Doughnut Cake

This doughnut cake is made with fluffy, glazed yeast doughnuts, layered with vanilla custard and buttercream, and topped with dark chocolate ganache. Have you ever had a doughnut cake?  It’s quite literally, a cake made of doughnuts.  If this wasn’t a thing before, here is its moment.

For more cake ideas, don’t miss my Neapolitan birthday cake and rainbow sprinkle cake!

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Why You’ll Love This Cake

There are layers of soft, melt-in-your-mouth glazed doughnuts – which, no, I didn’t make myself this time; but everything except the doughnuts I made from scratch.  Spoonfuls of homemade vanilla bean custard fill all the nooks and crannies between the doughnuts.  Fluffy salted vanilla buttercream separate each layer of doughnuts.  Big flakes of natural coconut add crunch and texture.  And rich chocolate ganache tops it all off.

It’s completely customizable with your own flavor combinations of custard and buttercream.  What about jam instead of custard, paired with salted chocolate buttercream?  Or lemon custard with a beautifully pink raspberry buttercream?

And while I sprinkled it with coconut for crunch, there is always toffee bits, or crushed nuts, or even cereal!  Or salty crispy bacon!  There is a doughnut shop here in town that tops their doughnuts with sugar cereal instead of sprinkles.  They’re pretty fantastic.

Each slice of this cake is a beautiful mess.  A tangle of fried dough, velvety custard and buttercream that melts on your tongue.  Not to mention the silky chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

• Doughnuts. You could use any doughnuts that you like, but I chose plain, glazed yeasted doughnuts and just picked them up at my grocery store bakery.
• Custard. For the vanilla bean custard filling, use a thick and sturdy pastry cream, which will help to hold all the doughnuts together as you stack them.
• Buttercream. The buttercream also serves as “glue” to hold the layers of doughnuts together.
• Ganache. You’ll need equal parts good-quality dark chocolate and heavy whipping cream for the ganache drip on top of your doughnut cake.
• Toppings. For a crunchy element, feel free to add toffee bits, sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut, etc.

Instructions

• Cut 6 of the doughnuts in half for a total of 12 halves. Keep 3 doughnuts whole.  There will be 3 layers of cake, each with 1 whole doughnut and 4 halves.
• Place a whole doughnut in the center of a 10-inch cake board, using a little buttercream under the doughnut to adhere it to the cake board.  Arrange 4 halves around the sides.  Spoon 1/3 of the chilled custard into all the cracks and crevices.  Sprinkle with some of the coconut, toffee bits, or whatever topping you’re using for texture and crunch.  Pipe 1/3 of the buttercream on top of the doughnuts.
• Repeat with a 2nd and 3rd layer of doughnuts, custard and buttercream.
• Pour the ganache over the top, letting it drip over the sides.  Top with the coconut or other toppings before the ganache sets.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving.
• This cake is best served the same day it’s assembled, since doughnuts become rather stale after a day or two, but it’s still good the second day, since the custard will keep the doughnuts moist.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of doughnuts are best in this cake?

You can use any flavor that you like, but I like to keep the doughnuts simple, with just a plain, glazed doughnut.

Can I use instant pudding instead of making homemade custard?

Yes, you can. Be sure to make it thick enough so it doesn’t run out of the cake.

How long does this cake stay fresh?

It’s really best eaten the same day it’s made, since doughnuts get stale fairly quickly.

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