Vanilla Brown Sugar Cake Doughnuts

Jun 30, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pastries doughnuts Origin: Madagascar Vanilla: Extract Easy

Vanilla Brown Sugar Cake Doughnuts on a cooling rack

These baked cake doughnuts are soft, lightly springy, and sturdy enough for glaze without becoming heavy. Brown sugar adds flavor and texture. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 16 min

Cooling 10 min

Total 46 min

Yield 12 doughnuts

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

doughnuts

2 ½ cups (300.0 g)all-purpose flour
10.0 tbsp (120.0 g)granulated sugar
2.0 tsp (8.0 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g)ground nutmeg
2.0 (100.0 g)large eggs
¾ cup (180.0 ml)whole milk
4.0 tbsp (57.0 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)VanillaGoods vanilla extract

Flavor Accent

2 ¼ tbsp (30.0 g)light brown sugar, packed

Make it at home

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit this recipe.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease two standard 6-cavity doughnut pans.
Stir the light brown sugar into the granulated sugar until evenly blended with no clumps; use this mixture wherever the recipe calls for sugar.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold just until combined. The batter should be thick and spoonable; stop mixing as soon as the dry streaks disappear.
Pipe or spoon the batter into the pans, filling each cavity about three-quarters full.
Bake for 14 to 17 minutes. The tops should spring back lightly and a tester should come out clean.
Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn the doughnuts onto a rack before glazing. The doughnuts should feel set enough to lift without tearing and should be just warm, not hot, before glazing.

Tips

Optional add-in: fold 75 g toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (cooled and chopped) into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional add-in, cacao nibs: fold 75 g cacao nibs into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional finish, cocoa dusting (1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder): sift the finishing cocoa through a fine sieve in a light, even cocoa dusting over the fully cooled doughnuts just before serving. The finish should stay on the surface without melting into the dessert.
Optional finish, cream cheese glaze (3 oz cream cheese, softened, ¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tbsp whole milk): beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar and milk. Drizzle or spread over the fully cooled doughnuts.
Optional finish, honey glaze (¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 1½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp whole milk): whisk the confectioners' sugar, honey, and milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the fully cooled doughnuts.
Optional finish, maple glaze (¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tbsp pure maple syrup): whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the fully cooled doughnuts.
Optional add-in, toasted coconut: fold 75 g unsweetened toasted coconut flakes, cooled into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla brown sugar cake doughnuts?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 16 minutes of cooking, plus 10 minutes to rest, chill, or cool. It makes 12 doughnuts.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

196 Calories / serving

5.4g Fat

32.3g Carbs

4.1g Protein

13.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2352 cal · 65g fat · 388g carbs · 49g protein · 161g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 196 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 37 min·2.2 mi·~4350 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 27 min·1.4 mi·~2700 steps
Moderate cycling 20 min·4.0 mi
Swimming laps 27 min
Jogging 19 min·1.6 mi·~3050 steps
Stair climbing 18 min·~1600 steps
Dancing 32 min
Bodyweight circuit training 20 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 46 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.