An easy high altitude recipe for light and fluffy baked lemon donuts, scented with fresh lemon zest, and coated in lemon sugar. These lemon cake donuts are full of bright lemon flavor, they come together quickly and easily, and are perfect for a special breakfast or brunch in the spring and summer months.
You might also love these soft lemon cookies with white chocolate and macadamia nuts, lavender lemon cake, lemon poppy seed sweet rolls, and lemon cream cheese crumb muffins.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy. The cake batter comes together in minutes with a bowl and whisk, and the donuts bake really quickly. Then just coat the donuts in a simple coating of lemon sugar, and they’re ready to eat!
So Bright and Lemony. The secret to a really bright lemon flavor in these donuts is to rub freshly grated lemon zest into the sugar. I do this both in the sugar that’s in the donuts themselves, as well as the sugar coating the outside of the donuts.
Basic Ingredients. You won’t need anything fancy or hard-to-find ingredients for today’s recipe, just basic staples from your pantry and fridge.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Donuts
- Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture to the donuts.
- Lemon Zest. Use freshly grated lemon zest for a bright lemon flavor. You’ll need 2 small lemons to zest for the donuts and lemon sugar coating.
- Egg. Gives the batter structure.
- Sour Cream + Milk. Use full-fat dairy for moisture and a rich, creamy flavor.
- Vanilla + Lemon Extracts. Flavor.
- Butter. Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor, and tenderizes the cake.
- Flour. I like to use cake flour for a very soft, fluffy texture, but you can also use all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the donuts rise.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
Lemon Sugar
- Granulated Sugar. Adds a sweet, crunchy finish.
- Lemon Zest. Use freshly grated lemon zest for a bright lemon flavor.
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and grease your doughnut pans with non-stick baking spray.
- Measure the sugar into a bowl, and add the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until very fragrant.
- Whisk in the egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and melted butter until smooth.
- Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk the batter just until combined.
- Scrape the batter into a piping bag and cut off a half inch from the pointed end. Pipe the batter into the donut pans, filling them no more than 1/2 – 2/3 full. You can also do this step with a spoon instead of a piping bag, then smooth out the top of the batter after spooning it into the donut pans.
- Bake the donuts on the center oven rack for about 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the donuts for several minutes in the pan, then gently remove the donuts and let them cool completely on a cooling rack before adding the frosting.
TIP: These baked lemon donuts are delicate when warm, and can break if you try to lift them out of the pan. The best way to remove them from the pan is to place a cooling rack on top, and then invert it to let the donuts gently fall out onto the rack.
Lemon Sugar
- While the donuts are cooling, make the lemon sugar to coat the donuts. Measure the sugar into a bowl, and add the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until very fragrant.
- While the donuts are slightly warm, coat them in the lemon sugar.
TIP: If you find that the sugar doesn’t stick very well, melt 3 tablespoons butter and use a pastry brush to very lightly brush the butter onto the donuts, then coat the donuts in the lemon sugar.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use either cake flour or all-purpose flour?
Yes, either one will work in this recipe.
What is lemon paste?
Lemon paste is similar to lemon extract, but it has a thicker consistency and will add a bright lemon flavor to baked goods. You can use them interchangeably in these lemon cake donuts.
Can I use lemon juice instead of the lemon extract?
No, you’d have to use a more lemon juice than extract to get the same amount of lemon flavor, and that would make the batter too thin and acidic.
How do I store the leftover donuts?
Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If they get sticky, you can give them a fresh coat of lemon sugar before serving.
What can I do with the extra lemon sugar?
If you don’t use up all the lemon sugar to coat your lemon doughnuts, there’s no need to throw it out. You can make lemonade!
- Start by putting the lemon sugar into a small saucepan.
- Then juice two small lemons into the saucepan (just juice the lemons you already zested).
- Bring the sugar and lemon juice to a simmer, and stir just until the sugar is dissolved. This makes a lemon syrup.
- Strain the lemon syrup into a jar to remove the lemon zest.
- Add about 3 cups cold water and a handful of ice (add more or less water to suit your taste).
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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Baked Lemon Sugar Cake Donuts
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 2 Donut Pans (6 donuts each)
Ingredients
Donuts
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon paste or lemon extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp cake flour or all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Lemon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and grease your donut pans with non-stick baking spray.
- Measure the sugar into a bowl, and add the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until very fragrant.
- Whisk in the egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and melted butter until smooth.
- Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk the batter just until combined.
- Scrape the batter into a piping bag and cut off a half inch from the pointed end. Pipe the batter into the donut pans, filling them no more than 1/2 – 2/3 full.You can also do this step with a spoon instead of a piping bag, then smooth out the top of the batter after spooning it into the donut pans.
- Bake the donuts on the center oven rack for about 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the donuts for several minutes in the pan, then gently remove the donuts and let them cool completely on a cooling rack before adding the frosting.TIP: These baked lemon donuts are delicate when warm, and can break if you try to lift them out of the pan. The best way to remove them from the pan is to place a cooling rack on top, and then invert it to let the donuts gently fall out onto the rack.
Lemon Sugar
- While the donuts are cooling, make the lemon sugar to coat the donuts. Measure the sugar into a bowl, and add the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until very fragrant.
- While the donuts are slightly warm, coat them in the lemon sugar.TIP: If you find that the sugar doesn't stick very well, melt 3 tablespoons butter and use a pastry brush to very lightly brush the butter onto the donuts, then coat the donuts in the lemon sugar.
The cake flour made these so light and fluffy I had to stop myself from eating them all. Great recipe – easy to make and tasty. I let them cool in my pan for about 3-4 minutes and didn’t have any issues adding the sugar. I mixed it in a cereal bowl and dipped the donuts, using a fork to flip them over.
I made these last night and they are absolutely delicious. The lemon flavor shines through. The instructions are easy to follow I do not live at a high altitude, but the instructions were fine.