Vanilla-Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

When Joyce from Kitchen Flavours suggested this recipe for our bake-along with me and Lena, from Frozen wings, I thought instantly that this recipe seems similar to the Donna Hay's doughnuts muffins that I have baked previously. You know what? It is true that they are the SAME! 

Exactly the SAME? Not exactly... The only different is the butter content in this recipe is 40g lesser than the other one. Apart from the butter content, the addition of chocolate filling, baking soda and nutmeg, everything else including the method of these two recipes are exactly the same.

Like how both recipes emphasized these doughnuts are not fried but baked! Their texture are not exactly like the traditional fried yeast doughnuts but pretty similar being bouncy and delicious with sugar coating. The only drawback is that these baked doughnuts are best when they are freshly baked as they are not as good on the next day.

Unlike the previous Donna Hay's doughnuts muffins that I have baked, there are no soft chocolate filling in these doughnuts. I didn't want to replicate this recipe with any chocolate filling and I choose to stick to this recipe for its original just-doughnut-y taste. Having no chocolate or any other fillings in these doughnuts, I keep asking myself... Are these cinnamon doughnuts too plain? How about dunking them into my very vanilla-cinnamon-infused sugar instead?

My vanilla-cinnamon-sugar doughnuts muffins

Making the doughnut muffins

Baking them in the form of cake balls

My very vanilla-cinnamon infused sugar

I love the smell of the melted butter and the vanilla sugar when I'm doing this...

Doughnuts attack!

Munch!

Here are the recipes (with my modification and note in blue) 

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins from the book, The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook or here

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
(I didn't add this)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
(I didn't add this)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
(I used cinnamon)
3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp buttermilk
(replaced with vanilla yogurt)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
(reduced to 50g for half of the recipe)
2 eggs

For the coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF or (160ºC fan forced). Lightly spray 12 large muffin cups or cake balls tin.

2. Mix together the flour, baking soda (I didn't add this), baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom (or cinnamon). In a medium bowl, combine milk and buttermilk (or yogurt).

3. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the butter. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sugar. Mix until mixture lightens in color. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until smooth; do not overmix.

4. With a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared baking tin, filling them approximately 2/3 full (or completely full for cake balls tin, secure tin with its cover using silicon clips). Bake for 20-25 mins, until the tops are firm to the touch and lightly golden.

For the coating:

1. While the muffins bake, set up 2 bowls to dunk them in. In one bowl you will have the melted butter, and in the other bowl you will have the cinnamon sugar.

2. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack. Dunk them in the melted butter, then coat them with the cinnamon sugar.

Note: Using half of the recipe, I have baked 16 cake ball doughnuts at 160ºC fan forced for 15 mins.

My vanilla-cinnamon sugar made by adapting this Jamie Oliver's recipe

150g caster sugar
1/2 tsp heaped ground cinnamon
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick

Place sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in ground cinnamon and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod. Add the vanilla pods to the bowl and bash them up a bit with a wooden spoon to release extra flavour. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container, add cinnamon stick and pop the lid on. This mixture can be kept for ages and I have kept mine for at least 6 months.

Happy Baking
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Please note that the linky tool for bake-along is no longer available.