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A Muffin That Tastes Like a Doughnut add your recipe to finecooking.com
Test Kitchen Approved

Doughnut Muffins

by Kathleen Stewart
One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four Stars Five Stars read reviews (15)
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They may look like muffins, but a dunk in melted butter and a roll in cinnamon-sugar makes these luscious morsels taste more like donuts, without the hassle of deep-frying. We sell out of these muffins every morning at my Downtown Bakery and Creamery.Yields about 24 medium muffins.

ingredient discovery
Ingredients butter granulated sugar all-purpose flour more more
For the muffins:
12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
For dipping:
8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
To make the muffins

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.

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To finish

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

Make Ahead Tips

You don't have to bake all the muffins right away; the batter will keep, covered and chilled, for up to three days in the refrigerator.
photo: Steve Hunter
From Fine Cooking 42, pp. 54-55
February 22, 2010

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Star Star Star Star Star by designermillion, 2/28/2010These muffins were one of the best I've ever tasted, however I had a problem with them falling apart. Did anyone else encounter that? I flipped them out of the muffin pan, and alot of the bottoms cracked away from the top or the tops just started to break apart. I'm wondering if I did something wrong! I really want to make these again, but not if they're just going to fall apart. HELP!
Star Star Star Star Star by Schmunko, 10/17/2009These muffins really taste like a cake doughnut and are sooo good! Everyone inhales them whenever I make them. They are moist and cinnamon-y!
Star Star Star Star Star by hansons, 8/8/2009Made these for a Ladies Brunch at Church. There wasn't a one left. My husband said that the muffin did indeed taste like his favorite doughnut (Cinnamon/Sugar Cake Doughnut.)
Star Star Star Star Star by cookykamp, 6/5/2009These are "slap yo-self silly" GOOD!!!! They really taste like a cake donut. I cut the recipe in half and made them in mini muffin tins. Can't wait to make more!
Star Star Star Star Star by DoughGrl, 2/23/2009To die for, really really good muffins! Perfect texture and just sweet enough without being over-the-top. The two best muffin recipes I've ever tried are this one and Joanne Chang's recipe, on this site. I will be making the doughnut muffins often -- next time I may add a teaspoon of seedless black raspberry preserves to the middle of each muffin.
Star Star Star Star Star by DKB, 2/21/2009This has to be my favorite muffin recipe. It has a finer crumb than most muffins, moist and yummy with lots of cinnamon flavor. I like to add 1 tsp of vanilla and bake them in a mini muffin pan. That way you get a higher cinnamon-sugar to muffin ratio. : ) The recipe makes about 52 mini muffins. I also have made half a recipe and that works out great too. Another thing I like to do for even more cinnamon impact is to make a filling by combining 1/3 cup granulated white sugar, 2 T flour, 1 T melted butter, 2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp water. Put half the batter in the pan, add some filling and top with remaining batter. I use about 1/4 tsp in my mini muffins.
Star Star Star Star Star by malahaller, 2/12/2009This recipe is perfect. The muffins taste even better the next day when reheated until a bit crispy on the crust.
Star Star Star Star Star by kels4paws, 1/26/2009This is a fantastic recipe! My husband loves these and they do taste just like donuts. I also used the recipe to bake a cake for my dad for his birthday this week. He is a donut fanatic and I wanted to bake a cake that not only looked like a donut but tasted like one and this did the trick! I had enough to bake a full cake and 6 of the muffins as well. Great recipe :) Thank you for sharing!
Star Star Star Star Star by jaffybishop, 7/8/2008One of my favorite muffin recipes - they taste like cake donuts. The recipe makes a good amount for sharing.
Star Star Star Star Star by bradhaddon, 6/24/2008
Star Star Star Star Star by DJ, 5/25/2008Fine and soft textured-similar to crumb cake. Since it uses a creamed mixture, not the standard muffin technique, it is "cake". With the cinnamon sugar coating, the flavor is that of cake doughtnuts. A truly delicous morning treat.
Star Star Star Star Star by fcar, 5/4/2008Yummy Just Yummy..... They taste like heaven. I cut the recipe in half and they turned out perfect. Served with Raspberry preservers which made them like a sugared jelly donut. My family gobbled these up.
Star Star Star Star Star by mtcricket, 4/10/2008OUTSTANDING! The whole family loves these!
Star Star Star Star Star by jng000, 2/26/2008They really do taste like doughnuts! A favorite of my daughter for breakfast.
Star Star Star Star Star by taller45, 10/5/2007Delicious - I found that the topping adheres better (and is thicker)if you dip and sugar twice.