Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

^{This post has been sponsored by Mark T. Wendell. All opinions expressed are my own.}

These Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts are a quintessential autumn treat. Whether you make them for dessert or indulge in one for breakfast- they evoke the comforts of the season. Best of all, they're baked not fried, and keep for days so you can have a little treat throughout the week.

Today's recipe is a small batch yielding six regular-sized donuts. Double the recipe if you want a full dozen for get-togethers or to freeze which we will discuss later on in the post alongside ingredient notes and recipe variations.

So without further delay, grab your aprons, and let's start baking!

Slow Autumn Mornings

There is nothing like a North Eastern Fall. The mornings are now dark and crisp with the later sunrise and the trees and shrubs are beginning to shed their tricolors. These cozy days call for some warm drinks and freshly baked treats.

Growing up I distinctly remember my mother making me tea with milk and sugar. A simple joy but one I always looked forward to especially after long school sessions. One of my favorite weekend activities growing up included putting together a tea party. In fact, I came across an old invitation I made up and would send to everyone in my family. Those memories inspired today's post.

I am proud to be partnering with our long-time friend, Mark T. Wendell, and sharing one of my favorite seasonal brews- Mountain Grown Fancy Cylon. It is a beautiful black tea harvested from the Nuwara Eliya Mountains of Sri Lanka. The brisk and sweet overtones of this loose-leaf tea pair perfectly with a couple of sugar cubes and a splash of milk. 

It brought me right back to those afternoons with my family. My mom always had something served alongside the tea, today I decided to make a small batch of baked donuts which went splendidly with today's tea selection.

If you are craving a beautiful cup of tea, I am pleased to share that all throughout October, you can get 10% off Grace Rare Tea 8-ounce Resealable Bags from Mark T. Wendell. This collection includes China Yunnan Silver Tip Choice, Darjeeling Superb 6000, Mountain Grown Fancy Ceylon, Pure Assam Irish Breakfast, and Earl Grey Superior Mixture. Be sure to use our special promotion code 'LivingtheGourmet' in addition to the posted sale prices. The sale runs from Oct 1 - Oct 31.

Ingredient Checklist

1. All-Purpose Flour - I prefer a good all-purpose (unbleached) flour. If you can always reach for unbleached flour vs. bleached flour. The main difference between the two is that unbleached is allowed to age naturally whereas bleached flour, is treated with chemicals to expedite the aging process. While bleached flour might be a bit finer, I always like using products that are not overly processed as often as possible. Not all flours however are made the same so keep that in mind when deciding which brand to use.
   • Substitution: You can also use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix here if you are looking to make this recipe GF certified. I always prefer using a blend of gluten-free flours and as previously stated in past posts my go-to for GF baking is King Arthur Measure-for-Measure or Krusteaz All Purpose.
2. Baking Powder - Since we're baking these and not frying, we need a leavening agent. For doughnuts that would be yeast but for these donuts, we will use baking powder.
   • Substitution: Often I'm asked, can I use baking soda in place of baking powder? or Should I use both? The key difference between the two is this- baking soda is sodium bicarbonate which requires both a liquid and an acid to active its properties. Conversely, baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate and acid, so it only needs liquid to activate. In short, no. If you don't have baking powder on hand, go out and get a tin. It's not an expensive ingredient and with the fall/winter seasons you're going to probably need it in more than just today's recipe.
3. Salt - You need just a pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon). Without a doubt, salt enhances the flavors of other ingredients. Just think when you have toast and eggs how much better it all tastes with a sprinkle of salt. The same applies here and in nearly every recipe. You don't need much and no, you won't taste it either, but baking is a delicate science. The salt brings out the best in everything, so trust me here and add a small dash.
4. Brown Butter - Butter is supreme. Browned butter is even better. I have yet to find a recipe where browned butter hasn't enhanced the result. Like these chocolate chip cookies, our herbed pasta, a scoop of ice cream, this roast chicken, or even these apple pies! Today's recipe is no exception. Brown your butter whenever possible and taste the difference.
5. Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar just adds a nice richness to baked goods, especially ones with cocoa or warm spices. They play well into these notes so I like using both white sugar and brown sugar.
6. White sugar - Every recipe needs sugar. Now for those wondering about substitutes- I've not made this recipe with other types of sweeteners so if you decide to go on your own recipe-testing quest here, by all means, enjoy and share what works for you here while you're at it! However, from experience, I am not a fan of liquid sweeteners and I find stevia to be an acquired taste.
7. Eggs - Or shall I say, egg (singular). This is a small batch recipe, so you only need one large egg. I think large eggs are the standard when it comes to baking, though size can depend on a variety of different factors and brands so keep that in mind.
8. Vanilla extract - I don't care what you're baking. Vanilla is as essential as flour and sugar. The warmth of vanilla plays nicely into the other spices present. You can use extract, paste, or half a bean.
9. Pumpkin puree - adds extra moisture to the batter so these cake donuts are just so perfect in texture with that combination of melted brown butter and puree.
10. Pumpkin Pie Spice - I was browsing in the store this afternoon when I saw that a small 1-ounce container of pumpkin pie spice retailed for $8. Make your own. It's cheaper and far more convenient especially if you plan on doing a lot of baking this season. The wonderful thing about pumpkin spice is that it's comprised of spice rack essentials, usually spices we already keep on hand. Bonus: you can control the quality of ingredients in your spice mixture which is so important these days given the recent news about some of our go-to cinnamon brands that have been revealed to contain lead.

Baker's Notes

• Baking Tools - If you don't have a donut tin, don't fret. You can still make today's recipe and enjoy it. Prior to getting a donut pan, I used a cupcake tin or mini muffin pan. Donut muffins are just as enjoyable and you can even get a little creative here and fill them!
  • Pastry Brush - To get the warm coating of sugar you'll need a pastry brush for today's recipe to coat each donut in melted butter. This helps ensure the sugar sticks to the donut.
  • Cooling Rack - I like letting anything I bake rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes before I try to release it from its pan. It's also a great spot to let your donuts set as you coat them before storing them away.
• Toppings - For today's recipe, I used a cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Alternatively, for a powdered donut, you can just roll the donuts in confectioner's sugar while they are still slightly warm. If you want a glazed donut, let it cool completely on a cooling rack. Make your icing drizzle and pour liberally over each donut, allowing the icing to set before serving.
• Storing - I like to store these donuts in an airtight container preferably in the refrigerator for extended freshness. Be sure to take them out at least 20 minutes before serving so they reach room temperature. If you want to make these donuts ahead and store them in the freezer, bake them as instructed and let them cool completely but do not coat them. Store them in a freezer bag and when you are ready to serve, warm them in the convection or toaster oven and coat them with the melted butter and warm cinnamon mixture as directed.

And that wraps up all our tips on baking the perfect batch of Pumpkin Spice Donuts!

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 If you enjoyed today’s recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you. Don't forget to shop the extensive tea collection of Mark T. Wendell today and use promo code 'LivingtheGourmet' for an exclusive LTG reader discount!

Happy Baking!