Easy Donut Cake Recipe (Old-fashioned)

Our Easy Donut Cake captures the essence of fall with its warm, comforting, and indulgent flavor. It combines the best of cake and donut in a scrumptious Bundt that's both easy to bake and delightful to savor. Enjoy it to start your crisp fall morning or during an afternoon coffee break as the leaves outside turn to gold.

If you like this recipe then you will love my Zucchini Bread and my Baked Pumpkin Donuts.

Bundt cake, named after its distinctive doughnut-like shape, is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan. This unique pan allows the cake to acquire a charming ringed structure that's as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate.

This article contains affiliate links which support us at no extra cost to you.

An old-fashioned donut has always been one of my simple joys: crisp at the edges and soft and cakey in the middle. This donut cake captures that. Brushing the warm cake with butter and pressing on cinnamon sugar gives it a crunchy outside like a real donut, and freshly grated nutmeg is what makes it taste like it came from a donut shop. It's not a cake made from stacked donuts, but a Bundt that tastes just like one.

The Bundt we bake most in my house is my Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Curd Filling, so this was my chance to try something different, and it quickly became a breakfast and coffee-break favorite. I made mine dairy-free with Earth Balance vegan baking sticks and almond milk, and it was done at 45 minutes in my oven.

Ingredients

Cake

• Unsalted butter: Room temperature, so it creams up light and fluffy. I used Earth Balance vegan baking sticks for a dairy-free cake.
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs: At room temperature, so they blend into the butter without curdling.
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour: A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend can be swapped in.
• Ground cinnamon:
• Freshly grated nutmeg: The signature flavor of an old-fashioned donut. Freshly grated is much stronger and more fragrant than pre-ground.
• Baking powder and baking soda:
• Fine sea salt: Enhances flavor and balances sweetness.
• Buttermilk: I used almond milk for a dairy-free version.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Melted butter: Or melted Earth Balance. It's what makes the sugar stick.
• Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon

How to Make a Donut Cake

1. Step 1: Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and coat a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, getting into every groove.
2. Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter and 1 ½ cups sugar for 4-5 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
3. Step 3: Add the eggs. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each, then add the vanilla.
4. Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Step 5: Combine. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour, mixing just until combined.
6. Step 6: Bake. Spread the thick batter in the pan and tap it firmly on the counter to remove air pockets. Bake 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back.
7. Step 7: Cool and unmold. Cool in the pan 15-20 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet and tap to release.
8. Step 8: Coat. Brush the warm cake all over with melted butter, then spoon on the cinnamon sugar, pressing it gently into the surface. Reuse what falls onto the baking sheet. Cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Tips

• Grease every groove: Baking spray with flour works best for Bundt pans. Miss a spot and the cake can stick there.
• Time the flip: Unmold after 15-20 minutes. Too soon and the cake can break; too long and it can stick as the sugars set.
• Coat while warm: The cinnamon sugar only sticks well while the cake is still warm and freshly brushed with butter.
• Check in several spots: Test with a toothpick in a few places, since Bundt pans can bake unevenly. Mine was done at 45 minutes, so start checking early.
• Don't overmix: Once the flour goes in, mix only until combined to keep the crumb soft and cakey.

Storage and Freezing

• Room temperature: Cover and keep for up to 3 days. The sugar crust softens a little over time.
• Freezing: Wrap the cooled cake or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

I love a slice with my morning coffee or for an afternoon coffee break. For a fall brunch, serve it alongside my Zucchini Poppy Seed Bread.

Adapted from The New York Times. Originally published January 2019. Updated October 2026.

More Recipes Like This

• Coconut Lime Bundt Cake
• Cranberry Bundt Cake
• Orange Yogurt Mini Bundt Cakes
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce
• Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Donuts

Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)

I would LOVE IT if you can leave me a star rating and a review down below and let me know your thoughts! It means the world to me to hear how you liked it.

Please Subscribe and give a follow on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok xx

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

5 from 5 votes

The BEST Donut Cake Recipe

The perfect combination of cake and donut in this delicious Old-Fashioned Donut Bundt Cake! Perfect for breakfast or enjoy a slice for an afternoon coffee break!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bundt Cake

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

• bundt pan

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, plus ½ cup, melted, for finishing (I used Earth Balance vegan baking sticks)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups plus ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk I used almond milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray with baking spray a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan, making sure to get into all the grooves of the pan.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and 1 ½ cups sugar until pale and fluffy using the paddle attachment (you could also beat it with a hand mixer), 4-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one by one, waiting until each has been incorporated to add the next. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Be sure to scrape the mixing bowl after each addition of the eggs.
• In large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the mixer beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate. Add in buttermilk and beat until incorporated followed by the remaining flour mixture; scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate.
• Spoon the cake batter into the Bundt pan; spread evenly with a spatula. Tap the pan heavily on the counter a few times to help even out the batter and remove air pockets. Bake for 45-55 minutes (ours was done at 45 mins...every oven is different), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then flip the pan onto a cooling rack set inside a baking sheet. Tap the pan heavily onto the rack.
• In a small bowl, mix the remaining ⅔ cup with the cinnamon to combine. Brush the warm cake all over with melted butter, then spoon cinnamon sugar over the cake. Brush any bare areas with the melted butter and reuse any cinnamon sugar that falls onto the baking sheet below the rack, using your hands to gently press it into the surface of the cake to help it stick. Make sure to fully coat the Bundt with the cinnamon sugar coating. Cool cake completely before serving.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Notes

• Dairy-free: Use Earth Balance vegan baking sticks for both the cake and coating, and almond milk instead of buttermilk.
• Doneness: Check with a toothpick in a few spots, since ovens and Bundt pans bake unevenly.
• Storage: Covered at room temperature up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 609IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

FAQ'S