Name: Gingerbread Baked Donuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Ingredients: 225 g Self raising flour; 115 g Light brown soft sugar; 2 tsp Ground ginger; 1 tsp Mixed spice; 175 ml Milk (any kind); 30 ml Vegetable oil; 2 Eggs (large); 50 g Golden syrup; Butter or baking spread (for greasing); 250 g Icing sugar; 1/2 tsp Ground ginger; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 2-3 tbsp Milk; 12 Mini gingerbread men

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These super cute Gingerbread Baked Donuts are perfect festive treats and they're so easy to make too! Baked donuts are light and moist ring shaped cakes that are baked in a special tin which gives them their shape. I've added lots of ginger and spice to these ones for plenty of tasty flavour. They're topped with a sweet vanilla icing and decorated with mini gingerbread men biscuits. If you're planning some festive baking, or a Christmas party, they would be such a fun bake!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure your ingredients, particularly the eggs, are at room temperature before you start baking.
You can use caster sugar instead of light brown soft sugar for this recipe if you prefer, or if you can't get hold of light brown soft sugar.
You can use a different type of oil besides vegetable oil. I'd recommend one that doesn't have a strong flavour, canola and sunflower oil would both work well.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. For this recipe, you can either omit it, or replace it with ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
Golden syrup is sold all over the world, so check the international section in your supermarket if you're not based in the UK. You can also buy it online from Amazon (see link below). If you can't get hold of it, light corn syrup is the closest thing to it. However, I've not tested this recipe with light corn syrup. You may also like to add 1 tbsp black treacle (also known as molasses) as light corn syrup is not golden.
You will need a 12 hole donut tin (or two 6 hole donut tins) to make this recipe.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Gingerbread Baked Donuts

In a mixing bowl, stir together the light brown soft sugar, self raising flour, ground ginger and mixed spice. In another bowl or large jug, whisk together the milk, eggs, golden syrup and vegetable oil.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together. Put the batter into a piping bag or a jug and divide it between the donut tins.

Bake for 12 minutes, then remove them from the tins and leave them to cool. Mix the icing ingredients together and spread over each donut, then add a mini gingerbread man to each donut.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What if you can't find mini gingerbread men?

I got the mini gingerbread men from Tesco. You can make your own mini gingerbread men - I have a recipe for them as part of my Gingerbread Traybake recipe. You can also decorate the donuts with crushed ginger biscuits, like ginger nuts for example, or with sprinkles.

Do you need a donut tin to make this recipe?

The simple answer is yes! I highly recommend investing in a donut tin (or two!), they are not expensive and they’re easy to obtain from Amazon, plus there are so many yummy baked donut recipes on my website that you’ll be able to make with them!

Can you make the donuts with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ¼ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

How long do baked donuts last for and can they be frozen?

Although baked donuts will last for a few days if stored in an airtight container in a cool place, they are best the day they're made. You can freeze the donuts without any of the decoration. Wrap them up well, with a small square of baking paper between each donut so they don't stick together, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can the donuts be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes, to make these donuts gluten free, replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. They can easily be made dairy free by using a plant based milk. Make sure to also grease the donut tins with a dairy free butter. Please also check the labels of all the ingredients you use to avoid cross contamination, and especially if you are serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

How do you remove the donuts from the tin?

I use a spoon to gently loosen them around the edges and prise them out of the tin. If you are using a non stick tin and you have greased it well with butter, then they should just pop out with ease.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

No, I actually never use an electric mixer to make this recipe as it's so quick and easy to do by hand. The dry ingredients and wet ingredients can be quickly combined with a hand whisk, and it is better to do it this way to avoid over mixing. If you are using an electric mixer, keep it on a low speed and only mix for a short time.

More tips for making the Gingerbread Baked Donuts:

The donut batter is very wet, so I recommend using a piping bag or a jug to pour it into the tin.
I find it easier to spread the icing onto the donuts with a spoon or palette knife. If you want to make the icing thinner by adding more milk, you will be able to dip the donuts into it instead.
The biscuits will go soft after being in contact with the donuts for a while so add them as close to serving as you can.
These donuts would also be delicious dipped or drizzled in melted dark or white chocolate!

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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