Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts with Brown Butter Glaze

These are baked cake-style doughnuts made in a standard doughnut pan. The batter is mixed quickly, baked until set, then coated with cinnamon sugar and finished with a thin glaze made from browned butter and milk for a slightly deeper flavor than the usual butter-brush finish.

By Julienne

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 10 g unsalted butter melted, then browned and divided
• 240 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 90 g granulated sugar divided
• 10 g baking powder
• 3 g fine salt
• 3 g ground cinnamon divided
• 180 ml whole milk room temperature
• 1 count large egg lightly beaten
• 35 g unsalted butter melted, then browned and divided
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 20 g granulated sugar divided
• 2 g ground cinnamon divided
• 5 g unsalted butter melted, then browned and divided
• 15 ml water hot
• 60 g powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 190°C. Grease 10 doughnut cavities in two standard 6-cavity doughnut pans with 10 g of the butter. The oven is fully preheated and the pans are evenly greased.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 90 g of the granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 3 g of the cinnamon. The dry mixture looks even, with no visible pockets of leavening or spice.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the milk, egg, 35 g of the butter, and vanilla until smooth. The liquid mixture looks uniform and the butter is fully dispersed.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix; the batter should be thick and spoonable. The batter is combined with a few small lumps remaining and no dry streaks.
5. Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared cavities, filling each about two-thirds full. Each cavity is evenly filled and the batter surface is level.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the doughnuts spring back when lightly touched and a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. The doughnuts are lightly golden, set, and spring back under gentle pressure.
7. While the doughnuts bake, stir the remaining 20 g of granulated sugar with the remaining 2 g of cinnamon in a shallow bowl. The cinnamon sugar looks evenly mixed and dry.
8. Set the browned 5 g of remaining butter aside for the glaze. Heat the water just until hot, then whisk it with the powdered sugar and the remaining 5 g of browned butter until smooth and pourable. The glaze is glossy and thin enough to drizzle in ribbons.
9. Cool the baked doughnuts in the pan for 2 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Brush or dip the warm doughnuts lightly in the glaze, then toss or sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar before the glaze sets. The coating clings evenly and the doughnuts have a soft crumb with a visible cinnamon-sugar finish.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. The doughnuts are set enough to handle and the glaze is no longer wet to the touch.