Baked Cherry Donuts

Name: Baked Cherry Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter; ¼ cup brown sugar; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; zest of 1 medium lemon; ½ cup lemon juice; ½ cup Cherry Kefir; ½ cup milk; 2¾ cup flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ tsp salt; 14 cherries (pits removed); 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 6 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp lemon zest; 3 cup powdered sugar (extra for thicker glaze); 1½ tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp cherry kefir; 15 cherries (pits removed)

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The FLUFFIEST baked donuts, filled with pieces of summer cherries, and dipped in a pink cherry glaze, these donuts are the perfect fast and easy treat that will please any crowd! The secret ingredient that makes these donuts so fluffy? Kefir! If you guys aren’t using kefir in your baking yet, you definitely should be. Kefir is a tangy, cultured “milk smoothie” that’s packed with protein, calcium, and Vitamin D! it gives such a great texture to baked goods too! So with Cherry season in peak bloom, this is the time to make these easy baked donuts that everyone will enjoy.

This post is sponsored by Lifeway Kefir, but the opinions and thoughts are mine. Thanks for supporting the brands that make EyeDocBakes possible!

What You’ll Need. . .

unsalted butter, melted
brown sugar
granulated sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
lemon zest
lemon juice
Cherry Kefir
milk
flour
baking powder
baking soda
salt
cherries
powdered sugar

Making the Donuts

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add to bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix with sugars and let cool a bit. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and mix until all combined.
Add in lemon juice, Cherry Kefir, and milk. Mix together.
in a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold in with a silicone spatula until fully incorporated- but do not overmix.
Remove the pits from your cherries and cut them into quarters. Roll them around in a bit of flour then add them to your batter and fold in. Preheat your oven to 350F.
Use a piping bag with a round top or just cut the tip off of the bag, and fill it with your batter. Butter your donut baking pans. Pipe the batter into each donut shape, making sure not to overfill it so you will still have the hole in the middle once they rise in the oven. Bake at 350F for 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely. (You don’t want to glaze the donuts hot!)

Making the Glaze and Glazing the Donuts

Melt butter and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the lemon juice. Whisk in the powdered sugar and lemon zest. Put the glaze through a strainer.
Meanwhile remove the pits from your cherries and mash them with a fork in a small bowl. Strain this to collect the cherry juice. In your new bowl with the strained glaze, mix in the vanilla extract, kefir, and cherry juice. Mix until combined and a pretty pink! You can add more juice for a deeper pink, and more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze. Dip donuts in, one at a time and let set at least 15-20 minutes. Now I prefer to double dip in the glaze to make a thicker, less transparent layer of glaze. Let set again, then enjoy. Donuts are best the same day, but I store mine for up to two days in the an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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