Gluten Free Cake Donut Recipe

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A simple way to make up a batch of old fashioned, buttermilk donuts for a cozy morning treat. This gluten free cake donut recipe is fluffy and cakey, like an old fashioned donut should be, but has a tender crumb- not gritty or crumbly texture. 

A Homemade, Old Fashioned Classic

My favorite donut ever is a classic old fashioned, buttermilk donut. Covered in a powder sugar glaze or even just rolled in powdered sugar and served with a hot cup of coffee. Yum. 

I am working on swapping my favorite yeast dough recipe (that I used for everything when baking with wheat flour) over to gluten free but it is still in the works. But it is also February and on snow days around here we have a tradition of homemade donuts. So when the snow started falling and the donut cravings hit, old fashioned donuts came to mind. But of course, homemade gluten-free donuts since we have all made the swap to gluten-free diet due to a celiac diagnosis in the family.

To make a quick batch of donuts, the batter can be mixed up in just a few minutes with simple ingredients and dropped into hot oil. These can also be refrigerated overnight to allow for shaping. I have found letting the batter rest in the fridge is the best way to make a sticky gluten free dough or batter much easier to shape and handle. But the easiest way to get these donuts made is to drop them with a cookie scoop.

The whole recipe makes about 20-24 of the easiest donuts. And nothing is better on a snowy day than warm donuts.

Now that we’ve made these with a powdered sugar coating, I am imagining making them with a maple glaze or maybe coating in a cinnamon sugar mixture with brown sugar. Or even turning these into gluten free pumpkin donuts. This basic but delicious recipe makes the perfect base for any flavor or coating. 

Gluten Free Cake Donut Recipe Video

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl and wooden spoon/hand mixer
• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons
• Small Pot
• Small cookie scoop
• Slotted Spoon

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free flour blend (we prefer and recommend cup4cup brand)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

1-2 cups frying oil of choice (we prefer lard, coconut oil or avocado oil)

Powdered sugar, for rolling

How To Make This Gluten Free Cake Donut Recipe

Start by heating 1-2 cups (depending on the size of your pot. You want liquid oil about 2 inches deep.)

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients of 2 cups gluten free flour belnd, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 cup sugar.

Pour in wet ingredients of 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 cup buttermilk and mix to combine well with danish dough hook or wooden spoon. It will be more of a thick donut batter. 

Be sure oil is at around 350 degrees Farenheit, an instant read thermometer is the most accurate way. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the donut will burn and the inside will still be doughy. If the oil is not hot enough, they will need to fry longer soaking up more of the oil and leaving a less desireable flavor and texture. Once it reaches temperature take cookie scoopfuls of donut batter and drop into hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes on each side ensuring they are a nice golden brown. 

Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and continue a second batch until all are fried. Allow to cool slightly before rolling in powdered sugar. I prefer to only roll completely cooled donuts in powdered sugar, it sticks better without clumping the sugar.

Gluten Free Baking Tips

• Gluten free baking requires more liquid with the flour. Most one for one flours you will run across are a blend of starches and rice flour with the occassional sorghum flour thrown into the mix. Rice naturally just soaks up a lot of water. Even though it is less of a temptation in some recipes (the dough is pretty similar to normal wheat dough) resist the urge to add more flour.
• Allowing the dough to sit and soak up the liquid is an optional step but leads to less gritty texture. Chilling any dough or batter before handling also helps with any stickiness, making it much easier to handle. Combining these two actions together kills two birds with one stone, leading to easier to handle and better tasting donuts. These can be baked immediately and will still turn out beautifully though if you are in a rush. Just be sure to shape them after.
• We prefer the cup4cup brand of gluten free flour above any other. We have tried Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, Great Value and Pillsbury brands with cup4cup being the best. We have not tried any single gluten free flour such as coconut, almond, buckwheat, etc. Soon I am hoping to create a custom blend for fresh milling but until then, a one for one blend seems to be the easiest and most available for everyone. And the most similar to regular white flour.

FAQ’s

How to make gluten-free donuts fluffy?

First and most important, use the right flour. We are testing out a fresh milled option but the best flour we have tried (and we have tried a lot!) is cup4cup. It makes the lightest and fluffiest baked goods, including these donuts!

It is also important to use leaveners with any baking but especially gluten free baking.

Letting the dough rest and soak can also benefit a gluten free donut, I talk more about this above.

What is the difference between a donut and a cake donut?

There are two main types of donuts: a cake donut and a yeast donut. A yeast donut is made with a yeast risen dough and allowed to rise. A cake donut is made nice and fluffy with leaveners such as baking powder and baking soda. They are more of a batter than a dough. Further, a yeast donut will have more of a airy bread texture while a cake donut will have the texture of a denser cake. Both are delicious!

What gluten-free flour is closest to regular flour?

Again, cup4cup in our experience but we are working on our own version of a fresh milled flour for this that would be cheaper than a premade blend. In most quick breads and dessert recipes, cup4cup can be swapped one for one. The exception to this is in yeast recipes, but with the proper adjustments it can still be done and cup4cup is still the closest tasting to regular flour!

Can you just swap normal flour for gluten-free?

Yes and no. In many recipes, less flour will be needed when baking gluten-free because more liquid is needed for the dough or batter to soak up. However, many one for one brands claim you can, hence the name. But even these require less flour in some baked goods. The good news that batters are less likely to need less flour and you *usually* can swap them one for one. If your baked goods such as donuts turn out dry, gritty or crumbly, then try less flour until they are just right. This donut recipe does not have a dry, gritty or crumbly texture.

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

• Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread Recipe
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Gluten Free Cake Donut Recipe Card