Sugared Doughnut Muffins
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin and dust each cup with flour. Cream the butter with the sugar, add the eggs one at a time, stir in the vanilla, and sift together the dry ingredients. Stir the flour and the milk and buttermilk into the butter in portions, just until combined, scoop into the tin and bake until firm, about 30 to 35 minutes. Brush the muffins with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the tops, sides and bottoms.
These clever muffins capture everything wonderful about an old-fashioned cake doughnut — that tender, nutmeg-kissed crumb and cinnamon-sugar coating — with none of the fuss of frying. Baked in a muffin tin and coated warm in cinnamon sugar, they are the best of both worlds: the cozy flavor of a doughnut in an easy, breakfast-ready form. Warm from the oven with a cup of coffee, they turn an ordinary morning into a small, sweet pleasure.
The Doughnut-Flavored Batter
Mix a tender muffin batter warmed with nutmeg and cinnamon for that classic old-fashioned doughnut flavor. The nutmeg is the signature note of a cake doughnut, so do not skip it — it is what gives these muffins their unmistakable, cozy doughnut character in a simple baked form.
The Warm Cinnamon Sugar Roll
While the muffins are still warm, brush them with butter and sprinkle them all over with cinnamon sugar for that doughnut-shop finish. Coating them warm is the key so the sugar clings all over — that sweet, cinnamon-dusted exterior is what completes the doughnut illusion and makes them irresistible.
Sugared Doughnut Muffins
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray and dust each cup with flour.
- Use an electric mixer to cream together ¾ cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and baking soda into a bowl. Do this by putting all of the ingredients into a fine sieve colander and shaking it over the bowl. It works!
- Stir together the milk and buttermilk in a third bowl.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir ¼ of the flour into the butter. Stir in ⅓ of the milk.
- Stir until the ingredients are just combined, taking care not to overwork the batter. Continue this process until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Use an ice-cream scoop to fill each cup in the tin.
- Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the muffin tin from the oven and allow the muffins to cool slightly. Carefully lift each muffin from the tin to a rack to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Brush each muffin all over with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the tops, sides and even the bottoms of the muffins.
- Serve warm!
Notes
The Heart of the Table
A basket of warm, sugar-coated muffins is homey generosity — the kind of fresh-baked treat that makes a morning feel special and a guest feel welcomed. There is a cozy warmth in offering something that tastes like a doughnut without the fry, an easy indulgence that makes an ordinary breakfast feel like a small celebration.
The Art of the Host
Coat the muffins in cinnamon sugar while they are warm so it clings, and serve them soon after for the freshest, coziest experience. Brush them with butter first for the most generous sugar coating and that true doughnut finish.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: These are best the day they are baked, but you can measure the dry ingredients ahead so the morning bake is quick. A fresh, warm batch coated in cinnamon sugar is the ideal way to serve them.
- The Pour: A cup of coffee is the natural doughnut pairing; for a non-alcoholic option, a glass of cold milk suits their cinnamon-sugar sweetness beautifully.
- The Vibe: Serve them warm in a basket for breakfast, brunch, or a coffee gathering. These are cozy, easy morning treats — all the flavor of an old-fashioned doughnut with none of the frying, made to sweeten a simple morning.