Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printer-friendly)

Baked donuts with cinnamon swirls and colorful glaze inspired by Mardi Gras King Cake flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Donuts

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon

→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling

10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

→ Glaze

13 - 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tbsp milk
15 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and yellow sanding sugars for decorating

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined; do not overmix to maintain tender texture.
05 - Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until smooth paste forms.
06 - Spoon half the donut batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about one-third full.
07 - Place about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon swirl mixture on top of each batter portion, then cover with remaining batter. Swirl gently with a toothpick to create marbled effect.
08 - Bake for 10–12 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and edges are golden brown.
09 - Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable consistency. Add more milk if needed.
11 - Dip cooled donuts into glaze, letting excess drip off. Immediately sprinkle sections with purple, green, and yellow sanding sugars to create traditional King Cake stripes.
12 - Let glaze set for 10 minutes before serving to ensure decorations adhere properly.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cinnamon swirl creates those tender ribbons of sweetness in every single bite, just like the traditional King Cake but in portable form
  • Baked instead of fried means you can eat two without the guilt and still get that pillowy texture
  • The purple green and gold sugars make everything feel like a celebration, even on a random Tuesday morning
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter creates tough donuts, so stop as soon as the flour disappears into the wet ingredients
  • The cinnamon swirl mixture will sink if you add too much, keep it to about 1 teaspoon per donut
  • Let the glaze set completely before stacking or storing, otherwise they will stick together and lose their beautiful presentation
03 -
  • Warm the donut pan slightly in the oven while preheating, the butter in the batter will distribute more evenly
  • Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped to fill the donut pan, this gives you much more control than spooning
  • Work quickly when adding the sanding sugars, the glaze starts setting almost immediately and the sugars will not stick once it does

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