Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printer-friendly)
Fluffy donuts with cinnamon swirls and colorful glaze inspired by Mardi Gras traditions.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Donuts
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
→ Glaze
13 - 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and yellow sanding sugars for decorating
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cavity donut pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk whole milk, eggs, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing to prevent tough donuts.
05 - Combine melted butter, packed light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and spreadable.
06 - Spoon half the donut batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about one-third full.
07 - Place approximately 1 teaspoon of cinnamon swirl mixture on top of the batter in each cavity. Cover with remaining batter.
08 - Gently swirl a toothpick through the batter in each cavity to create marble patterns, being careful not to touch the pan sides.
09 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and edges are golden brown.
10 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth and pourable. Adjust milk consistency as needed.
12 - Dip the top of each cooled donut into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Immediately decorate with purple, green, and yellow sanding sugars in sections to mimic traditional King Cake stripes.
13 - Let glaze set for approximately 10 minutes before serving. Donuts are best enjoyed the same day but can be stored in an airtight container.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get all the beloved King Cake flavors in half the time and with way less mess than traditional braided dough
- The baked donut texture stays incredibly moist while developing that irresistible crispy edge
- Watching people discover the hidden cinnamon swirl inside is the kind of kitchen moment that makes baking feel like magic
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will make your donuts tough instead of tender, so stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears
- The cinnamon swirl mixture needs to be room temperature or slightly warm so it spreads easily without tearing the delicate batter
- Dipping donuts that are even slightly warm will make your glaze slide right off instead of coating them beautifully
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend together more seamlessly and create a more tender crumb structure
- A piping bag makes filling those donut cavities so much easier and less messy than trying to spoon batter in