baked birthday funfetti doughnuts
Birthdays should entail both vanilla and chocolate if you want, because it’s your damn birthday, and you do as you please.
Leastwise, that’s how I’d approach my birthday.
It’s not anyone I know’s birthday, mind you, until my mom’s in August. But when I baked these doughnuts and was trying to decide what kind of icing to do, I figured to include both flavor preferences. Kinda love how these babies turned out. They just look so festive, you know?
I’m more or less someone who wouldn’t bitch if someone bought me a vanilla cake over a chocolate one, and vice versa. When it comes to ice cream, I very much prefer vanilla, so I might bitch about that. If I received a cake or doughnuts or something with both, however, I’d be very happy, since I’m practically useless at making decisions about those types of things.
So, these doughnuts had the chocolate lover and the vanilla lover in mind. And, of course, lots of sprinkles, because confetti is fun – that’s why it’s called funfetti, people.
Baking doughnuts is about as therapeutic to me as any activity can be, and the joyful colors in this batch make a bad mood impossible. I gave half of what I baked to the neighbor that helped me with the recent car towing conundrum, and he sent me a thank you as well as a photo of his young sun enjoying one. Made my heart sing a little.
I don’t know if I say it enough, but whenever someone makes my recipes or leastwise enjoys something I made for them, the warmth it brings my soul is irreplaceable. Sing it, Beyonce. So if you ever indulge in an FMG goodie, please show and tell me via review here or on Instagram! I love that shit!
Anywho, let’s get onto doughnuts. You can’t mess these guys up. They’re a perfect family activity since kids seem to love tossing sprinkles everywhere and anywhere, and you get to eat the results once you’re done. And the result is pretty great. Soft, colorful, with a thick and rich two-ingredient chocolate glaze. Mmmhmm.
Fun Fun Fun Fun(fetti)
My doughnut formula rarely changes, and it’s very easy. Melted butter and sugar, eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt for the wet ingredients. Then flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the dry.
Mix the wet first, then add the dry, and while the mixer runs stream in your buttermilk. I start with 1/4 cup and add an extra tablespoon or two if my batter is being stubborn and needs to thin out a touch. You still want it to be rather thick: scoopable, not pourable.
Last, fold in your funfetti sprinkles. If you use the nonpareils, they’ll bleed into the batter, so I recommend using the jimmies. Grocery stores typically carry the latter more than the former anyway.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag and swirl into two greased 6-slot doughnut pans. Fill each up 2/3 of the way full. Pop those suckers into the oven until they’re nice and poofy and baked through. Cool 5 minutes in the pans, then move them all to a wire rack to finish cooling. You want them entirely at room temperature before you continue with the icing. If you’re in a rush, place the rack in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Icing, Icing, Baby
When the doughnuts are totally cool – like, donned their sunglasses and ready to go to the beach cool – make the icing.
All you need here is dark chocolate chips and coconut oil. Basically chocolate shell. Microwave until melted – this takes me about a minute but sometimes I need an extra 10-15 seconds to get it super smooth – and let sit a few minutes. Piping hot icing will just melt into your doughnuts. Not great.
Place a sheet of parchment beneath your wire rack to catch the inevitable drippy drips from your decorating. Dunk one side of the doughnut into the icing, letting excess drizzle back into the bowl, then set back onto the rack. Sprinkle with funfetti. Go as heavy handed or as light as you wish here. I’m betting chocolate jimmies would be fun as well.
I like to let my doughnut sit about 10 minutes before digging in to let the chocolate melt, but if you’re antsy (or hungry), go ahead and enjoy one right away. It’ll be messy, but sometimes messy is enjoyable if you’re ready for it.
Store your doughnuts in the fridge for best preservation, in an airtight container. Otherwise, the humidity might hurt the integrity. If you’re making the doughnuts ahead of time, bake them as directed and wait to ice and decorate until the day of serving. The undecorated doughnuts keep well for about 3 days, and I’d make sure they’re eaten up within 5, or put in the freezer. Though I doubt you’ll have any left.
Have a favorite doughnut flavor I’ve yet to create? Drop suggestions in the comments, ya’ll! Perhaps your go-to will pop up in this space sometime soon.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
‘Doh!
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baked birthday funfetti doughnuts
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup funfetti sprinkles, plus more for decorating
chocolate icing
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 6-slot doughnut pans with butter.
- In a large bowl, whip the butter and sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then the vanilla and yogurt. Scrape down the bowl as needed with a spatula. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. If the batter seems too thick, add the additional tablespoon to reach the right consistency. Fold in the funfetti sprinkles. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter into a piping back, or a ziptop bag with a corner snipped out. Pipe into the prepared doughnut pans, filling 2/3 of the way to the top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges clean, or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of each doughnut to loosen and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When ready to decorate, add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute. Stir until the bowl is no longer warm and the chocolate is free of lumps. If needed, heat an additional 10-20 seconds. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Lay a piece of parchment beneath the wire rack. Dunk one side of each doughnut into the chocolate, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle the iced side with funfetti sprinkles. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
