Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printable version)

Fluffy donuts with vibrant icing and sprinkles, blending classic King Cake flavors for festive celebrations.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

→ Cream Cheese Filling

12 - 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

→ Vanilla Icing

15 - 1 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons milk
17 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

18 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or colored sprinkles

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard 12-cavity donut pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter should remain slightly thick—do not overmix.
05 - In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest with a fork until completely smooth and creamy.
06 - For filled donuts: Fill each donut cavity halfway with batter. Add 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture to the center, then cover with remaining batter. For plain donuts: Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts are golden brown on top and spring back when lightly touched.
08 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and drizzly. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
10 - Dip the top of each cooled donut into the icing or drizzle over the top. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles before the icing sets.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The baked version keeps everything lighter than fried donuts while staying incredibly moist
  • Each person gets their own festive portion, no fighting over who gets the baby hidden inside
  • The cream cheese filling creates that authentic King Cake flavor without all the rolling and braiding work
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter creates tough donuts, stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The icing needs to be the right consistency to coat properly without running off completely
  • Add sprinkles immediately after icing or they will not stick properly
03 -
  • Use a piping bag to fill the donut cavities, it is much less messy than trying to spoon the batter in
  • If you do not have a donut pan, a muffin tin works in a pinch, just adjust the baking time slightly

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