Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts

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This Old-Fashioned Donuts recipe is tender in the middle with the perfect crisp on the outside. It has a yummy glaze and is made without any special equipment.

Want more yummy desserts? Try Dulce de Leche Cake, Biscoff Cookies, Sticky Toffee Pudding, No-Bake Cheesecake, or Bananas Foster.

How to make Sour Cream Donuts:

Make Dough: Sift cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar, then add egg yolks, mixing well. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding dry mixture, and sour cream, a little at a time to the dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Cut Out Donuts: Roll out donut dough to about ½ inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a donut cutter or two round biscuit cutters to cut as many donuts out as possible, you should get about 12.

Fry Donuts: Heat 2 inches of canola oil to 325°F in a heavy bottomed pot. Fry two donuts at a time, making sure to not overcrowd. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Dip each cake donut in the glaze, covering on each side then place on a wire rack above a baking sheet. Let donuts sit for 15-20 minutes until glaze is set. Old fashioned donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

More of my Bakery Favorites:

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Homemade Scones (any flavor)
• Sopapillas
• Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
• English Muffins
• Homemade Dinner Rolls
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Oatmeal Creme Pies
• Orange Rolls
• Snickerdoodle Muffins

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Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts

Author: Lauren Allen

You can make delicious Old-Fashioned Donuts from home, without any special equipment. They're easy and fun to make and will be the highlight of your next party.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Chill: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12 donuts

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Equipment

• Donut Cutter , optional

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

Donuts:

• ▢ 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter, , room temperature
• ▢ 2 large egg yolks
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ canola oil, , for frying

Glaze:

• ▢ 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, , sifted
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/3 cup hot water

Instructions 

• Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
• Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined (the texture will be sandy). Add the egg yolks and mix well. 
• Combine in batches: Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, and ending with flour. 
• Chill: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then chill for 1 hour.
• Form Donuts: Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to about ½ inch thickness. Use a donut cutter (or two round biscuit cutters) to cut as many donuts out as possible. You should get around 12.
• Fry: Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 325° F. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Glaze: Whisk together glaze ingredients in a shallow bowl, until smooth. Place a wire cooling rack above a sheet pan. Dip donuts in the glaze, covering on each side, and place on the wire rack. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until glaze is set.

Notes

Storing Instructions: Donuts are best enjoyed immediately, but may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 40mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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*I originally shared this recipe July 2014. Updated July 2018 and October 2024.

Original recipe adapted from Handle the Heat