These cinnamon sugar donuts filled with delicious pastry cream are the perfect treat.
Yay. We did it. We made it to another Friday. And you know the best way to celebrate? Donuts. We love donuts. Cream filled ones especially. There’s nothing better than a freshly made donut stuffed with a delicious cream filling. Not to mention, for some reason donuts are considered a breakfast food. We aren’t mad at it, but they’re definitely also in the dessert category.
Why make cinnamon sugar donuts?
Ok. We know we don’t make too many donuts around here. And if we do, they are most definitely baked. (We’re looking at you Apple Cider Donuts).
A giant piping hot pot of oil has never appealed to us and we have steered clear of it for our entire lives. However, we recently got the urge to just tryyyyyyy and make homemade fried donuts. So we bought a candy thermometer, (this one if you’re curious!) bought some oil (admittedly the wrong oil so we had to go all the way back to the store), and got started.
If you too are afraid to make fried donuts we can confidently say, they are not as scary and difficult as they sound. As long as you are careful with the oil and don’t over fry the donuts, it’s smooth sailing.
What are the steps to making these donuts?
- make the dough
- rest the dough
- cut the dough
- rest it some more
- make and chill your pastry cream
- mix your cinnamon and sugar
- heat up your oil
- drop your little donut babies in
- flip once brown
- toss in cinnamon sugar
- fill with pastry cream
- eat eat eat
It seem like a lot of steps. Yes, we agree. BUT, a lot of the time is spent allowing your dough to rest and your pastry cream to chill. The actual frying of the donuts takes 2-3 minutes per batch.
We hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying baking season!
Happy baking!
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts with Cream Filling
Ingredients
- 1 package instant yeast
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup butter room temp
- 3 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
for the vanilla pastry cream
- 1 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
for the cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Warm the milk in the microwave in 30 second increments. You want the milk warm but not hot.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment mix together the warm milk, yeast and sugar.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
- Add in the. egg yolks and mix on low speed.
- Cut your butter into chunks and add into the mixture. Mix until combined.
- Add in 1 cup of flour and the cinnamon. Add in the remaining flour slowly until all incorporated.
- Once all flour is added turn mixer to high and let the dough mix for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic when finished.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead for 5 minutes.
- Place into a bowl covered with a towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- We like to set the oven to the lowest heat and immediately turn off once preheated. Place the bowl with the dough into the oven once you have turned it off and lightly crack the door. This is a nice warm place for your dough to rise.
- Once dough has doubled in size pour it onto a lightly flour surface and roll out so it is 1/2 in thick. Use a donut cutter or 2-3 inch glass to cut out your donuts We used a 2.5 in mason jar for ours.
- Place your donuts on a baking sheet and cover with a towel again to rise for 30 more minutes.
- While the dough is rising again heat 2 inches of canola oil in a pot on the stove. Use a candy thermometer to heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
- Once donuts have risen and oil is hot place 2-3 donuts in the pot at a time carefully. Flip after 1 minute or once they are a nice golden brown.
- Remove from oil once finished with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Combine your sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and while donuts are still slightly warm toss them in the sugar mixture.
- Once donuts are cool, take a wooden skewer and poke a hold in the side of each donut. Move the skewer around to create a bigger hole on the inside.
For the pastry cream
- In a medium saucepan heat the milk and vanilla extract on medium low heat until simmering.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch until smooth.
- When milk is simmering remove from heat and temper the milk into the egg mixture. Add a little bit at a time to the egg mixture and continuously stir to slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs without cooking them. Continue to do this until milk is gone.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium high heat while stirring until it thickens. Pour it into a bowl that has the butter in it and stir to combine. Once mixed run it through a mesh sieve to get rid of any clumps and put in the fridge too cool.
Assembly
- once the donuts and the pastry cream are cool place the pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Place the tip inside the donut holes and pipe cream inside. You will feel the donuts fill with the cream.