Mini donuts or coffee cake for breakfast? Hmmm, such a hard choice.
I decided not to choose and had a two-for-one deal via this cake.
It’s a soft, moist, buttery tasting cake with notes of cinnamon and reminds me of snickerdoodle cookies, and I love snickerdoodles.
I made the cake using my favorite foolproof, one-bowl, easy cake base. It comes together with a whisk, no mixer needed, and is simple enough to be made at a moment’s notice.
I loathe dry cake, and used three tricks to keep it super soft, moist, and tender: Buttermilk, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and oil.
Buttermilk helps keep cakes soft, springy, bouncy, tender, with the perfect balance of density and fluffiness. The results are unparalleled. You can make buttermilk by souring your own milk. Add about 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk, wait for 10 minutes for it to curdle, then use as indicated.
If you don’t routinely keep buttermilk on hand, I highly recommend this Powdered Buttermilk. If you don’t use buttermilk much, but sometimes see a recipe that needs a half cup, but because you think you won’t use the rest of the jug before it goes bad, you opt of trying the recipe, then this powder is your new best friend. Shelf stable, keeps for ages.
To make sure the cake had flavors similar to snickerdoodle cookies, I used one tablespoon cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and sour cream for just a slight tang. Combined, they help create a snickerdoodle flavor profile.
Bake the cake for about 25 minutes, or until just done. Just long enough that the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Then, top the cake with 9 mini donuts. I used Entenmann’s Cinnamon Pop’Ems because I didn’t feel like making donuts just to put on a cake. If you’re up for more work than I was, use either the Baked Vanilla Donuts or Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts recipe and bake them in a mini donut pan for about 7 minutes.
If you don’t have Entenmann’s, don’t worry. I would have preferred to use Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts, but neither are easy to come by in my area. Use whatever donuts your local grocery store bakery has, or use donut holes. Depending on how big they are, you may want to cut them in half so it doesn’t look like baseballs are on top of your cake.
Bake the cake for about 2 minutes with the donuts on top. It helps the donuts and cake meld into one, so they don’t slip around.
It also helps flavors marry when things are baked together, even briefly.
I glazed the cake with a simple melted butter and confectioners’ sugar glaze. If you’re not going to serve or need the whole cake at once, you may wish to just glaze the portion you need.
The cake is springy, bouncy, and very moist, with just enough density to give it tooth-sinking heft. It’s just sweet enough, but not overly so, and has plenty of cinnamon pop and snickerdoodle flavor.
The cinnamon-coated cake donuts are what you expect bakery cake donuts or donut holes to taste like.
They have huge nostalgia factor for me and remind me of being a kid and a big treat was my mom buying donuts from a bakery. She was a scratch baker with everything except donuts.
The combination of the cake, the mini donuts, and the glaze, all in one bite is dreamy.
And I didn’t even have to choose between cake or donuts.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Mini Donut-Topped Snickerdoodle Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, yes tablespoon, not teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk (or Powdered Buttermilk
- ⅓ cup sour cream, light is okay (plain Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 9 mini donuts (I used Entenmann’s Cinnamon Pop’Ems, any mini donut from a grocery bakery, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts, or donut holes may be used; or make homemade mini donuts using either the Baked Vanilla Donuts or Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts
Glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (half of one stick)
- about 1 1/2 cups+ confectioners’ sugar
- splash milk or cream, only if necessary for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cake – In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional salt; set aside.
- In a large measuring cup or separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon until just combined. Small lumps will be present and this is okay. Don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth; set aside. Batter will be on the thicker side.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Watch your cake, not the clock, and always bake until done, whatever that means in your climate and oven, given the ingredients you used.
- Remove pan from oven and carefully place 9 mini donuts on the surface, spaced uniformly and evenly.
- Using your palm or fingertips, lightly smoosh donuts onto the cake to help them stick.
- Return pan to over and bake for about 2 more minutes. This helps set donuts into the cake so they won’t slide around.
- Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 20 minutes in pan before optionally glazing. While cake cooks, makes the glaze.
- Glaze – In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds.
- Add about 1 heaping cup confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. Depending on desired consistency, continue to add sugar until desired consistency is reached. If you accidentally add too much, add a splash of cream or milk to thin. Alternatively, try buttery vanilla glaze or browned butter glaze.
- Evenly drizzle the glaze over the cake before slicing and serving. If you only plan to consume a small portion of this cake or plan to keep it around for a few days, you may wish to glaze it in portions and as needed, rather than all at once or in advance. Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. I’m comfortable storing glazed cakes at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the portion you plan to consume immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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A cake with a donut on top??? Genius! Pinning!
thanks for pinning Lisa & for always including me in the roundups you help organize and do :)
I’m pretty sure it is safe to say I have never seen anything like this before! I knew you were creative, but this, well this tops it all (literally) Donuts on a cake? Seriously?! This is not only eye catching, it is mouthwatering!
thanks for the compliments!
This cake is so fun and gorgeous!! I love that it is doughnuts and cake!! It really is hard to beat that, especially for breakfast!
Oh my word. It’s a cake topped with my favorite breakfast item in the whole wide world–donuts! Averie, this is so very brilliant.
Averie, this cake is just too much fun! I love donuts for a special treat, and now that they are on a cake, I’m going to feel twice as rewarded.
Wow!! This cake is spectacular–I think you just took regular cake to a whole different level. And the photos are beautiful, Averie. Love that first one.
I used to always have a weakness for Entemann powdered sugar donuts :)
I feel the same way about your photos. That last soup of yours – stunning!
OMG, that is just sugar heaven, and I though I had overly sweet start to day :)
Very playful + fun recipe Averie!
Oh. My. Gosh. I have no words for this.
How did so much goodness did it one sentence?
How does it get into my face right. now?
Pinned!
thanks for pinning, Taylor!
Well, this just makes me happy happy!!!
Omg whaaaaaat?! This cake is EPIC!
What a fun brunch or party cake! I also like your suggestion to put donut holes on top. This should satisfy all cinnamon lovers– I’ve had snickerdoodles but never a snickerdoodle cake…great flavor idea!!!
Donut holes or donuts, either way, it’s going to taste the same. I just know some ppl won’t have access to mini-ish donuts but donut holes are so universal.
What a super cute idea! I’d totally love to have a piece of that and I bet it would make an awesome birthday cake. You are really crazy creative, lady.
It would make a totally fun bday cake – add some sprinkles or something to the batter or when you’re glazing it, add sprinkles over the top to set them into the glaze – would be super cute!
SO cute! I made a cinnamon roll top cake for my dad birthday. In Australia we do not have snicker doodles but the way you described it; soft and fluffy and cinnamon loaded I got to have one!
Your donuts are so perfect! I have worst time with that pan
Well these donuts in this post were storebought but the ones I linked to in previous posts, those were all homemade. The pan – i just spray the heck out of it w/ cooking spray and then spoon in the batter, bake and remove super carefully. Vegan donuts are hard b/c they can fall apart and stick but regular donuts, no problems.
How fun is this cake? And those topped donuts are just genius! Entenmann was a childhood favorite of mine too. I had to beg my mother for a box of their donuts and their super buttery pound cakes each time we went to the grocery store!
Thanks girl! I wanted to make a cake that was totally diff than any I’ve seen and thanks for pinning it, too! And this cake base is like some of those Entenmann’s coffee cakes, but softer, moister, and well you know, better :)
Hmmm, yes such a hard choice but you def made it easy with this cake! Just had snickerdoodles for the first time today but ran out of cream of tartar so no tang. :( I like the sour cream in this one because sweet and tangy is def right up my alley!
Snickerdoodles for the FIRST time today? Well that’s pretty great timing then for this cake to be next :)