I was seriously happy when I started seeing donuts appearing at weddings, bridal showers and occasions other than work meetings. I’ve always felt those sweet, fluffy rings of dough had a higher calling. They had such potential! And honestly who doesn’t love donuts? They’re delicious, but they can also be beautiful. These Lemon Buttermilk Donuts could certainly win a beauty contest. They would make a gorgeous edition to any breakfast, brunch or dessert table. The fresh lemon zest and the earthy flavor of honey will bring springtime right into your kitchen.
If you’re on the lookout for a Mother’s Day recipe, any mom will love these pretty, fragrant treats. This is a very easy recipe and the donuts bake up quickly, so you’ll have time to fix mom a cup of her favorite tea. If you don’t have a donut pan, and you’ve been reluctant to buy one, I can honestly say I love mine. It was very affordable and I’m pleased with the performance and ease of clean up with the pan I purchased. To find the donut pan click here.
In keeping with the springtime feel, I decorated my donuts with pesticide-free edible flowers. I used pansies, but if you’re unable to find them, you can substitute pesticide-free rose petals. I found these edible pansies at my local food market in the produce department, near the fresh herbs. You can also find edible flowers at farmers’ markets and online. For a list of edible flowers, click here.  Note:  The above pictured orange ranunculus flowers on the table are not edible. Â
Lemon Buttermilk Donuts with Honey Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
Lemon Buttermilk Donuts
- 1 cup (113g) cake flour, sifted
- ½ cup (100g) fine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon fine sea salt
- â…“ cup (78ml) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
Honey Cream Cheese Icing
- ÂĽ cup (85g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- ÂĽ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons milk
Finishing Touches
- Pesticide-free edible flowers
- Sugar pearls*
- Nonpareils**
Instructions
Lemon Buttermilk Donuts
- Preheat oven to 375ÂşF (190ÂşC). Spray the wells of a donut pan*** with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and lemon zest together until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or plastic zip bag. Snip off the tip of the bag and pipe batter into the prepared donut pan, filling the wells 2/3 full.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into donuts comes out clean, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then remove the donuts to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Honey Cream Cheese Icing while the donuts are cooling. Dip the tops of the donuts into the icing and decorate as desired. Serve immediately.
Honey Cream Cheese Icing
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well blended. Do not over beat. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined.
- On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the honey and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Beat on low speed until smooth.
These donuts look absolutely amazing – So refined and beautiful, they could even make a wedding cake jealous! I can’t wait to make them.
Thanks Alicia! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂