February 21, 2021
The only thing you might not have for these little cakes is the doughnut pan. Fear not! If you don’t feel like buying the doughnut pans, you can make this batter in a bundt or tube pan. I will give directions for that in a note at the end of the recipe.
These doughnuts are baked in the oven! So please read on! They are not fried! I promise! They are each 4 tiny bites (or less if you have a bigger mouth), perfect for breakfast or snack any day of the week. They are delectable coffee flavored cakes, covered in a beautiful shiny coffee icing.
The original recipe came to me by way of a bake sale. I bought a cake at a bake sale and loved it so much I asked the baker, my friend Esther, for the recipe. That was four years ago, and I kept the recipe safe, but never made it. The original batter was a vanilla cake with a coffee swirl. When I took it out to work with for these doughnuts, it was the coffee swirl part of the batter I fell in love with. The depth of flavor in the coffee swirl was better than the vanilla portion. Off I went to refine the coffee batter. All my tasters agree that the cake doesn’t even need the icing, just a fresh cup of coffee to drink it with.
Glazed Coffee Doughnuts
For the Doughnuts
6 tablespoons instant coffee
1/2 cup (118 ml) hot water
6 large eggs, separated whites and yolks
2 cups (400 grams) of granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) canola oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) orange juice
2 teaspoons baking powder
For the Glaze
2 cups (240 grams) confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
For the Doughnuts
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare 2 doughnut pans with cooking spray.
In a measuring cup, dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water. Let it cool.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, about 5 minutes. (To check if they are stiff, take a spoon and see if when you put it in the egg whites and bring it straight up, the egg whites make a pointed mountain. If the top of the mountain flops over, they are not stiff enough yet. Keep mixing until the mountain peak sticks straight up.)
Add the sugar and beat mixture on medium until combined. On low, add the flour, baking powder, oil, orange juice, and the egg yolks. Mix on medium until combined.
On low, add the coffee mixture to the batter and beat until incorporated.
Fill each doughnut mold with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes until spongy. Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes and then turn them out onto a cooling rack. Respray your pans before repeating with more batter.
For the Glaze
In a medium bowl dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water. Add 2 cups of confectioners sugar. Stir. Add the canola oil and continue to stir.
When the doughnuts are cool prepare a piece of parchment or wax paper on the counter. Hold the doughnut by its sides with your thumb and pointer finger. Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze and place it on the wax paper glaze side up. Let the glaze set.
NOTE: If you are using a bundt pan, or tube pan, spray the pan well with baking spray. Fill the pan with batter. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 50-55 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cake and when it comes out free of crumbs the cake is ready. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a metal rack. Turn the cake out onto the metal rack and allow the cake to cool completely. Pour the glaze over the cake.