Light and fluffy baked lemon donuts. Drizzled with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze and decorated with freeze dried raspberries.
I’ve never met (or eaten!) a donut/doughnut I haven’t liked. I love the traditional jam doughnuts sold at bakeries, what I enjoy most is the sugary sweet coating and then the oozy jam centre as I take a ginormous bite.
My love affair with doughnuts started a few years ago when I had a job working at a local bakery. My first job every morning as soon as I arrived was to fill each freshly fried doughnut with jam and then roll in sugar. I don’t know how I resisted eating the entire batch of doughnuts… 😉
Anyway, as much as I enjoy indulging in fried doughnuts, they’re not the easiest bake to make at home. I purchased a donut pan some time ago and I’ve baked a few donuts since then and shared one baked donut recipe previously on the blog. So I figured it was about time to share another with you all!
These baked donuts are 100x easier and believe or not they really are just as delicious as the traditional fried kind. They’re made using a simple cake batter with the addition of yoghurt, which aids the fluffy texture and adds a delicious tangy flavour.
The sticky lemon glaze is totally optional – I really think it’s a delicious finishing touch. Plus, who can say no to a lush sugary glaze?! I could and would eat it by the spoonful bowlful… 🙂
Drizzle the icing liberally over each donut and then leave to set. If you’re feeling decorative you can scatter over sprinkles or freeze dried raspberries like I did. I think the pink raspberries are the perfect touch to celebrate Cate’s baby girl!
A gorgeous treat that would be lovely served with a cup of coffee or tea but these really are perfect for any occasion! And if you’re a fan of donuts, be sure to check out some of Cate’s amazing donut creations from her blog!
Here are just a few of my favourites:
- Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Cinnamon Roll Donuts with Cream Cheese Icing
- Mango Coconut Donuts
Ingredients:
Donut Batter:
180g (1 and 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
100g (1/2 cup) caster or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large free-range egg
170g (6 ounces) lemon yoghurt
80ml (1/3 cup) milk
80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
Zest from 1 large lemon
Lemon Icing:
100g (1 cup) icing (confectioners’/powdered) sugar
Juice from 1 lemon (3-4 tablespoons)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 150 Fan / 170°C / 325°F. Lightly grease two 6-hole donut pans with butter or oil spray. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until combined.
- In a separate bowl or jug whisk together the egg, yoghurt, milk, oil and lemon zest.
- Add the wet mixture to dry and mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the donut pans and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the donut. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully remove and then transport to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Once the donuts are cooled, make the glaze. Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a runny icing that can be drizzled. Drizzle the icing over each donut and then decorate with freeze dried raspberries or sprinkles before the icing sets.
Recipe Notes:
- I wouldn’t recommend using a low-fat lemon yoghurt, full-fat works a lot better with this recipe.
- If you cannot get lemon yoghurt, you can use plain or any other flavoured yogurt.
- Once iced these donuts are best eaten on the day of making, as if stored in an airtight container, the icing will go soft and sticky. But they are still delicious even on the next day!
Recipe adapted from Barbara Bakes
Don’t forget to check out all the other delicious donut recipes from my blogging friends!
Baked Dark Chocolate Strawberry Donuts – Club Narwhal
Baked Lemon Donuts – What Jessica Baked Next
Biscoff Donuts – Baking a Moment
Chai Donuts – Fresh April Flours
Chocolate Cake S’mores Donuts – Jessica in the Kitchen
Chocolate Pretzel Donuts – The Emotional Baker
Coconut Matcha Donuts with White Chocolate Glaze – Blahnik Baker
Coffee and Donuts Breakfast Bake – The Cookie Rookie
GF Lemon Donuts with Raspberry Glaze – Thoroughly Nourished Life
Maple Glazed Donut Holes – Hall Nesting
Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cake Donuts – American Heritage Cooking
Paleo Chocolate Frosted Donuts – A Clean Bake
Raspberry Jam Filled Cupcakes – gotta get baked
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Donut Breakfast Sandwich – Shared Appetite
Strawberry Margarita Oreo Donuts – Life Made Sweeter
Baked Mini Samoa Donuts – Culinary Couture
Donut Holes with Sweet Strawberry Dipping Sauce – Twin Stripe
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Oh these lemon donuts sound so good, Jessica! I love making my own baked donuts, so I’m loving the lemon flavor! Perfect for a baby shower and to celebrate the start of the week!
Thanks Gayle! Baked donuts are a super fun bake. Glad you like the lemon flavour, it’s my favourite too! 🙂
These looks so fantastic, love! I love baking with my aunt and we’re trying out the recipe asap!!!
Thanks Hannah! 🙂 Enjoy the recipe!
I usually always go for chocolate desserts, and always forget how much I love lemon desserts. These sound yummy!
Thanks Dannii! These lemon donuts definitely rival any chocolate dessert! They were really delicious. 🙂
Jess these donuts are beautiful – I love lemon things, and the raspberries on top make them the perfect addition to a baby girl shower! Thank you so much for throwing me such an awesome shower – you are the sweetest!!
Thank you Cate! Allie and Zainab did such an incredible job to arrange the virtual shower! 🙂 The donuts were delicious, but I cannot wait to try some of your donut recipes soon! x
I love that you guys got together for Cate!!! so sweet and LOVE these baked lemon donuts!!!!! delicious!!!
Thanks Alice! I knew you’d like these!
The glaze is not optional. It’s a must-have and something I’d easily eat up with a spoon! 🙂
Thanks so much Eva! The glaze is my favourite part! So fresh and zingy! 🙂
I’ve never met a donut I haven’t like either Jessica! And lemon?? Count me in!
Hi Mary Ann – really glad you like the donuts! 🙂
I love making my own donuts, and these ones look delicious! Craving all things lemon these days 🙂
Thanks Denise! Love lemon desserts! 🙂
Love baked donuts and these look perfect! All the other recipes sound amazing!
Thanks Mira!
Oh they look so good! 💓
Thank you 🙂
WOW! I love anything lemon AND I love homemade baked donuts. These look amazing. Pinning!
Thanks Erin!
I have a donut pan and so far haven’t made anything in it I’d consider stellar, so I’m very much looking forward to trying your recipe, thanks for posting it!
Hi Liza! Really hope you give the recipe a try! I’d love to know what you think! 🙂
What an amazing donut! The picture looks a little bit like a lemon bundt cake 🙂 I love baked goodies with lemon, and they don’t have lemon donuts at the donut shops around us… I’d love to get my hands on these delicious lemon donuts!
Thanks Melanie!
Oh that job sounds dangerous! And these lemon donuts look so delicious – I love the double dose of lemon with the sticky lemon glaze! Yum!
Thanks Amy!
Well, I never met a lemon flavored thing I didn’t like, and I’m sure this donut would be no different! That glaze sure would be hard to turn down! Looks delish, Jessica!
Thanks so much Lynn!
Thank you so much for celebrating Cate today! These donuts look amazing!
Thank you to both you and Allie for arranging the shower! I’ve loved sharing a recipe! 🙂 x
This looks scrumptious!
Thank you!
These donuts look so moist and full of lemony flavor 🙂
Thanks Medha!
Lemon is the best flavor! I really must pull out my donut pan so I can try these – gorgeous!
Lemon desserts are definitely my favourite, but your chocolate donuts look incredible too! Cannot wait to try the recipe soon! 🙂
Yum! I love their simplicity! So pretty with the sprinkled freeze dried rapsberries!
Thanks Meriem!
These donuts look delicious! I love lemon and, for me, that glaze is totally not optional!!!
Thanks Lindsey!
Baked donuts are my favourite – you never really can go wrong with them and they are always so moist and delicious. These look like no exception, and i love that vibrant lemon flavour. The tart/sweet contrast must be SO good.
Thanks Thalia!
Hahaha! I’ve never met a donut I don’t like either, Jessica! Love that you guys put together a donut virtual baby shower! Now THAT is some clever deliciousness! LOVE LOVE LOVE these donuts! The lemon flavor and that glaze look amazing, but I seriously love that you baked these, so I can eat at least 3 in one sitting. 😉 Cheers, dear!
Thanks so much Cheyanne! Really happy you like the donuts! They were really delicious! 🙂
I love the sound of this recipe and I think the raspberry and lemon would work so perfectly together. I have amini-doughnut pan. Do you reckon this mix would work well on them as well if I alter the cooking time? Or do you think it might not come out so well? Would love to give them a go but I dont have a “normal” sized doughnut pan!
Hi – using a mini doughnut pan would work just as well. 🙂 I would recommend adjusting the baking time to about half or just over, but keep an eye on them as they bake. Let me know how you get on!
Lemon and raspberry is one of my favourite combos too!
I usually always aim for chocolate in desserts, but lemon is the one exception. I love that summery flavor. These donuts sound so good. Baking donuts is so much fun, and that icing looks great!
Mmmm…lemon and raspberries is such a fantastic flavour combo. Your baked donuts look fabulous. All the ladies in this party with baked donuts is making me kick myself in the arse for not owning a donut pan! Buying one is now priority #1 in my life.
I never had a lemon donut in my life. This combo sounds really really tasty. Let me taste it and I’ll get back to you soon with a feedback :). Enjoy your weekend!
This is so cute!! I love the idea of a donut baby shower! I mean, there’s really nothing more delicious than donuts. And these lemon ones sound absolutely fabulous.
I have yet to bake with citrus this season which is just making me sad!! These donuts look awesome! And with that glaze… yum!!
I just made these and they are fabulous. I used a scale to measure everything exactly and got light fluffy doughnuts. Thank you so much for this recipe especially the nice easy method. I will be making these again!