I used to fry hundreds of soft, golden-brown blueberry cake donuts every morning at a bakery I worked at. I was the only one in charge, so you could say I know a thing or two about donuts!
I wanted to bring that bakery-style texture home, so I made a hand-mixed cake batter with frozen wild blueberries and dunked them in a sweet blueberry glaze. They’re like a fried version of my bakery-style blueberry muffins: tender on the inside, crispy edges, and just sweet enough to make you reach for another.
Mini donuts are an easy “pop in your mouth” snack, but when I’m in the mood for something a bit more indulgent, I have the best blueberry cupcake recipe that I turn to. They have triple the blueberry flavor: blueberry frosting, filling, and batter!
Table of Contents
Tips for Perfect Cake Donuts
Use frozen wild blueberries, not fresh ones. They’re smaller, hold their shape better, and bleed less juice than fresh ones, keeping your batter thick and your donuts studded with berries in every bite!
Use a spring-released scoop to portion the batter. It helps the batter drop cleanly into the oil without splashing, making frying safer, and ensures perfectly even-sized donuts every time.
Maintain a steady oil temperature of 350°F. Too hot, and the donuts burn on the outside before cooking through. Too cool, and they absorb too much oil. I recommend using a thermometer and frying in small batches to achieve that perfect balance!
The Step-by-Step Process
1
Make the donut batter, then refrigerate. The chill time allows the batter to fully hydrate, making the donuts super moist and fluffy.
2
Fry the donuts until they are golden brown, then transfer them to a wire-lined baking tray. Since they’re mini, they cook fast. Make sure to set a timer so you don’t over-fry them!
There’s something really satisfying about baking with blueberries, even straight from the freezer. One of my personal favorites is my moist blueberry crumble muffins. They have the same soft, cakey crumb and blueberry flavor, but with a crumb topping!
3
Make the blueberry glaze. For a bright blueberry flavor, I found that a combination of blueberry extract or emulsion and freeze-dried blueberry powder gives the best result!
4
Toss the blueberry donuts one at a time in the blueberry glaze. Once fully coated, use a slotted spoon to remove each donut, banging the spoon on the side of the bowl a few times to allow any excess glaze to fall off. Then place them back on the wire rack.
I love the grab-and-go vibe of this recipe, but sometimes I want something I can slice into. My blueberry loaf with lemon glaze hits that same soft, cake-like texture, but adds a tangy citrus glaze on top!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Blueberry Cake Donuts with Blueberry Glaze
Ingredients
For the Cake Donut Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted European butter, melted
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
- Neutral frying oil, like vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
For the Blueberry Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberry powder
- 1 teaspoon blueberry emulsion or extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) fine sea salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, egg, sour cream, and vanilla.1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons (56 g) salted European butter, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (140 g) buttermilk, 1 (50 g) large egg, 1/4 cup (56 g) sour cream, 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla bean paste
- Fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients until almost combined, then fold in the frozen wild blueberries until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.2/3 cup (88 g) frozen wild blueberries
- Meanwhile, fill a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with 2” of oil and bring it to 355°F.Neutral frying oil, like vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
- Place a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. This will be for the fried donuts. Set aside.
- Scoop the dough with a spring-loaded two-tablespoon scoop and straight into the oil, frying for 3 minutes, flipping once to achieve an even color. Then, use a slotted wooden spoon to transfer them to the wire rack. I recommend frying only 6 to 8 donuts at a time. Make sure the oil returns to 355°F before frying the next batch!
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, freeze-dried blueberry powder, milk, and blueberry emulsion or extract until smooth. Then microwave for 1 minute until the glaze is warm and runny.3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, 1/4 cup + 2-3 tablespoons (82 g) whole milk, 1/4 cup (20 g) freeze-dried blueberry powder, 1 teaspoon (4 g) blueberry emulsion or extract
- Toss each donut hole in the glaze until it is fully covered. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the glaze, tapping the spoon a few times on the side of the bowl to remove any excess glaze. Return them to the wire rack and enjoy!
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Hi! Big fan here of literally everything you do and do not want to ever stray from your original recipe unless I absolutely have to. I’m thinking about trying these with strawberries though though (fruit, extract AND powder). What do you think? I just have so many frozen strawbs to use up and all the strawberry version of everything! If you say no, then I will not! Lol.
Hi Cam!! This made me smile, thank you so much! I think strawberry could totally work here, especially if you’ve got the extract and powder to help boost the flavor. I would make sure to chop the strawberries into small pieces first if possible, then make sure you add them frozen to the batter. But overall, I say go for it and report back! I may have to create a strawberry version now! 😊
A perfect little bite of heaven! The glaze is especially delicious!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed them, the glaze is definitely my favorite part too!