It’s hard to find fault with donuts. Sure, they’re made with fried dough, but customers love indulgent, decadent, unique, trending desserts. So donuts are a hot bakery item. In fact, did you know that 64% of Americans eat donuts at least once a month?
One of the most popular and iconic bakery items, cake donuts are made from a batter that is chemically-leavened and fried to develop its traditional taste and aroma.
Cake donut baking tips
Cake donuts can be made from scratch or by using commercial mixes containing all dry ingredients. Mixes are preferred by high-speed operations and some retail bakeshops. It also is an easy way to add unique and tasty flavors to your product.
Here are ways to reduce fat absorption:
- Increase water absorption of batter. More gums can be added to maintain batter viscosity and retain product shape if more water is needed.
- Use greater proportions of hard wheat flour (higher protein content).
- Decrease levels of enriching and tenderizing ingredients such as sugars and fat. Batters that are too rich will absorb too much frying fat.
- Increase levels of structure-building ingredients, such as proteins like soy flour, eggs or nonfat dry milk.
What’s a typical cake donut formula?
| Ingredient | True % (based on total dry mix weight) |
| Soft wheat flour (70%) / Hard wheat flour (30%) | 55.0–65.0 |
| Soy flour (defatted) | 1.0–3.0 |
| Sucrose | 20.0–35.0 |
| Dextrose | 0.0–5.0 |
| Nonfat dry milk | 3.0–5.0 |
| Dried egg yolk | 0.5–3.0 |
| Fat / soybean oil* | 3.0–10.0 |
| Salt | 1.0–1.5 |
| Water | 45.0–55.0 |
| Pregel potato starch | 0.0–2.0 |
| Lecithin | 0.0–0.5 |
| Emulsifier* | 0.1–0.5 |
| Chemical leavener (baking powder) | 1.5–3.5 |
| Flavor (nutmeg, cinnamon and sour cream) | Varies |
| Gums (CMC, xanthan gum) | 0.1–0.5 |
| Mold inhibitors | 0.1 |
| Water | 35.0–45.0** |
* Pre-blend and dispersion of oil / melted shortening with emulsifier. Mixture is then sprayed and incorporated into the other dry ingredients.
** Based on total mix weight.
