer the warm doughnuts to the bowl or bag with the sugar and toss gently until fully coated. Repeat frying and sugar-coating with remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes (the holes will fry in about 30 seconds). Serve the sugar-coated cake doughnuts immediately.
Cake doughnuts are best eaten immediately, after which they lose their lightness and are best dipped in coffee or turned into bread pudding.
