Powdered Sugar Doughnut Loaf Cake is an easy quick bread recipe that tastes just like the powdered sugar doughnuts you loved as a kid!
This snowy white loaf cake is a guaranteed hit with everybody. It instantly brings back delicious memories of those little white powdered sugar donettes we used to beg our moms to buy. Now that we’re all adults let’s graduate to this easy powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake we can whip up whenever we want (and slice as thick as we want!)
The cake has a gorgeous crumb, a lovely dough-nutty flavor (thanks to freshly grated nutmeg and buttermilk) and of course that thick lip smacking layer of powdered sugar.
powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake highlights
powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake ingredient overview
You probably have everything you need on hand, except maybe the buttermilk and the fresh nutmeg. But both are worth the trip to the grocery store, trust me!
- butter
- sugar
- flour
- I use all purpose flour, but you can also use a 1:1 gluten free baking mix.
- eggs
- buttermilk
- buttermilk is a traditional ingredient in many classic doughnut recipes, especially in old-fashioned doughnuts and cake-style doughnuts. Buttermilk adds flavor and ensures a moist tender texture in this loaf cake.
- baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- vanilla
- nutmeg
- if there is a secret ingredient, this is it! The tradition of using nutmeg in doughnuts originated in the Netherlands, and Dutch settlers brought the idea to America way back in the 18th century. Nutmeg has defined the flavor of cake doughnuts ever since. You’ll recognize it immediately, even if you don’t think you know what nutmeg tastes like!
make your powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake step by step
- Make the batter: be sure to use room temperature ingredients and follow the creaming instructions ~ thorough creaming makes the final cake truly light and fluffy.
- Spread the luxurious batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake. This bakes up nice and puffed and golden with a few cracks on top ~ but it’s not done yet!
- Let the cake cool briefly before brushing with melted butter and coating generously with powdered sugar.
how to coat your doughnut loaf cake with powdered sugar
You can try to coat all surfaces of the cake, or just focus on the top like I did, either will be fine.
- Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
- Working in small sections, brush the cake with melted butter, I start with the sides.
- Immediately shower with powdered sugar. Try to apply a good coating of the sugar. You may need multiple coats.
- Finish with the top, again doing it in sections, until it is completely coated with sugar. You may need to go over the cake with another layer of sugar (but don’t add more melted butter over the sugar, that will create a sticky mess.)
storing and freezing your doughnut loaf
Powdered sugar doughnut cake is best the day it’s made, but you can store any leftovers on the counter, covered with foil. You may need to re-dust with sugar before serving.
To freeze let the cake cool completely, then wrap in foil and again in plastic. Freeze for up to 3 months. Again you may want to re-dust with sugar after thawing.
the right loaf pan
This powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake is a large loaf cake, so you will need a full sized loaf pan with an 8 cup capacity so your batter doesn’t spill over. It’s a thick batter that will come up quite high in your pan and rise nicely. To measure your pan measure from outer edge to outer edge, and to measure capacity fill the pan with water in a measuring cup to the brim to see how many cups it holds. If your pan is smaller than mine, fill it 3/4 of the way with batter and use the rest of the batter to make muffins. Remember your baking time will differ if you use a larger or smaller pan.
Emile Henry Modern Classic Loaf Pan, 10 x 5.8 x 3.1 inches, buy here.
more doughnut cakes!
My powdered sugar doughnut loaf cake comes from a long line of doughnut cake recipes!
- Glazed Chocolate Doughnut Cake
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- Powdered Sugar Doughnut Cake
- Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
- Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut Cake
- Jelly Doughnut Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Sour Cream Doughnut Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Doughnut Cake
Powdered Sugar Doughnut Loaf Cake
Equipment
- standard 9×5 loaf pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
wet ingredients
- 14 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup cultured buttermilk, shake before measuring
sugar coating
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted, or more as necessary
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Spray or butter your loaf pan and line with a sling of parchment paper so you can lift the cake out after baking.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer (or with electric beaters) cream the butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then beat in the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Scape down the sides of the bowl often. This thorough creaming process helps produce a light fluffy cake.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, fold in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not over mix at this point. Finally use a silicone spoonula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Turn the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake until the cake is risen, golden, and has cracked on top, about 60-75 minutes.* You can test with a toothpick inserted near the center, but don't test directly in the crack.
- Let the pan cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then carefully lift the cake out using the parchment paper "handles.' Let it cool further on the rack until it has firmed up but is still warm.
- Working in small sections, brush the cake with melted butter, I start with the sides. Immediately shower with powdered sugar through a mesh sieve. I do this over a baking sheet. Finish with the top, again doing it in sections, until it is completely coated with sugar. You may need to go over the cake with another layer of sugar (but don’t add more melted butter over the sugar, that will create a sticky mess.)
- The cake can be served warm (my choice!) or at room temperature. Store leftovers at room temperature covered with foil.
