Doughnut question my authority
By Gabrielle Van Tassel Updated February 13, 2018
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EC: What’s the Difference Between Yeast Doughnuts and Cake Doughnuts?
Credit: photo by Trevor Pearson/FoodPix via getty images
Everyone can agree that doughnuts rule. The only debate that surrounds doughnuts is which doughnut style is better: cake or yeast? But what is the difference between cake and yeast doughnuts? If you ask me, a self-proclaimed doughnut traditionalist, yeast doughnuts are the be-all end-all of the doughnut world. Doughnuts should be fluffy, perfectly browned, not sickeningly sweet, and have a delightfully chewy texture. But despite my convictions about fried, leavened dough, I will concede that a sour cream doughnut has its own special place in my no doubt partially congested heart.
If we’re taking the history of doughnuts into account, the OG doughnut is the yeast doughnut. It was invented by the Dutch, who made olykoeks, or “oily cakes,” in the 17th century. Legend has it, 200 years later the doughnuts of yore was transformed by New England sailor Hanson Gregory’s mother, Elizabeth, who would make him fried dough for his long voyages. She would stuff them with spices, fruit rinds, and nuts (hence “dough-nuts”). But it was Hanson who supposedly fathered the fried dough ring by hastily kebabing his doughnut on a spoke of the ship's wheel in order to better steer during a storm. To be fair, saving a doughnut would also be my first instinct.
The history of cake doughnuts is far less colorful and not nearly as old. Cake doughnuts, while not OG doughnuts, are actually the United States’s true doughnut. They were even in the trenches of World War I.
So what makes the two types of doughnuts different beyond their humble beginnings? It’s mainly the leavening agent. Cake doughnuts, so named for their cakey taste and texture, are leavened with baking soda and baking powder, whereas yeast doughnuts are leavened with, you guessed it, yeast.Yeast is made up of little single-celled critters responsible for digesting simple sugars in dough and producing the carbon dioxide waste that yields a rise. Both styles involve risen dough and using a deep frier. You cannot call it a doughnut unless it is fried.
Cake doughnuts are made with all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, milk, baking powder, salt, eggs, shortening, and, depending on the flavor, spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Look familiar? All those ingredients are also in a basic vanilla cake. Because it is a batter and not a dough, you have to be careful when you drop it into the oil because it will cook quickly and absorb much of the oil. This is why cake doughnuts tend to be very dense and much more moist than actual cake.
Yeast doughnuts are more or less made of the same ingredients, plus yeast, but the ratio of ingredients is different. There’s more liquid, less fat, less flour, and way less sugar. And they are in fact made of dough. The process is more involved because the dough must be kneaded and left to rise before getting cut, rolled, and fried to golden brown perfection.
Some people prefer cake doughnuts because you can create the flavor in the batter and you don't have to worry about glazing. Yeast doughnuts, unless filled, get their flavors from an icing-like glaze. A New York City doughnut shop called Doughnut Plant offers a wide selection of both styles. They’ve even mastered a “filled” cake doughnut in the sense that they inject their tres leches doughnut with condensed milk. At other shops like the highly popular Dough Doughnuts and the flavor innovators at The Doughnut Project, yeast doughnuts are the future. They tout the quality of their traditional, simple doughnuts and then use glazes, texture, toppings, and beautiful designs to spruce them up. Plus, many new-school doughnuts tend to be the size of small tires, and that’s something everyone can get behind.
FAQs
The Obvious Difference
Yeast doughnuts, as the name clearly spells out, are made from dough leavened with yeast (think brioche), whereas cake doughnuts are traditionally made from a kind of cake batter that uses a chemical leavener (i.e. baking powder or baking soda).
What is the main difference between yeast and cake donuts according to the passage? ›
The only real difference between them is that the yeast donuts use yeast as a leavening agent, resulting in the aforementioned lighter consistency.
Are Krispy Kreme donuts cake or yeast? ›
A batch of original glazed starts with Krispy Kreme doughnut mix, water and yeast, the same single-cell fungi used to make bread rise. The yeast is what makes the original glazed so light -- it puffs the dough up with air, so it's not dense like a cake doughnut (more on this later).
Which is healthier cake or yeast donut? ›
Airier yeast donuts usually have fewer calories than cake donuts, which have a denser texture.
Are Dunkin Donuts cake or yeast? ›
Dunkin' Donuts Glazed Donut is a large, airy, yeast doughnut.
What is a donut without a hole called? ›
LaMiaItalia. These classic doughnuts are typically round without a hole in the middle, and generally leavened with yeast.
What's the difference between yeast and cake yeast? ›
Dried yeast has a long shelf life and can be stored at room temperature. Fresh yeast, sometimes called cake yeast or compressed yeast, is a block of fresh yeast cells that contains about 70% moisture and is commonly used by baking professionals.
What are the differences between the three kinds of yeast dough? ›
Cake (Moist) – traditional live yeast; needs to be dissolved in water. Active Dry – traditional dry yeast; needs to be dissolved usually with sugar. Instant – contains small amount of yeast enhancer; does not need to be dissolved.
What is the science behind yeast donuts? ›
Yeast donuts, as the name says, are donuts that you make using yeast. The dough is leavened and made airy thanks to the yeast in the dough. The yeast ferments, it eats sugar in the dough and transforms it into water and gas, carbon dioxide. That carbon dioxide gets trapped inside the dough and will puff it up.
Are the Krispy Kreme cake donuts baked or fried? ›
Like most doughnuts, Krispy Kremes are fried (cooked in oil). Frying cooks the dough rapidly from the outside in to give the doughnuts their distinctive crispy texture. The conveyer belt carries the doughnuts through a vegetable oil bath heated to between 355 and 360 degrees Fahrenheit (about 180 C).
No one knows for sure, as the recipe is reportedly locked in a vault at the company HQ in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. However, according to food historians, it's possible mashed potato is the secret ingredient – and the company claims it hasn't changed the recipe much since the early days.
Does Dunkin Donuts fry or bake their donuts? ›
They offer a large selection of donuts and baked goods, as well as coffee and other beverages. Dunkin is Americas favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee, espresso, breakfast sandwiches and donuts. If they didnt, if wouldnt taste nearly as good. They do in fact, fry their donuts in oil.
What is the healthiest doughnut to eat? ›
The classic sugared donut is also the most nutritious donut on the menu. It has 240 calories, 11g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 13g sugars, and 270mg sodium. If you love donuts, you've got plenty of varieties to choose from.
What is the healthiest donut in the world? ›
It may be surprising to see that the lowest calorie donut is a sugar donut. A sugar donut is a yeast-risen donut, making it light and airy and overall lower in calories than a traditional cake donut.
Do cake donuts or yeast donuts have more sugar? ›
This is why cake doughnuts tend to be very dense and much more moist than actual cake. Yeast doughnuts are more or less made of the same ingredients, plus yeast, but the ratio of ingredients is different. There's more liquid, less fat, less flour, and way less sugar.
Are Krispy Kreme donuts yeast based? ›
What makes the Krispy Kreme doughnut so light? The Krispy Kreme donuts are made using a yeast dough. The copycat Krispy Kreme recipe also uses a yeast based dough.
Does Krispy Kreme have cake donuts? ›
Celebrate your birthday every day with our scrumptious Cake Batter Doughnut. Indulge in this festive doughnut filled with creamy cake batter KREME filling, topped with yellow icing and confetti sprinkles. "It's tough to say which doughnut is my favorite."
Does Dunkin still make cake donuts? ›
Our Cake Donut has a crisp outer edge with a tender inside. However, cake donuts can vary in taste slightly depending on the flavor (Chocolate, Old Fashioned, Blueberry, Sour Cream). For example, the Old Fashioned Cake Donut has a mild vanilla flavor with a slight nutmeg finish.
What is the forbidden donut? ›
Forbidden Doughnuts
(aka Iced Pumpkin Cake Donuts, inspired by King Arthur Flour) Makes 12 to 18, depending on the size of your donut pans. 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree. 1 cup sugar. 3 eggs.
What is old-fashioned doughnut called? ›
Old-fashioned cake doughnuts were called sometimes called "fry cakes" back then: Doughnuts are made of pieces of raised dough, cut into circular pieces and set to rise. After rising they are dropped into a kettle of hot fat, where they puff up into balls and become brown on the surface.
What is a Donut Tire? Like a spare tire, a donut tire is a replacement tire that is stored inside your vehicle in case you get a flat tire and need to replace it. Unlike a regular spare tire, though, a donut tire is actually smaller than the regular tires on your vehicle in order to fit into your trunk.
What are cake style donuts? ›
Cake Doughnuts
Doughnuts made from a cake-like batter, leavened not with yeast but baking powder or soda. The resulting texture is denser than a yeasted doughnut, and often a bit crustier. Other subsections of doughnuts, including cider doughnuts and old-fashioneds, fall entirely within the cake doughnut territory.
Are cake donuts regular donuts? ›
Cake donuts are just as sweet as regular donuts. The thing that is truly different is their texture which is just like a cake. This makes them a little bit richer and you will get full more quickly while eating them!
What is a yeast donut? ›
Yeast donuts are fried bakery products that are yeast-leavened, unlike traditional donuts that are chemically-leavened with baking powder and made with a cake batter. The unique characteristics of donuts are their traditional ring shape and the method of frying in hot oil.
Are duck donuts cake or yeast donuts? ›
To know whether or not you'll like Duck Donuts, you have to understand the different types of donuts: cake, yeasted (light and puffy), old-fashioned (sour cream or buttermilk yields a craggy, crusty exterior) or eggy crullers (delicate, almost pull-apart texture). Duck Donuts only has cake donuts.
