Easter and Passover Recipes for #SundaySupper...Featuring Bunny-Approved Baked Easter Doughnuts

This week, we're sharing our favorite Easter or Passover dishes for #SundaySupper...just in time to add a few new items to this year's menu! Our hostess this week is Carla from Chocolate Moosey, and we're sharing everything from Easter Sunday Brunch items to Passover desserts. I wanted to make something fun and colorful for Easter...something that was quick and easy. I originally thought about making candy-topped Easter bark...and then I remembered my Wilton doughnut pan that I bought a few months ago. That made me change my plan and make my Bunny-Approved Baked Easter Doughnuts instead. These buttermilk cake doughnuts are similar in texture to a muffin, and they bake up in less than 10 minutes. That gives you just enough time to whip up the icing on the stovetop.

Feel free to tint the glaze if you want, but I stuck with white since I was using brightly colored Easter and Spring-colored sprinkles. The main thing is to have fun and let your creativity go wild! Decorating these doughnuts is sort of like coloring eggs...only you have half a dozen doughnuts to enjoy when you're done. And you don't have to hide them...unless, of course, you don't want to share! I made two minor tweaks to a fantastic baked doughnut recipe from Sur le Table. I subbed cinnamon for the nutmeg called for, and I added 1 tbs. of vanilla extract with the wet ingredients. Feel free to double the recipe if you want to make a dozen doughuts...you'll have plenty of icing!

Bunny-Approved Baked Easter Doughnuts

adapted from Sur le Table

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425, and spray a six-well doughnut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside while you make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together: 1 1/4 cup cake flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 slightly beaten large egg, 1.5 tbs. melted butter, and 1 tbs. vanilla. Stir just until combined.

Step 2: Fill each well of the doughnut pan 2/3 full. A pastry bag or ziploc bag with the corner snipped makes this pretty easy, since it's a thick batter. Bake the doughnuts for 4-6 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Let the cooked doughnuts cool for a couple of minutes, then remove from pan. They should release easily without sticking.

Step 3: Make the icing by combining the following ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat: 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 3 cups powdered sugar. Keep the pan over the heat and whisk until everything is combined and a nice dipping consistency. Dip the round tops of each doughnut in the icing, letting excess drip back into the pan. Place on parchment and quickly decorate before the glaze sets.

Step 4: Let the doughnuts cool for about 5 minutes. This will give the icing time to set and allow the sprinkles to adhere firmly. Your patience will be rewarded with six adorable and tasty doughnuts that the Easter Bunny would be proud of!

These doughnuts are as tasty as they are cute! They bake up moist and light thanks to the buttermilk, and the icing is the perfect consistency to cover the tops without running down the sides. The icing is very sweet...I won't lie...so one doughnut with an ice-cold glass of milk should be enough for even the most die-hard sweet tooth. If you have little ones, I'm sure they'd love decorating the tops with sprinkles. Heck, I'm a big kid, and I had a blast!

Wait until you see what the rest of the #SundaySupper contributors are sharing today. Go by and visit...and get some great ideas. Make sure to join us for our weekly #SundaySupper Twitter chat tonight at 600 CST. It's always a good time!

Easter