Vanilla Bean & Rose Baked Doughnuts

🌹 Soft and fluffy baked vanilla doughnuts

One of my favorite drinks is a cozy cup of vanilla rose milk tea, so infusing those comforting flavors into a vanilla doughnut recipe just makes sense! 

These elevated Vanilla Bean and Rose Baked Doughnuts are charming, pleasantly floral, and sweet. Homemade vanilla sugar, white chocolate, and rose water make these doughnuts truly something special. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, special occasions, valentine's day, mother's day and dessert!

Cake doughnuts are what my doughnut dreams are made of. Similar to old-fashioned doughnuts, cake doughnuts are made without yeast, yet yield soft and fluffy results. Imagine a texture and density right in between a crumbly cupcake and a dense Krispy Kreme doughnut. 

These easy-to-follow instructions will show you how to make vanilla sugar, vanilla doughnuts, and rose icing from scratch in under 1 hour. If you’re ready to make vanilla bean and rose baked doughnuts, grab your doughnut pan, and let’s do it!

Looking for more brunch ideas to add to your table spread? Check out these recipes for mini donuts, sourdough french toast, banana bread with chocolate chips, and this fluffy brioche donut recipe!

🍴Ingredients 

My doughnut baking tray has quickly become one of my favorite kitchen tools. I've loved playing with all the different doughnuts, flavors, and glazes you can make using this tray as a mold. I recommend using a doughnut pan for the best results, but keep scrolling to learn how to make baked doughnuts without one.

The ingredients you need are quite simple - here's what to pick up at the grocery store: 

• Vanilla sugar - To make vanilla sugar from scratch, you’ll need granulated sugar and whole vanilla beans. Vanilla beans add a rich caramel-like flavor to each bite.
• Leavening agents - These cake doughnuts are made with baking powder, baking soda, and salt instead of yeast. When these three come together, they act as leavening agents and help the doughnuts rise and become soft and fluffy. 
• Vanilla extract - For the boldest flavor, use quality pure vanilla. 
• Sour cream - This adds fat and moisture while mellowing the overly sweet flavors.
• Rose water - Plan ahead and steep the rose petals in water ahead of time to make rose water for the doughnut glaze. Alternatively, buy food-safe rosewater in the Middle Eastern section of major grocery stores or at specialty stores.
• Garnish - As a finishing touch, melted white chocolate and dried rose petals or candied rose petals are drizzled over the top of the glazed doughnuts. In the end, you’ll have beautifully decorated, floral doughnuts.

📝 Notes before baking

Vanilla Bean Sugar

You can certainly purchase pre-packaged vanilla sugar, but it's truly such a simple recipe that anyone can replicate at home. It's incredibly easy to make, requires only two ingredients that can be used in so many recipes. Vanilla sugar can be used to replace granulated sugar in baked goods or dough, you can roll sugar cookies in vanilla bean sugar or even sprinkle on top of your favorite recipes!

Channel your cake baker within 

The doughnut batter recipe below is a form of cake batter! You'll be mixing your dry ingredients and wets separately, then combining as most cake recipes require. Then, when baking, you know that the doughnuts are baked fully when you test for doneness with a toothpick and it comes out clean! Ultimately what I'm saying is, don't be intimidated by the perfectly circular shape. If you've baked a cake in the past, you can make these little guys as well!

Doughnut Baking Tray 

The first time I saw a doughnut baking tray, I was not convinced that I needed yet another gadget to store in my kitchen. Then, my Fiance bought me a tray for a present (for him or for me... I have yet to decide) and I can honestly say I'm a believer. I've loved playing with all the different doughnuts, flavors, and glazes you can make using this tray as a mold.

White Chocolate Drizzle

Adding a drizzle of white chocolate to the tops of your doughnuts is such a great way to add additional texture, flavor, and sweetness! White chocolate can burn easily when melting so I would suggest gently heating your white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts at a time, mixing between each stage.

Storing Cake Doughnuts 

Technically, you can store cake doughnuts in an airtight container in a dry, cool space for up to three days. This being said, I would highly recommend baking and enjoying these doughnuts rather promptly! Doughnuts are best straight from the oven or fryer as their cake-like consistency can dry out quite quickly.

📖 Step-by-Step Instructions

These vanilla baked doughnuts are much easier to make than fried doughnuts. Here’s how it’s done:

To make homemade vanilla sugar:

Step 1: Combine vanilla and sugar. Slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the insides. Then, place the scraped vanilla and sugar in a food processor and process for a few minutes.

Step 2: Strain and store. Pour the vanilla sugar through a mesh strainer to catch any pieces of vanilla beans. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to make the doughnuts.

To make vanilla doughnuts:

Step 1: Whisk wet and dry ingredients. Whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Next, whisk the butter, egg, vanilla bean sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream in another large bowl until thoroughly combined. 

Step 2: Combine wet and dry mixtures. Add the dry mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir to combine. 

Step 3: Bake the doughnuts. Using a piping bag, pastry bag or ziplock bag, pipe the donut batter into your greased donut cavities in the pan. Transfer to the oven and bake. When they’re done, let the doughnuts cool completely on a wire rack or cooling rack before glazing. 

Step 4: Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, rose water, and milk together in a shallow bowl.

Step 5: Glaze and decorate doughnuts. Dip the tops of the baked donut into the glaze, letting any excess drizzle down the sides. Then, drizzle with white chocolate and top with rose petals. Enjoy!

🌹Adding Rose Petals as Garnish

Sprinkling a few rose petals on top of the slightly dry glaze is a fun way to add a pop of color, texture, and aroma. In the past, I’ve purchased culinary safe dried rose petals in bulk at various spice markets throughout the city.

You’ll most likely find rose petals in a similar bulk spice store in your hometown, otherwise or you can certainly buy dried rose petals online!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• For a thicker glaze - Dip the doughnuts in the glaze a second time after the first layer has had a few minutes to set. Repeat one or two more times until it’s to your liking. 
• Grease the doughnut pan - Most doughnut pans are non-stick, but you should still spray it generously with cooking spray so the doughnuts turn out effortless when they’re ready. 
• To make a heavier, Krispy Kreme-like doughnut - Transfer your glazed doughnuts to an airtight container and let them sit at room temperature overnight. The doughnuts will absorb the moisture from the glaze, adding density and intense flavor. Reglaze before serving.
• Testing for doneness - You’ll know the doughnuts are done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean! 
• Melting white chocolate - White chocolate burns quickly, so I suggest gently heating your white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is gooey and melted. 

❓Ways to use vanilla sugar

I recommend doubling up on the vanilla sugar and saving half for other recipes. It comes in handy in all sorts of places around the kitchen:

• Roll sugar cookies in vanilla bean sugar.
• Sprinkle some over pastries like chocolate cocoa nib doughnuts and brioche doughnuts with rose pastry cream.
• Use it to sweeten rose milk chai lattes.
• Make marshmallows

💭 Recipe FAQs

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