King Cake Donuts Mardi Gras (Printable)

Soft baked donuts with vanilla glaze and vibrant Mardi Gras colored sprinkles.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Donuts

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ For the Glaze

12 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Decoration

15 - Green, purple, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat donut pan with nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until fully combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
05 - Transfer batter to piping bag or spoon into donut pan cavities, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - Allow donuts to rest in pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
09 - Dip each cooled donut into glaze, allowing excess to drip off naturally before placing on rack.
10 - Immediately apply green, purple, and gold sanding sugar in sections to create traditional King Cake appearance while glaze remains tacky.
11 - Allow glaze to set completely before serving or storing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a bakery treat but come together in under an hour with zero fuss or special skills required.
  • The warm spices and bright citrus make these feel indulgent without being heavy, perfect alongside morning coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
02 -
  • Never skip the cooling step—glazing warm donuts makes the glaze slide right off and creates a mess instead of a beautiful coating.
  • The lemon zest might seem like a small thing, but it's what stops these from tasting like generic cake donuts and gives them that sophisticated New Orleans bakery feel.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter than cold ones, creating a silkier texture that bakes up more tender.
  • If your glaze thickens up while you're working, warm it slightly over low heat or add milk one teaspoon at a time to get it back to the right consistency.
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