Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts are coated in glaze and taste just like the cakey ones at your favorite bakery! No yeast makes this recipe quicker and easier.
Yield:
12 doughnuts and holes
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook:25minutes
Tessa's Recipe Rundown...
Taste: The little bit of nutmeg combined with the sour cream and sweet glaze makes these doughnuts taste just like the ones at your favorite bakery, if not better! Texture: Slightly crunchy on the outside, cakey and soft on the inside. All the little cracks in these doughnuts just soak up the shiny, crackled glaze. Ease: There’s no yeast in this recipe so you can have these doughnuts IN YOUR MOUTH in a little more than an hour from start to finish. Pros: I think the pros are inherently implied, they’re doughnuts! Cons: Deep fried sugary goodness ain’t too good for your diet. Would I make this again? Yes, whenever I’m craving these old-fashioned cake doughnuts I’ll whip this recipe out.
I have huge sweet tooth cravings on the regular. Can you relate?
When I get a doughnut craving, it’s intense. A lot of doughnut shops make pretty bland and greasy doughnuts that leave a weird residue on your tongue, at least that’s been my experience.
There’s a few local shops that I LOVE, but I rarely have an excuse to make a trip to one of them. This recipe honestly takes about the same amount of time that it takes to drive across town to my favorite bakery, so it’s kind of perfect. Plus, if you only eat doughnuts when you make them from scratch, you can’t really go overboard right? That’s my logic at least.
These Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts are just like the old-fashioned cake doughnuts from the bakery. They’re kind of crunchy and cracked on the outside, making those nooks just purrrrrfect for soaking up the thick, shiny, crackled glaze. We completely dunk the doughnuts in that glaze in the recipe, and it’s amazing. The inside is soft and cakey with a more firm bite than yeast doughnuts. Plus you can’t beat sour cream, it’s good with just about everything.
I don’t always prefer old-fashioned cake doughnuts to yeast doughnuts, but when I do this is absolutely the recipe I use. You can’t beat how much less time these take than yeast doughnuts, too.
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts Recipe Tips
1. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients
Using a scale is a smart idea for this recipe. Any issues I hear about the dough being too dry or sticky are likely due to inaccurate measuring! If you doughnuts aren’t as fluffy and light as you’d like, it’s due to compacting too much flour into your measuring cup. You can learn more about how to measure flour the RIGHT way here.
2. Use REAL bleached cake flour
This is a must for the recipe. Purchased cake flour will yield light and delicate doughnuts like the ones from the bakery. DIY substitutions don’t really cut it, and AP flour will not create doughnuts with that same soft texture. Also, bleached cake flour will work best. Unbleached (like King Arthur Flour) won’t absorb as much moisture and you may end up with doughnuts that crumble while frying. You can learn more about cake flour here.
3. This recipe is FRIED
Yes, you must fry this recipe. It was specifically designed to be fried and not baked, just trust me on that. USE FRESH OIL. It goes rancid quickly, often before the date on the bottle. If it has *any* unpleasant smell, don’t use it. Your doughnuts won’t taste good.
I don’t personally own an air fryer but recently had a reader message me that she had success air-frying this recipe.
My Favorite Doughnut Tools:
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4.36 from 116 votes
How to make
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts
Yield:12doughnuts and holes
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook Time:25minutes
Inactive Time1hour20minutes
Total Time:2hours
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts are coated in glaze and taste just like the cakey ones at your favorite bakery! No yeast makes this recipe quicker and easier.
Ingredients
For the donuts:
2 1/4cup(255 grams) cake flour
1 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonground nutmeg
1/2cup(100 grams) sugar
2tablespoons(29 grams) butter, at COOL room temperature
2large egg yolks
1/2cup(113 grams) sour cream
Canola oil, for frying
For the glaze:
3 1/2cup(350 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2teaspoonscorn syrup
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1/3cuphot water
Directions
For the donuts:
In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until sandy. Add the egg yolks and mix until light and thick. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream, ending with the flour.
Mix for 30 seconds on low speed or until the dough is smooth but slightly sticky. You want to mix enough that the dough doesn't fall apart in the oil, but not so much that it becomes tough. If the dough is unbearably sticky, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time (especially if you live in a warm & humid climate).
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour, or until firm.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter or two differently sized biscuit cutters to cut out as many donuts as possible, dipping the cutters into flour as necessary to prevent sticking. You should get about 12 doughnuts and holes. If the dough gets too loose, sticky, or greasy at any point return to the fridge to firm before continuing. Refrigerate while you heat the oil so the dough is slightly cold when it fries.
Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot with a deep-fry thermometer attached. Heat to 325°F. Fry the doughnuts a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry on each side about 2 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Keep an eye on the thermometer and adjust your stove heat to maintain the correct oil temperature. Let drain on a paper bag to soak up the excess grease.
For the glaze:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. Immerse each doughnut into the glaze. Place on a wire rack above a sheet pan to catch any excess glaze. Let sit for 20 minutes until glaze is set. Doughnuts are best served the day they are made but may be store in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Some readers have complained that 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg was too much. Nutmeg is a crucial flavor component to any doughnut, but if you don't like the taste reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon or omit it altogether.From Hand Forged Doughnuts via Completely Delicious
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
About Tessa...
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— March 13, 2023 at 9:49 am
Hi Ruth! We haven’t tried that, as sour cream is the star ingredient here – but plain yogurt is typically a good substitution for sour cream, so it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— February 21, 2023 at 10:16 am
Hi Debbie! We have not tried it with this recipe specifically, but other readers have with success. In case it helps, most doughnuts can be fried, cooled, and then frozen. We recommend freezing separately on a pan for a couple of hours or until solid, and then placing inside an airtight container (so they don’t stick together). Frozen doughnuts should keep for up to a month. To thaw, leave at room temperature for a few hours, and then re-crisp in a very hot oven for a few minutes, before glazing per the instructions in the recipe! Doughnuts are definitely best eaten fresh, but they will keep for a few days at room temperature, in an airtight container, too. I hope that helps
I made these vegan with an egg replacer (bobs red mill) and vegan tofutti sour cream and they turned out perfect!!!!! im so happy to taste these again!!!!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— February 10, 2023 at 9:26 am
Hi Diane! I’m not sure that would work so well. I believe most 00 flours contain about 112-13% protein, whereas cake flour contains 6-8% protein. In order for these doughnuts to be light and have a beautiful crumb, they need that lower protein content. I hope that helps 🙂 Happy baking!
I saw this recipe online and it just looked so good! I looked through the comments to see if they would be as good as they look and everyone was saying how amazing they are! I just had to give them a try so I did… I fallowed the recipe exactly but when I made the doughnuts (although they had pretty good flavour) they were flat and had the texture almost of a cookie. I was pretty disappointed and at this point all I wanted was to make a doughnut. I tried again being even more sure to fallow the recipe exact but the same thing still happened. Can anyone tell me why this may be happening and what I can do to fix it? Thanks!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— January 27, 2023 at 2:36 pm
Hi Addy! I’m sorry to hear that these doughnuts didn’t turn out as they should! Without having baked alongside you, it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong – but here are a couple of initial thoughts, based on your comment, that could have gone wrong:
– How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients (particularly flour) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. From your description, it sounds like you maybe added too much cake flour Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here!
– How old is your baking powder? If your leavening agents are not fresh, the can’t do their job and your baked goods can not rise properly, fall after baking, and much more. This could be why your doughnuts were not as thick/tall as they should be, and why their consistency was cookie-like. Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents, and how to test for leavener freshness, in this article here!
I hope something here helps, Addy! Happy baking 🙂
Excellent, I’m very proud of how well they turned out. I was too tired to fry them so the dough in fridge for 2 days. It seems to me that if I turn just the donuts over in the oil just once, the ridges/crevices appear on the other uncooked side as opposed to if I turn them several times to achieve an even color. So half of them gained the lovely traditional ridged crispy edge.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— January 9, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Hi Antonia! I’m sorry, but we haven’t tried these doughnuts in an airfryer, so we can’t say if that will work – but we did have one reader say it worked well for them. Let us know how it goes if you give this a try!
I’ve made these a few times. Overall, they are usually pretty good. They always seem to come out a little denser than I would like and I rarely get the cracked top of a typical old fashioned sour cream donut. Any ideas? I do use bleached cake flour and all of the ingredients get weighed.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— January 6, 2023 at 1:13 pm
Hi Brian! Hmm, that’s strange. There are a few things I can think of as to why this could be happening. The oil you’re frying in might be a little too hot. Alternatively, perhaps your baking soda is not fresh and active anymore? Learn how to test for freshness here! Perhaps your sour cream is not full-fat (using a lower fat sour cream could throw off the chemistry of the recipe). Feel free to reach back out to further troubleshoot, if needed! Happy baking 🙂
An observation: My first batch I turned over and over again because I wanted an even color and avoid burning them. Then with more confidence, I left a batch unturned for a minute or more and noticed the uncooked topside was forming a crevice. Then I turned it to cook that side and viola, there was my classic cracked ridge. Hooray.
Hey!! Been loving this recipe for years now 😉 I was wondering if you’ve ever doubled/ tripled it? Wanted to possibly make a bigger batch to share with friends. Thanks!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— December 21, 2022 at 9:44 am
Hi Menucha! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy these doughnuts to much! You can definitely double this recipe – but any time you make a double or triple batch, you run the risk of accidentally missing larger quantities of ingredients (eg adding 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder instead of 3 teaspoons, for example). Also, most mixer bowls won’t hold such a big batch of dough. So, we typically recommend simply making the single batch two or three times, rather than doubling or tripling the dough in one batch. That being said, if you want to proceed and are confident you’ll add the correct quantities of each ingredient, and your mixer bowl is large enough, then go for it – just be careful to double check every ingredient, and make sure to mix everything thoroughly and scrape the bowl down extra, to account for the large dough batch. I hope that helps! 🙂
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— November 8, 2022 at 10:26 am
Hi Joyce! No, this recipe must use cake flour. There’s a note about this in the pink tip box, above the recipe 🙂 These are definitely worth the extra flour purchase, though! 🙂
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— October 17, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Hi Sara! Yes, there is! Just scroll down a little, underneath Tessa’s Recipe Rundown, and underneath the picture under there. You’ll see a header that says “Recipe Video”. An ad may play first. Please note: the ‘recipe video’ icon at the top of the page does not work (we’re working on fixing that!) but for now, just scroll down a little to see it! I hope you give these doughnuts a try, and let us know what you think!! 🙂
Delicious bakery style Old Fashioned donuts! The recipe was easy to make. I was only able to get 7 donuts, I would recommend doubling the recipe. Will definitely make these again.
Thus was a good recipe, easy to follow. Only thing I has to do was add a little more hot water to the glaze as it was too thick. I only got 10 donuts and 6 were a little on the thin side. Next time, I will probably double the recipe. But overall a win!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— August 15, 2022 at 8:39 am
Sorry to hear that, Hunter! Perhaps try lowering the temperature of the oil next time for a better result! Please let us know if you have any further questions or need any help troubleshooting at all – we are always happy to help! 🙂
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— August 8, 2022 at 1:34 pm
Hi Shannon! It’s fine to glaze while they’re warm or once they have cooled – either way will work fine! I personally prefer to glaze while they’re still a little warm, as that’s when it’s most fun to eat them 😉 You just want to make sure they aren’t still super hot, as the glaze will soak in too much then. I hope this helps! Happy baking!!
I rolled the dough out to 1/2” thick and used a 3 inch circle cutter to cut out the donuts, but only ended up with 5 donuts instead of 12. Am I doing something wrong?
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— August 1, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Hi Grace! Hmm, that definitely sounds like something went wrong along the way! Did you possibly mis-read or mis-measure one of the ingredients such as flour?
Tastes very good! Dough came together easily, but it was very sticky and i had to add 5 Tbsp of flour – it was still sticky. I did make this in Ontario Canada in the summer, so humidity is high.
The first four donuts fried up flat and didn’t puff and crack like the pictures, but as the rest of the donuts puffed up and cracked across the circle perfectly. I guess the cut dough warmed up while waiting for their turn in the fryer, which was just the ticket…?
I used a small electric deep fryer and cooked two at a time.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— July 11, 2022 at 9:42 am
Hi Kristine! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these doughnuts!! I’m glad you were able to get them picture-perfect once they warmed up a touch 🙂 Happy baking!
I made these this morning! So easy! And I Loved them!
IMO they were as good as the one I had at the bakery last weekend!
My husband ate 3 with his coffee!
No issues with thickness or the number I cut out.
I think I got 11 donuts, I cut extra holes and the tail end of the dough is just cut strips and called them rag tag donuts.
I fried them in a cast iron skillet could of used a little more oil!
I do not use canola oil much, but I had enough for frying.
For a first try, I think mine came out pretty well. The glaze was the perfect consistency and the doughnuts were crispy on the outside, just like I like them. I did have some issues keeping my oil at a constant 325 degrees (using an electric skillet with a thermometer to monitor. Biggest issues were the instructions to “roll the dough to 1/2” thickness”. Had I done this I would have only ended up with about 6-7 doughnuts along with the holes. I rolled to about 1/4” and I got 14 doughnuts along with holes.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— June 16, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Hi Olivia! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love these doughnuts! These doughnuts typically have a light, soft middle, with a crispy exterior, and a perfectly fresh old fashioned sour cream doughnut flavor. I’d love to try to help you troubleshoot and figure out what went wrong! Feel free to reach out to us here, or at [email protected] for further troubleshooting assistance!
Have you ever had a old fashioned doughnut? Theres no sour cream flavor. Its an ingredient used for moistness and tender texture. The subtle flavor comes from a touch of nutmeg and the canilla and butter in the glaze. Bland, crunchy, sugar glazey deliciousness
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— June 14, 2022 at 7:18 am
Hi Melissa! I’m sorry, I can’t say for sure, because we have only tried frying these in canola oil! You could try any oil with a higher smoke point, but it might alter the flavor. Alternatively, Tessa has created countless baked doughnuts, available on the Doughnut Category Page! I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I tried doubling the recipe and swapped out the butter for room temp crisco. It was extremely firmed. The only thing I could think of was maybe I didn’t whip the butter mixture with the egg long enough. Any advice??
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— June 13, 2022 at 9:04 am
Hi Tori! There are so many things that could have gone wrong, and it’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly the issue without having baked alongside you. Firstly, swapping the butter for Crisco could very likely be the culprit. Crisco doesn’t behave the exact same way as butter (shortenings are 100% fat; butter is only about 80% fat and 20% water), and therefore the two can’t always be swapped out for one another, without other adjustments. You could also be right; it could be that the butter (or Crisco?) mixture was not whipped long enough with the eggs, to form a light and airy base. Another issue could be your flour; do you measure by volume, or by weight? It’s so easy to add too much flour if measuring by volume. Tessa talks about that, and how to most accurately measure, in this article here. Another issue could be your cake flour. Did you use bleached cake flour, or a DIY substitute? In this article, Tessa demonstrates the differences between flours and the DIY cake flour substitutes, and how they work in baking! It could also be that when you added your flour, you mixed for too long, which creates a heavy base and a tough end result. Lastly, your leavener could be a little old and therefore it may have lost its leavening abilities. You can test it for freshness to ensure a successful result; Tessa explains how here! I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out to us if you need any further assistance troubleshooting! Happy baking 🙂
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— June 7, 2022 at 8:18 am
Hi Nicole! We have not tried it with this recipe specifically, but most doughnuts can be fried, cooled, and then frozen. We recommend freezing separately on a pan for a couple of hours or until solid, and then placing inside an airtight container (so they don’t stick together). Frozen doughnuts should keep for up to a month. To thaw, leave at room temperature for a few hours, and then re-crisp in a very hot oven for a few minutes, before glazing per the instructions in the recipe! Doughnuts are definitely best eaten fresh, but they will keep for a few days at room temperature, in an airtight container, too. I hope that helps 🙂
Hi Tessa,
Trying to make the donuts now. Rested the dough in the refrigerator for a bit more than an hour. When rolling the dough and cutting it into the donut shape, why is it crumbling? How can I fix this?
I like this recipe. These were the old fashioned donuts I’ve been craving. 🙂
I’ve made these several times. The recipe is pretty foolproof. I’ve used various flours and resting times. Greek yogurt can be substituted for sour cream but the subtle richness of sour cream is better. The dough can be refrigerated a few days if necessary. The only thing to really watch is the oil temperature. If the oil becomes foamy when frying the donuts, it’s too hot. This will damage the structure of the donut and it will be crumbly.
Has anyone tried putting this dough into a generously greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish and baking it? Then glazing it and cutting into squares? For those of us with health issues that can’t stand long enough to fry, this would be wonderful.
Hi Glenda! We do not recommend baking these doughnuts – the recipe was specifically designed to be fried. I’d suggest checking out our Baked Doughnut recipes instead to find a favorite 🙂
No, it will not create doughnuts with the same soft texture that cake flour does. I’d suggest waiting until you’re able to go to the store to try this recipe successfully 🙂
These donuts are absolutely amazing. I do have a question though. All of ours split and cracked on the sides instead of the tops. Is there a reason why this happens? Hoping to use this recipe for a donut tower at a wedding but they don’t look great all split on the sides.
hmmm…it sounds like your dough may have been too dry. Do you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients? Or did the unbaked doughnuts sit out for a period of time where they could have formed a dried skin on them, which would have split in the hot oil? I’d love to help troubleshoot through this further, let me know if I can help!
Every sour cream old fashioned donut I’ve ever seen sold in a store has splits along the sides. I was surprised to see that this recipe didn’t have them!
I’ve never made donuts before so I apologize if this question sounds stupid/silly. In the instruction section it says “Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot…” followed by “…Fry on each side about 2 minutes”. I’m a little confused. “Fry on each side…” implies turning them over but if I have 2″ of oil at the bottom of pot and these things are 1/2″ thick to start wouldn’t they fry on both sides in 2″ of oil automagically on their own? At any point should I expect that I’ll need to turn them over during frying or do I just drop them in and leave them alone until they are done?
Hi Steve! These doughnuts will float in the oil as well as puff up just a bit, which is why you need to flip them after two minutes. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
I live in Italy and woke up with a craving for my favorite pastry in the world, an old-fashioned donut! Just wrapped up making these bad boys. I used whole fat greek yogurt and added a little cream to substitute for the sour cream (not easy to find here). Also I had to used unbleached flour, as someone else mentioned bleached flour is illegal over here. They flavor is good, but the glaze isn’t quite as thick as I like and double dipping was too sweet. I will use a different recipe for the glaze next time. Also I only got 8 donuts from this recipe and for the all the work it took to make them, I would probably double it next time. I shaped the holes into balls instead of leaving them flat because I prefer the appearance.
This is a recipe I definitely want to try. I have a New Range that will be delivered in about a month. It has an Air-Fryer and this is something I want to try in it. Any help from you will be greatly appreciated. I’ll gladly provide end results to you.
Hi Bill! We haven’t tested this recipe using an air fryer, though other readers have had success! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
Hi, it’s really difficult to find cake flour where I’m from! I was wondering if I was to make a substitute to get the ‘best results’ I possibly could with what I have at hand, would I use homemade substitute cake flour or just use plain flour? Thank you!
Hi there! We explain the importance of cake flour for these doughnuts in the pink tip box above the recipe. You’re more than welcome to experiment with homemade cake flour (I wouldn’t suggest plain flour), but we have seen poor results from people who have substituted that ingredient. Could you order it online? Otherwise, you may be better off trying a different doughnut recipe on the site (we have a ton to choose from!). I hope that helps!
Sorry just a note not a comment. Double the recipe except 2 yokes and one whole egg. Add 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries defrosted to dough. Pinch of cinnamon. Milk in frosting is better then water.
Based in the UK and have NO access to bleached cake flour – it’s illegal! Who knew! Any suggestions on substitutes for people that absolutely cannot get it?
Hi Jennifer! We tested this recipe extensively with bleached cake flour, so I can’t say for sure. Unbleached cake flour won’t absorb as much moisture and can actually result in doughnuts that crumble while frying, and AP flour won’t create the same soft texture. You’re welcome to experiment with a DIY substitution, but we haven’t had much luck using the DIYs in recipes. You can find more information in this article HERE. I wish I could help more!
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Can plain Greek yogurt be substituted for the sour cream?
Hi Ruth! We haven’t tried that, as sour cream is the star ingredient here – but plain yogurt is typically a good substitution for sour cream, so it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Hello!!
Can these be made, cut out and refrigerated overnight…then fried in the morning!
Thank you!
Hi Debbie! We have not tried it with this recipe specifically, but other readers have with success. In case it helps, most doughnuts can be fried, cooled, and then frozen. We recommend freezing separately on a pan for a couple of hours or until solid, and then placing inside an airtight container (so they don’t stick together). Frozen doughnuts should keep for up to a month. To thaw, leave at room temperature for a few hours, and then re-crisp in a very hot oven for a few minutes, before glazing per the instructions in the recipe! Doughnuts are definitely best eaten fresh, but they will keep for a few days at room temperature, in an airtight container, too. I hope that helps
I made these vegan with an egg replacer (bobs red mill) and vegan tofutti sour cream and they turned out perfect!!!!! im so happy to taste these again!!!!
Can 00flour substitute for,cake,flour?
Hi Diane! I’m not sure that would work so well. I believe most 00 flours contain about 112-13% protein, whereas cake flour contains 6-8% protein. In order for these doughnuts to be light and have a beautiful crumb, they need that lower protein content. I hope that helps 🙂 Happy baking!
I saw this recipe online and it just looked so good! I looked through the comments to see if they would be as good as they look and everyone was saying how amazing they are! I just had to give them a try so I did… I fallowed the recipe exactly but when I made the doughnuts (although they had pretty good flavour) they were flat and had the texture almost of a cookie. I was pretty disappointed and at this point all I wanted was to make a doughnut. I tried again being even more sure to fallow the recipe exact but the same thing still happened. Can anyone tell me why this may be happening and what I can do to fix it? Thanks!
Hi Addy! I’m sorry to hear that these doughnuts didn’t turn out as they should! Without having baked alongside you, it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong – but here are a couple of initial thoughts, based on your comment, that could have gone wrong:
– How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients (particularly flour) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. From your description, it sounds like you maybe added too much cake flour Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here!
– How old is your baking powder? If your leavening agents are not fresh, the can’t do their job and your baked goods can not rise properly, fall after baking, and much more. This could be why your doughnuts were not as thick/tall as they should be, and why their consistency was cookie-like. Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents, and how to test for leavener freshness, in this article here!
I hope something here helps, Addy! Happy baking 🙂
Excellent, I’m very proud of how well they turned out. I was too tired to fry them so the dough in fridge for 2 days. It seems to me that if I turn just the donuts over in the oil just once, the ridges/crevices appear on the other uncooked side as opposed to if I turn them several times to achieve an even color. So half of them gained the lovely traditional ridged crispy edge.
Can the dough be made up the night before and fried the next morning?
Hi Liz! We haven’t tried that, though other readers have with success 🙂 Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Hi, I love sour cream doughnuts, but I really need to watch calories.
Could you please explain how, or if, one can cook these in an Air Fryer? Thank you!
Hi Antonia! I’m sorry, but we haven’t tried these doughnuts in an airfryer, so we can’t say if that will work – but we did have one reader say it worked well for them. Let us know how it goes if you give this a try!
I’ve made these a few times. Overall, they are usually pretty good. They always seem to come out a little denser than I would like and I rarely get the cracked top of a typical old fashioned sour cream donut. Any ideas? I do use bleached cake flour and all of the ingredients get weighed.
Hi Brian! Hmm, that’s strange. There are a few things I can think of as to why this could be happening. The oil you’re frying in might be a little too hot. Alternatively, perhaps your baking soda is not fresh and active anymore? Learn how to test for freshness here! Perhaps your sour cream is not full-fat (using a lower fat sour cream could throw off the chemistry of the recipe). Feel free to reach back out to further troubleshoot, if needed! Happy baking 🙂
An observation: My first batch I turned over and over again because I wanted an even color and avoid burning them. Then with more confidence, I left a batch unturned for a minute or more and noticed the uncooked topside was forming a crevice. Then I turned it to cook that side and viola, there was my classic cracked ridge. Hooray.
Hey!! Been loving this recipe for years now 😉 I was wondering if you’ve ever doubled/ tripled it? Wanted to possibly make a bigger batch to share with friends. Thanks!
Hi Menucha! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy these doughnuts to much! You can definitely double this recipe – but any time you make a double or triple batch, you run the risk of accidentally missing larger quantities of ingredients (eg adding 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder instead of 3 teaspoons, for example). Also, most mixer bowls won’t hold such a big batch of dough. So, we typically recommend simply making the single batch two or three times, rather than doubling or tripling the dough in one batch. That being said, if you want to proceed and are confident you’ll add the correct quantities of each ingredient, and your mixer bowl is large enough, then go for it – just be careful to double check every ingredient, and make sure to mix everything thoroughly and scrape the bowl down extra, to account for the large dough batch. I hope that helps! 🙂
Can you use regular flour instead of cake flour?
Hi Joyce! No, this recipe must use cake flour. There’s a note about this in the pink tip box, above the recipe 🙂 These are definitely worth the extra flour purchase, though! 🙂
Is there a video?
Hi Sara! Yes, there is! Just scroll down a little, underneath Tessa’s Recipe Rundown, and underneath the picture under there. You’ll see a header that says “Recipe Video”. An ad may play first. Please note: the ‘recipe video’ icon at the top of the page does not work (we’re working on fixing that!) but for now, just scroll down a little to see it! I hope you give these doughnuts a try, and let us know what you think!! 🙂
can doughnut machine be used for this recipe
Answered by trying. I tried it with the doughnut machine just a little bit of the dough. Don’t use a machine came out hard as a rock.
I really didn’t want to fried them but that was the best way. The doughnuts came out great!
Delicious bakery style Old Fashioned donuts! The recipe was easy to make. I was only able to get 7 donuts, I would recommend doubling the recipe. Will definitely make these again.
Thus was a good recipe, easy to follow. Only thing I has to do was add a little more hot water to the glaze as it was too thick. I only got 10 donuts and 6 were a little on the thin side. Next time, I will probably double the recipe. But overall a win!
i burnt the donuts
Sorry to hear that, Hunter! Perhaps try lowering the temperature of the oil next time for a better result! Please let us know if you have any further questions or need any help troubleshooting at all – we are always happy to help! 🙂
Ty for making me The baker I am today
Aww, what a sweet comment!! All of us at Team Handle the Heat are so happy to have helped 🙂
Do you glaze the doughnuts once they have cooled or still warm? Thanks!
Hi Shannon! It’s fine to glaze while they’re warm or once they have cooled – either way will work fine! I personally prefer to glaze while they’re still a little warm, as that’s when it’s most fun to eat them 😉 You just want to make sure they aren’t still super hot, as the glaze will soak in too much then. I hope this helps! Happy baking!!
I rolled the dough out to 1/2” thick and used a 3 inch circle cutter to cut out the donuts, but only ended up with 5 donuts instead of 12. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Grace! Hmm, that definitely sounds like something went wrong along the way! Did you possibly mis-read or mis-measure one of the ingredients such as flour?
Tastes very good! Dough came together easily, but it was very sticky and i had to add 5 Tbsp of flour – it was still sticky. I did make this in Ontario Canada in the summer, so humidity is high.
The first four donuts fried up flat and didn’t puff and crack like the pictures, but as the rest of the donuts puffed up and cracked across the circle perfectly. I guess the cut dough warmed up while waiting for their turn in the fryer, which was just the ticket…?
I used a small electric deep fryer and cooked two at a time.
Hi Kristine! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these doughnuts!! I’m glad you were able to get them picture-perfect once they warmed up a touch 🙂 Happy baking!
I made these this morning! So easy! And I Loved them!
IMO they were as good as the one I had at the bakery last weekend!
My husband ate 3 with his coffee!
No issues with thickness or the number I cut out.
I think I got 11 donuts, I cut extra holes and the tail end of the dough is just cut strips and called them rag tag donuts.
I fried them in a cast iron skillet could of used a little more oil!
I do not use canola oil much, but I had enough for frying.
So good, I will make these again!
Hi Jill! I’m so thrilled you and your husband loved these doughnuts to much! I’m so glad you thought they were as good as the ones from a bakery 🙂
For a first try, I think mine came out pretty well. The glaze was the perfect consistency and the doughnuts were crispy on the outside, just like I like them. I did have some issues keeping my oil at a constant 325 degrees (using an electric skillet with a thermometer to monitor. Biggest issues were the instructions to “roll the dough to 1/2” thickness”. Had I done this I would have only ended up with about 6-7 doughnuts along with the holes. I rolled to about 1/4” and I got 14 doughnuts along with holes.
So happy you enjoyed these doughnuts, Mary!!
Not much sour cream flavour… not much flavour at all actually. I followed the dough recipe to a T. Came out bland.
Hi Olivia! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love these doughnuts! These doughnuts typically have a light, soft middle, with a crispy exterior, and a perfectly fresh old fashioned sour cream doughnut flavor. I’d love to try to help you troubleshoot and figure out what went wrong! Feel free to reach out to us here, or at [email protected] for further troubleshooting assistance!
Have you ever had a old fashioned doughnut? Theres no sour cream flavor. Its an ingredient used for moistness and tender texture. The subtle flavor comes from a touch of nutmeg and the canilla and butter in the glaze. Bland, crunchy, sugar glazey deliciousness
Super crumbly and perfect doughnuts. The ingredients are measured to perfection.
So happy to hear that you love these doughnuts, Mel!! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hi there! Can I make these in something other than a dees oil? Like coconut oil?
Hi Melissa! I’m sorry, I can’t say for sure, because we have only tried frying these in canola oil! You could try any oil with a higher smoke point, but it might alter the flavor. Alternatively, Tessa has created countless baked doughnuts, available on the Doughnut Category Page! I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I tried doubling the recipe and swapped out the butter for room temp crisco. It was extremely firmed. The only thing I could think of was maybe I didn’t whip the butter mixture with the egg long enough. Any advice??
Hi Tori! There are so many things that could have gone wrong, and it’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly the issue without having baked alongside you. Firstly, swapping the butter for Crisco could very likely be the culprit. Crisco doesn’t behave the exact same way as butter (shortenings are 100% fat; butter is only about 80% fat and 20% water), and therefore the two can’t always be swapped out for one another, without other adjustments. You could also be right; it could be that the butter (or Crisco?) mixture was not whipped long enough with the eggs, to form a light and airy base. Another issue could be your flour; do you measure by volume, or by weight? It’s so easy to add too much flour if measuring by volume. Tessa talks about that, and how to most accurately measure, in this article here. Another issue could be your cake flour. Did you use bleached cake flour, or a DIY substitute? In this article, Tessa demonstrates the differences between flours and the DIY cake flour substitutes, and how they work in baking! It could also be that when you added your flour, you mixed for too long, which creates a heavy base and a tough end result. Lastly, your leavener could be a little old and therefore it may have lost its leavening abilities. You can test it for freshness to ensure a successful result; Tessa explains how here! I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out to us if you need any further assistance troubleshooting! Happy baking 🙂
Can you freeze the unglazed donuts or any make ahead tips?
Hi Nicole! We have not tried it with this recipe specifically, but most doughnuts can be fried, cooled, and then frozen. We recommend freezing separately on a pan for a couple of hours or until solid, and then placing inside an airtight container (so they don’t stick together). Frozen doughnuts should keep for up to a month. To thaw, leave at room temperature for a few hours, and then re-crisp in a very hot oven for a few minutes, before glazing per the instructions in the recipe! Doughnuts are definitely best eaten fresh, but they will keep for a few days at room temperature, in an airtight container, too. I hope that helps 🙂
Can these be baked?
Hi Michele! This recipe was designed to be fried, not baked. We do have a collection of baked doughnut recipes, if that helps 🙂
Great recipe, worked out great even thought I accidently added the sugar to my flour mixture. I made it work!
Hi Tessa,
Trying to make the donuts now. Rested the dough in the refrigerator for a bit more than an hour. When rolling the dough and cutting it into the donut shape, why is it crumbling? How can I fix this?
Crumbly dough is typically due to too much flour being added to the dough. How did your doughnuts turn out?
Hey there! Just curious, could this dough sit in the fridge overnight? I look forward to trying your recipe! Have a great weekend.
Hi Jonathan! We haven’t tried that, though other readers have with success Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Yes, I do it all of the time. Let them warm up a bit before frying to grt the best rise
Can vegetable oil be used in this recipe instead of canola oil? I’m not a fan of the flavor of canola oil.
That should be fine 🙂
I like this recipe. These were the old fashioned donuts I’ve been craving. 🙂
I’ve made these several times. The recipe is pretty foolproof. I’ve used various flours and resting times. Greek yogurt can be substituted for sour cream but the subtle richness of sour cream is better. The dough can be refrigerated a few days if necessary. The only thing to really watch is the oil temperature. If the oil becomes foamy when frying the donuts, it’s too hot. This will damage the structure of the donut and it will be crumbly.
Thanks so much for all of your feedback, Mickey! I’m sure it’ll be helpful to other readers 🙂 Happy to hear how much you love this recipe!
Has anyone tried putting this dough into a generously greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish and baking it? Then glazing it and cutting into squares? For those of us with health issues that can’t stand long enough to fry, this would be wonderful.
Hi Glenda! We do not recommend baking these doughnuts – the recipe was specifically designed to be fried. I’d suggest checking out our Baked Doughnut recipes instead to find a favorite 🙂
Can you use all purpose flour verse cake flour? I’m home and trying not to go out in the rain. Thanks
No, it will not create doughnuts with the same soft texture that cake flour does. I’d suggest waiting until you’re able to go to the store to try this recipe successfully 🙂
Can I make the dough at night and cooked them in the morning? I know you said an hour but will overnight hurt the dough? Thanks
Hi Julia! We haven’t tried that, though other readers have with success 🙂 Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
thank you for the recipe. Love sour cream donuts. M
These donuts are absolutely amazing. I do have a question though. All of ours split and cracked on the sides instead of the tops. Is there a reason why this happens? Hoping to use this recipe for a donut tower at a wedding but they don’t look great all split on the sides.
hmmm…it sounds like your dough may have been too dry. Do you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients? Or did the unbaked doughnuts sit out for a period of time where they could have formed a dried skin on them, which would have split in the hot oil? I’d love to help troubleshoot through this further, let me know if I can help!
Every sour cream old fashioned donut I’ve ever seen sold in a store has splits along the sides. I was surprised to see that this recipe didn’t have them!
I’ve never made donuts before so I apologize if this question sounds stupid/silly. In the instruction section it says “Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot…” followed by “…Fry on each side about 2 minutes”. I’m a little confused. “Fry on each side…” implies turning them over but if I have 2″ of oil at the bottom of pot and these things are 1/2″ thick to start wouldn’t they fry on both sides in 2″ of oil automagically on their own? At any point should I expect that I’ll need to turn them over during frying or do I just drop them in and leave them alone until they are done?
Hi Steve! These doughnuts will float in the oil as well as puff up just a bit, which is why you need to flip them after two minutes. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
I live in Italy and woke up with a craving for my favorite pastry in the world, an old-fashioned donut! Just wrapped up making these bad boys. I used whole fat greek yogurt and added a little cream to substitute for the sour cream (not easy to find here). Also I had to used unbleached flour, as someone else mentioned bleached flour is illegal over here. They flavor is good, but the glaze isn’t quite as thick as I like and double dipping was too sweet. I will use a different recipe for the glaze next time. Also I only got 8 donuts from this recipe and for the all the work it took to make them, I would probably double it next time. I shaped the holes into balls instead of leaving them flat because I prefer the appearance.
This is a recipe I definitely want to try. I have a New Range that will be delivered in about a month. It has an Air-Fryer and this is something I want to try in it. Any help from you will be greatly appreciated. I’ll gladly provide end results to you.
Hi Bill! We haven’t tested this recipe using an air fryer, though other readers have had success! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
Love this recipe.. it was a bit dry so I added another tablespoon of sourcream…. PERFECTION! Crunchy on the outside light on the inside.. delish…
So happy you loved them!
This Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts recipe seems so delicious . Thanks for sharing this one with us .
Hi, it’s really difficult to find cake flour where I’m from! I was wondering if I was to make a substitute to get the ‘best results’ I possibly could with what I have at hand, would I use homemade substitute cake flour or just use plain flour? Thank you!
Hi there! We explain the importance of cake flour for these doughnuts in the pink tip box above the recipe. You’re more than welcome to experiment with homemade cake flour (I wouldn’t suggest plain flour), but we have seen poor results from people who have substituted that ingredient. Could you order it online? Otherwise, you may be better off trying a different doughnut recipe on the site (we have a ton to choose from!). I hope that helps!
Sorry just a note not a comment. Double the recipe except 2 yokes and one whole egg. Add 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries defrosted to dough. Pinch of cinnamon. Milk in frosting is better then water.
Can I double this recipe or not?
That should be fine!
I don’t have a stand mixer, so will it work with a hand mixer
Hi Myra! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
My son made them this morning he put the amount of nutmeg in them that on the recipe and also put cinnamon in them
Based in the UK and have NO access to bleached cake flour – it’s illegal! Who knew! Any suggestions on substitutes for people that absolutely cannot get it?
Hi Jennifer! We tested this recipe extensively with bleached cake flour, so I can’t say for sure. Unbleached cake flour won’t absorb as much moisture and can actually result in doughnuts that crumble while frying, and AP flour won’t create the same soft texture. You’re welcome to experiment with a DIY substitution, but we haven’t had much luck using the DIYs in recipes. You can find more information in this article HERE. I wish I could help more!
Do you have any suggestions for how to make a chocolate version? Thank you.
Here’s a link to our chocolate version: https://handletheheat.com/chocolate-old-fashioned-doughnuts/. Enjoy!