These taste like a cake donut because of nutmeg, which is the spice almost every donut shop uses and almost no home baker thinks of. Dip them the moment they leave the tin, while they are hot enough for the butter to soak in and the sugar to cling.
Everything you need
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup (180 g) milk
- ⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted, for coating
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for coating
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, for coating
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
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Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and grease a 12-hole muffin tin well. Skip the paper cases here; you want the sides exposed so they can be coated.
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Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.
For this step
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
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In a jug, whisk the egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula only until the flour disappears. Lumps are fine and mean a tender muffin.
For this step
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (180 g) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Divide between the holes, about two thirds full, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden and springy.
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Mix the coating sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and put the melted butter in another. Turn each hot muffin in butter, let the excess drip off, then roll in cinnamon sugar.
For this step
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
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Set them on a rack to cool for a few minutes. They're best eaten within the hour, still slightly warm.
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Worth knowing
- Freshly grated nutmeg is dramatically better than pre-ground here, since it's the flavour doing all the donut impersonation.
- Don't let the muffins cool before coating. Cold muffins refuse to hold the sugar.
Make it your own
- Fill each muffin with a teaspoon of raspberry jam before baking for a jam donut version.
- Add ½ tsp ground cardamom to the coating sugar for a Scandinavian twist.
Storing & freezing
Best on the day. Keep airtight for 2 days and refresh in a 160°C oven for 5 minutes. Freeze un-coated muffins for 2 months, then butter and roll after reheating.
Frequently asked
Why do these taste like donuts if they're baked?
Nutmeg and a butter and cinnamon sugar coating do most of the work. The oil-based batter also keeps the crumb closer to a cake donut than a butter muffin.
How many grams is a cup of vegetable oil?
About 218 g per US cup, so the ⅓ cup here is roughly 73 g. Any neutral oil works; olive oil is too strongly flavoured.
Cooking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
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A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.