Oh my lord. If there is one treat that my husband cannot refuse, it is these treasures. I mean, come on. There is coffee cake, in donut form with an irresistible crunchy crumble on top and then topped off with a vanilla glaze. What more can you ask for? These donuts come together really quickly and are a showstopper every time.
Let’s get into it. Start out by making the crumble. That way while we make the donuts, the crumble can be getting really nice and cold so that when it bakes it is… you know… crumbly. Cut some really cold butter into chunks and add it and some sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then place this mixture in the freezer.
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use your hands instead.
- If you don’t have a pastry cutter, that is a-okay! You can rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands. Simply get in there and slowly work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- If you do it this way, it is really important to freeze your crumble for 20-30 minutes afterwards because your hands will heat the butter up and we want this to be really cold when it bakes.
Next, we are going to get to work on our donuts. In a large bowl whisk together some flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, whisk together some sour cream, melted butter and an egg. Then, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and whisk together until just combined. You want to be careful not to over mix here; this allows the final donut to have an amazingly tender texture.
Now, spoon or pipe the dough into a prepared donut pan and top each donut with the cold crumb topping. It is absolutely fine to shed a tear or two over the beauty of your work. Also, if you sample the crumb topping, I won’t tell anyone.
While the donuts are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until completely smooth. Once the donuts are golden and a cake tester comes out clean, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. When the donuts are completely cool, drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top and allow glaze to set.
If by some miracle these donuts last longer than 3.27 minutes, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Now, make yourself a cup of coffee, and enjoy the fruits donuts of your labor.