Even though it is still Bipolar weather here in the midwest, I am looking forward to warmer days and everything outside blooming. This coming up Saturday we are due for an 80 degree weather day, so making the best cherry blossom cake donuts seemed perfect to celebrate the weather.
A sweet, tart, and fried cherry blossom donut with two types of cherries and a sweet maraschino cherry glaze. Fried cake donuts are where it is at. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL donuts, but biting into a fresh fried donut gives me all the feels!
I took a different spin with the cherry blossom donut originally launched by Dunkin donut in 2015. The donut was a yeast donut ring topped with strawberry icing, sprinkles, and white glaze. How is that anything Cherry related? Maybe just the color, but please enjoy my actual cherry blossom cake donut.
If you are a lover of anything cherry, please enjoy a chocolate cherry bundt cake, cherry cobbler macarons, and cherry muffins.
What is a cherry blossom?
Cherry blossoms or "Sakura" in Japan are the symbolic flower of spring. Their beauty peaks at about 2 weeks and then the blossoms fall.
The petals are edible and are pickled and used in many Japanese sweets and tea.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Maraschino cherries and juice
- Dried montmorency cherries
- Granulated sugar
- 2% milk
- Confectioner's sugar
Step by Step instructions
- Prepare the kitchen and ingredients: Chop and remove stems of maraschino cherries, place parchment paper on two baking sheets, and line a couple of plates with paper towels. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, unsalted butter, cherry juice, vanilla extract, and egg.
- Whisk dry ingredients and combine to butter mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With electric mixer on medium, mix until well combined.
- Fold in cherries: Fold in chopped and dried cherries until combined. If dough is sticky at this point, that is ok, it should pull away from sides of bowl. If too sticky, add more flour
- Roll out dough and cut donuts: On a floured surface, roll out dough until you reach about ¼ to ½ inch thickness. Cut out donuts with round donut cutter and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Heat oil and fry: In a pot, add about 1-2 cups of canola oil until the oil reaches 375 degrees F on thermometer. Add in 2-3 donuts at a time until they are a light golden brown in color. Remove donuts with slotted spoon and put on paper towel lines plates. Cool slightly before dipping in glaze.
- Make glaze and dip donuts: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and cherry juice until you reach a desired glaze consistency. You may need to add more cherry juice if it is too thick or more confectioner's sugar if it is too thin. Dip donuts. Serve right away to enjoy best flavor!
Variations and substitutions
- Save the extra dough that is cut out of the middle and make cherry blossom donut holes and dip in glaze or sugar
- Bake the donuts instead of frying them
- Add in some slices almonds to enhance the flavor
- Make them a yeast donut and add cherry filling in the center
- Substitute using cake flour versus all-purpose flour
FAQ's
Yes, before glazing them is best. Wrap in a freezer ziplock bag and store for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in fridge overnight. Bake as directed and then glaze.
Cherry Blossom cake donuts
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicon Spatula
- 1 3 inch round donut cutter
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Cherry Blossom cake donut
- 1 cup maraschino cherries chopped and stems removed
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- ⅔ cup 2% milk
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- canola oil for frying
Cherry glaze
- 2½ cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- Pink food coloring optional
Instructions
Cherry blossom cake donut
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, vanilla, and cherry juice until well combined. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add in the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until well combined. It should take about 2-3 minutes.
- With a spatula, fold in both types of cherries and mix until incoporated. The dough will be sticky, but it should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If too sticky, add more flour as needed.
- On a floured surface, place the dough. Roll out the dough until it is about ¼ to ½ inch thickness. Use donut cutter and cut out the rounds. Place the dough on a prepared baking sheet and repeat process wth remaining dough.
- In a large pot, heat oil until it reaches 375° F. Measure with a candy thermometer. Add 2-3 donuts at a time and cook until they are a golden brown color (2 minutes per side). Remove donuts and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess grease. Repeat process with remaining donuts. Let donuts slightly cool before dipping.
Cherry glaze
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add the confectioner's sugar and cherry juice. Whisk together until desired glaze consistency is reached. If too thick add 1 tablespoon at a time of cherry juice, or too thin, add more confectioner's sugar. Dip each cooled donut into the glaze and put on a wire rack to set.
Notes
- Donuts are best eaten right away, but can be store in an airtight container for 2 days.
Nutrition
Spring time favorites
Fun fact of the day!
Since we are talking about all things Japan related, if you're being drunk or violent in Japan, police will get a futon and roll you into a burrito.
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