With a fresh lemon flavour, a beautifully tender crumb and a perfectly zingy icing, these baked Lemon Donuts are your new go-to. And best of all? They're ready in less than an hour!
Now, this recipe will work in any donut pan, but really good baked donuts require a really good donut pan and if you're thinking of investing, then I have done loads of research and testing and I'm happy to tell you that this donut pan from Amazon ticks all the key boxes.
For a start, the holes are deeper than most and the stems in the centre of each hole sit taller than the rest of pan. This means that the donuts can rise without losing their hole and you get nicely rounded, classic donut shape.
The pan is also silicone - strong enough to hold its shape but flexible enough to easily release the baked donuts. And finally, it's nonstick, although I never trust nonstick on its own and always spray mine generously with cake release spray to be extra certain.
To make these beautiful lemon donuts, you'll start by making a batter in much the same way as you'd make a classic sponge cake: creaming butter and sugar together, then gradually adding eggs and lemon juice before folding self-raising flour into the mixture.
Once the batter is mixed, you'll use a piping bag or spoon to neatly place the batter into the donut pans.
Then, while your Lemon Donuts bake to perfection, you'll whip up a simple icing drizzle mixture using icing sugar and lemon juice.
Once your donuts are cool, you'll dip them in then icing, then sprinkle them with lemon zest for some extra zing.
Don't worry, it's not at all tricky and the full recipe below contains detailed measurements, step by step instructions and pics of every stage.
Are you tempted to make these quick, easy, and outrageously tasty baked Lemon Donuts?
Read on for the full recipe with clear instructions, step-by-step photos and plenty of extra tips.
Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) salted butter
- 250 g (8.8 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 4 medium free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 30 ml (1 floz) whole milk
- 2 lemons zest and juice
- 250 g (8.8 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
For the lemon glaze
- 175 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 1 lemon zest and 1 tbsp juice
Instructions
Make the donuts
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
Grease your donut moulds. I find cake release spray or spray oil works best.
Put the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together until pale.
Add the eggs one by one.
Whisking as you go.
Add the vanilla, milk, lemon zest and juice.
Stir together.
Sift in the flour.
Fold through.
Pipe and bake
Transfer the batter to a piping bag and snip off the end to create a 2cm-wide hole. Pipe the batter into the greased doughnut moulds. You have enough for 12 in the donut pan pictured but in smaller/larger or shallower/deeper pans, you may get more/less.
Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until risen and firm.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze
Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the lemon juice.
Mix to a thick, pourable icing.
Take the completely cooled doughnuts and dip halfway into the glaze, then back on the wire rack to set.
Scatter lemon zest over the top and allow to set.
Dig in and enjoy!
They're so delicious - don't expect to stop at one!
When you've made them, don't forget to pop back and leave me a comment to let me know how you got on.
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Print these lemon donuts
Lemon Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) salted butter
- 250 g (8.8 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 4 medium free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 30 ml (1 floz) whole milk
- 2 lemons zest and juice
- 250 g (8.8 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
For the lemon glaze
- 175 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 1 lemon zest and 1 tbsp juice
Instructions
Make the donuts.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
- Grease your donut moulds. I find cake release spray or spray oil works best.
- Put the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until pale.
- Add the eggs one by one, whisking as you go.
- Add the vanilla, milk, lemon zest and juice and whisk again.
- Sift in the flour then fold together.
Pipe and bake.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and snip off the end to create a 2cm-wide hole. Pipe the batter into the greased doughnut moulds. You have enough for 12 in the donut pan pictured but in smaller/larger or shallower/deeper pans, you may get more/less.
- Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until risen and firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze.
- Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the lemon juice.
- Mix to a thick, pourable icing.
- Take the completely cooled doughnuts and dip halfway into the glaze, then back on the wire rack to set.
- Scatter lemon zest over the top and allow to set.
Nutrition
Pin these lemon donuts
More lemon recipes to try
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