Baked Blueberry Cake Donuts are light, fluffy, and packed with blueberries. The recipe uses a boxed yellow cake mix for a shortcut, and it also has another surprise ingredient that makes the donuts super moist.
Blueberry Cake Donuts are the perfect way to start your day, and this recipe can be made from start to finish in less than 30 minutes. It is about as simple and easy as donuts can be. It doesn’t require any yeast or rising time like traditional donuts.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Blueberry Cake Donuts are inexpensive and easy to find. To make them, you’ll need:
- Yellow cake mix
- Vanilla instant pudding- be sure to not get the “Cook and Serve” kind.
- Cream cheese
- Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest
- Blueberries- fresh or frozen
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
Making donuts may sound like a scary task if you haven’t done it before, but it’s surprisingly easy. There are just a few simple steps.
- Beat the cream cheese until fluffy
- Slowly add the oil and eggs.
- Mix in the vanilla, lemon zest, pudding, and cake mix until just combined.
- Fold in the blueberries and put the batter into a piping bag or plastic storage bag.
- Fill each donut cavity ⅔ full and bake for 15 minutes.
A little dusting of powdered sugar is all Blueberry Cake Donuts need before serving. The flavor and texture will remind you of a moist lemon cake filled with blueberries.
Substitutions
You can take some creative freedom with the type of cake mix you use. I used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix, but plenty of their other flavors would be delicious in this recipe.
Possible substitutes include:
- Butter Golden
- Classic White
- Lemon Supreme
- French Vanilla
I wouldn’t recommend making this recipe with other berries though. Stick to blueberries. Strawberries and raspberries release more liquid during baking than blueberries. Using a different fruit will change the texture of the baked donuts.
Equipment
You’ll need a donut pan to make this recipe. I love making baked donuts instead of fried and not for health-conscious reasons. They are just a lot faster and not as messy as their fried friends.
Once you have a donut pan, you could also make my Pumpkin Cake Baked Donuts or recipes like this one from Amanda’s Cooking.
Storage
- Serve: Cool 15 minutes before removing from the donut pan. Dust with powdered sugar.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze: The donuts freeze well. Cool completely before freezing. Keep in a plastic storage bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag. The donuts can be kept frozen for up to thirty days.
- Reheat: No need to thaw. You can reheat from frozen. The donuts need 30-60 seconds at 50% power.
Top tip
The most important step in the process is not overfilling each donut cavity in the donut pan. I made this mistake a couple of times during testing. I ended up with a donut bottom and a muffin top.
If you want your donuts to look like donuts, aim for ½ to ⅔ full. This dough will almost double in size when baked, so do not fill each cavity to the top!
You also want to be sure to not overcook the donuts. There is no icing or glaze on my Blueberry Caked Donuts, so you want the donut to be moist like a cake. I look for a light golden-brown color on the bottom side of the donut. If they get too dark, the texture isn’t as fluffy.
If you love blueberry muffins, you will fall in love with Baked Blueberry Cake Donuts. Get yourself a donut pan, so you can make this recipe for your loved ones. You won’t regret it.
Let me know what you think of the donuts by leaving a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated!
HELPFUL EQUIPMENT
Baked Blueberry Cake Donuts
Equipment
- Donut pan Link to purchase
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tb lemon zest
- 1 15-oz box yellow cake mix
- 1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a donut pan with cooking spray.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream cheese for 60 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and slowly add the oil with the mixer on. Mix on medium speed until combined.
- Add eggs to the cream cheese one at a time, making sure each egg is totally combined before adding the next. Stop and scrape down the bowl again.
- Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix to combine. Next, add the cake mix and pudding powder. MIx on low until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Fold in the blueberries by hand.
- Using a plastic storage bag or a piping bag, fill each donut pan cavity ⅔ full. Don't fill them to the top! This dough will almost double in size when baked.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the bottom of the donuts are a light golden brown. Allow the donuts to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure. I've listed some options in the 'Substitutions' sections above.
Yes. I used Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Classic Yellow Cake Mix which comes in a 15.25-ounce box. If you like a different brand that comes in a larger amount, use 2 cups of the mix instead of the whole box.
You can't make donuts without the pan, but you could still make the recipe as a cake. Use a bundt pan and bake for an hour, or a 9" x 13" baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cooking times are estimated. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake.
The donuts freeze surprisingly well and can be reheated straight from frozen. See my notes above for more details. I also made a trifle with my leftovers by serving torn donut pieces with lemon curd, blueberry compote, and whipped cream.
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This was such a great twist to the traditional donut! Enjoyed this for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Delicious!
Holy cow! These are amazing. When I read cake donuts, I didn't expect them to actually BE cake. I can't wait to make these!
I love how easy this is!! Thank you so much! Everyone enjoyed it!
You had me at blueberry donuts! These were so moist and rich and I actually served them for dessert one night. They were such a hit that I know I'll be making them when our family visits next month.