Guys, it’s still winter.
There’s a slush-fest of snow outside my door and the furnace is still roaring…but, my mind is on spring and sunshine and vibrant berries. And, while I’m a weirdo who actually likes cool temps and a winter wonderland…I can’t help but get anxious for the next season while the current one wanes away. It’s just my nature.
Since I’ve had berries on my brain and lemons are currently in season, I whipped up these blueberry-studded, baked cake doughnuts. These donuts appeal to both late winter and springtime produce—bright lemon and juicy blueberries. I’m always a little heavy-handed with lemon, I like it tart and intense. There’s a good bit of zest in the batter and glaze, as well as lemon juice for extra tang. The berries turn into juicy, purple gems once baked and their sweet nature pairs perfectly with the bracing lemon. Both are folded into a just-sweet, vanilla batter. The baked doughnuts are cakey, tender, and only benefit from a generous slathering of creamy-tart glaze. Cream cheese glaze just makes sense when we’re talking berries and lemon.
Blueberry Doughnuts with Lemon + Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes about 8 doughnuts.
Adapted from Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home by Lara Ferroni
These are baked doughnuts. I use a standard, easy to find doughnut pan for this recipe (this one). If you don’t have/want a doughnut pan, go ahead and make these into doughnut muffins. They will be a different shape, but just as delicious. The recipe makes about 8 doughnuts, though I yielded 10 as I filled the pan a bit less than I should have. Don’t be like me.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (be generous) blueberries (washed and dried well) + 1 tablespoon flour
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate, small bowl rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant. Whisk the lemon-sugar into the flour mixture. Rub the butter into the flour mixture—like you would for making pastry dough—until it resembles a coarse meal.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and lemon juice and allow to sit for a minute or two—introducing acid to the milk will make it curdle and thicken, that’s okay! (if a recipe calls for buttermilk and you don’t have any, acidulated milk will work in a pinch). Whisk in the vanilla and the egg, to combine well. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and fold to until just combined. Toss the washed and dried blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour, shaking off excess, and fold into the batter.
Using either a plastic zip-top bag or a piping bag, fill the bag with the batter, cut a hole at the tip (or corner), large enough to allow a blueberry through, and pipe batter into the prepared pan, about halfway up each doughnut-well. Bake in the center of the oven for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a doughnut comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan before turning out. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow to cool to room temperature before glazing.
Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
2 ounces cream cheese, softened (cut from an 8 ounce block)
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Using a wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese until creamy (if it’s already soft, this will be a breeze), stir in the confectioner’s sugar until combined, stir in the lemon zest, and begin thinning out the glaze with the lemon juice—beginning with 1 tablespoon and adding more until you reach your desired consistency.
Elen
They are so deliciouse that I absolutely want to prepare them!!
cindy
Thank you, Elen!!
Megan
That little berry trio is the cutest. I know I’d love these so very much!
cindy
they’re triplets, had to keep em together!
Billy
Another reason to get a donut pan! Blueberry donuts sound perfect right about now.
DONUTS FOR EVERYONE!
cindy
DONUTS 4-EVA!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
I want to shove, like, all of these into my pie hole. The blueberry-lemon combination is a weakness!
cindy
hahaha! yes!
Danguole
These are beauties… I always get really antsy about upcoming seasons, too. Also, lemon lovahs unite!
cindy
heck yes! the lemoniest!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
Oh. Em. Gee. That glaze! I want to eat it by the spoon! I absolutely adore the lemon and blueberry combination in these donuts. Oh, and they’re baked too – bonus! I can dust off my donut pan and put it to good use!
cindy
yes! baked donuts mean more room for glaze!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
I can’t wait to get back to my kitchen in Orlando, and prepare something with lemons and blueberry. Hopefully the weather would be a little sunshiney by then 🙂
This is my kind of doughnuts. Mmmmmm…..
cindy
yes! wishing you some sunshine!
Laura Dembowski
This crazy cold weather is killing me. I just want it to be warm again! Looking at these summery doughnuts made me feel all warm inside at least 🙂
cindy
I hear ya!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
I got a set of doughnut pans a couple months ago – I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m exactly the same way about the changing seasons. I love winter, but I’ve really been ready for spring lately!
cindy
yes! donut pans are totally not necessary, but SO FUN!
Katie
These look delish. I’m with you on being anxious for spring to really get started – I think I’m prematurely excited, despite all the snow/slush/freezing rain we’re still getting…
Christine
Wow, found your site while leaving a comment on Shutterbean and I am floored by your beautiful photographs! Also, I am usually not a fan of doughnuts but this blueberry lemon combo (and your photographs) is convincing me that i need to go make these asap.
cindy
yay! Thanks, Christine! Your blog is lovely as well, what a sweet little babe you have!