BIRTHDAY CAKE Donuts

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Whenever I make these, I feel like a kid at a birthday party! Make sure to find the chunkiest sprinkles you can get your hands on so they hold their shape in the mixture to give you that ‘funfetti’ effect.

Makes: 12 regular donuts or 24 minis

What You’ll Need:

  • 180 g (6½ oz/1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing tin
  • 180 g (6½ oz/¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 180 g (6½ oz/1¾ cups) sifted self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 70 g (21/2 oz/1/3 cup, plus 1 tbsp) sprinkles (big, chunky and colourful ones are best), plus extra for decoration
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp full-fat (whole) milk (if needed)

Vanilla bean icing (frosting)

  • 300 g (101/2 oz/21/2 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 30 ml (1 fl oz/2 tbsp) whole milk

2 × 12-hole donut tin (pan) or 2 × 6-hole donut tin (pan)

What To Do:

  • Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and liberally grease the donut tin with butter.
  • Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour each time.
  • Gently fold in the rest of the flour with the vanilla bean paste, baking powder, sprinkles and salt. Add the milk if it seems stiff.
  • Pour the mixture into the donut tin, filling each hole  around two-thirds of the way up.
  • Bake in the oven for 12–14 minutes until a skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool before transferring to a wire rack.
  • To make the icing, place the icing sugar, vanilla bean paste and half of the milk into a bowl and stir.
  • Gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring, until you end up with a smooth mixture.
  • Carefully dunk each of the cooled cake donuts into the bowl until the icing covers it around halfway. Gently pull the donut back up, keeping the top down and slowly spinning it around by 180 degrees or so, to let any excess drip back down into the bowl.
  • Decorate with the giant sprinkles.

Extracted from Donuts by Vicky Graham (Hardie Grant, £10) Photography © Joe Woodhouse

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