We used one just last Sunday for our picnic after church. Twice a year my church has a regional conference, a two hour meeting that is always great and uplifting, but also a long time for the kids to sit still. It’s tradition to pack a picnic and let the kids run around on the huge wooded lawn on the temple grounds afterward.
Heating instructions? For a cold pack??
I’m just gonna put this out there, it’s probably Edison’s fault. I bet he swapped them when I wasn’t looking. He is in this stage right now where his entire life purpose is to put a stick in our wheels, I swear. He watches every single move we make and does exactly the thing that will mess us up.
Soccer uniform finally came in the mail? He shoves it in a corner of the garage where we would never think to look. I was making several batches of bread the other day and rinsed off my dough hook to use again, set it right by the mixer where I would need it. He hid it in the bathroom. The other day he even stole my darn toothbrush right before bedtime, and stashed it in his closet.
If you ever think of me lately, just know that I am dropped to my knees, clutching my hair and shouting toward the sky, “EDISONNNNN!!!!!!!” Foiled again!” While he rubs his hands together malevolently in the background.
Oy vey. I may not be able to differentiate between ice packs and cauliflower, and I might not be able to out-sleuth my own 3-year-old, but at least I can whip up a MEAN Cream Filled Donut to make me feel better! This really is something, right??
Bavarian cream donut is the basic term for any cream or custard filled donut. In the United States especially, the filling can differ, but most shops will still call it either a Bavarian Cream donut or simply a cream filled donut. Usually they are round, sometimes they are rectangular, but always have a creamy vanilla flavored custard piped into the center.
Traditionally, Bavarian cream is a pastry cream specifically made with gelatin, but my recipe skips the gelatin and uses egg yolks and cornstarch to thicken. I never have gelatin in my pantry, do you?? My filling is made by taking Pastry Cream and folding it with whipped cream, I’ll show you just how to do it. It’s basically a thickened Vanilla Pudding. It’s really hard not to just eat it with a spoon!
Next put together the yeast dough. I have more pictures of this process on my Homemade Donuts recipe! Check out the how-to section of that post for all the details. The donut part of the recipe is exactly the same.
Here is the dough once it’s been kneaded together for 5 minutes. Nice and soft and stretchy! Smell it, I have dreams of this smell.
Now slap it in a bowl you’ve coated with oil, and flip it over to make sure it’s oiled top and bottom.
One of the special methods that professionals use to make donuts is using a proofing box. They have these huge boxes, kind of like an oven, where the temperature and humidity are controlled.
We are going to fake a proofing box in our oven! It’s so easy. Creating this humid, warm environment helps our donuts get puff puff puffy. I use the same method for my Cinnamon Rolls!
Turn your oven on for about a minute until it’s warm inside, but not hot. You should still be able to touch the oven racks without wanting to pull your finger away.
Then boil a kettle of water and pour it into a pan sitting just below your dough. The steam will rise up and make your yeasty dough puff and puff! You can see the oven is ON in this photo, I was still heating it up a bit, but I turned it off right after. You can also see in this photo that I have very low oven cleanliness standards. Try not to hate me. That’s my pizza stone in there, it helps regulate my oven temperature when I’m actually baking. (My oven is a piece of actual garbage and needs to be replaced 😂) You want a temp of around 100-130 degrees F.
And after an hour it will look like this:
Now it’s time to roll out this beauty.
You want to roll it out to about 12 inches, or less. Make sure the dough is about 1/2 inch thick.
Make sure your dough is not too thin. You want nice thick donuts, like this.
Turn your oven into a proofing box again! Try to fit all your pans of donuts on the racks, then you can see that I have the 9×13 pan directly on the bottom of my oven. Only do this AFTER you have turned the oven on and off!
Heat up a whole ton of oil over medium heat. At least 2 inches deep. You need LOTS of oil for deep frying, otherwise you will end up with half burned doughy-in-the-center doughnuts.
A steady temperature is the secret to frying donuts successfully. You want a temp of about 350. When you add your first batch, the temperature will drop, so it’s best to wait a minute in between batches. Just keep an eye on it and keep gauging with the thermometer.
Get everything set up and ready to go! I call this my “fry station”: Hot oil, thermometer, spider strainer or tongs, wire cooling rack set on top of paper grocery bags (or paper towels), shallow bowl full of sugar, and the risen donuts nearby.
(My daughter Charlotte helped me fry the donuts. These bracelets were from a summer camp she went to this year, she’s kept them on forever!)
Here’s what all the fuss was about with the squares of parchment paper. We are picking up the donuts and setting them directly in the oil, paper and all. I have ruined one too many risen donuts by puncturing it with the spatula trying to get it in the oil, and I’m so over it. I saw this tip somewhere (I can’t remember where!) and it’s been life changing for frying any yeast dough. I’m never going back ever ever.
Hang onto one corner of the paper, let the donut fully submerge, and shimmy the paper back and forth until the donut loosens from the paper. Then remove the paper right away and set aside.
If the donut pops up out of the oil a whole bunch when you flip it, sometimes it’s helpful to hold it down in the oil to make sure the middle part gets browned properly.
Let the donuts cool on the wire rack for a minute, not too long, but you don’t want to burn your fingers. After 60-90 seconds, toss the donut in the sugar, coating it really well. (Add a couple tablespoon cinnamon to your sugar for a fun twist!
Now it’s time to make the filling! Beat some heavy cream until stiff peaks form, add in a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar if you like it sweet like me.
Then add the Pastry Cream that you’ve had chilling in the fridge! Give the pastry cream a good whisk to smooth it out, then fold it into the cream using a rubber spatula, using as few strokes as possible to incorporate it. We want to keep it fluffy.
My best tip for getting filling into a piping bag is to use an empty glass to hold up the bag. So much easier! You can use a piping bag or even just a ziplock with the end snipped off. You don’t really need a tip for filling donuts, just the bag is fine.
Use a toothpick, paring knife, or chopstick to poke a whole in the side of your donut. Twist it around a bit to make room.
Then push the end of the piping bag inside the donut and fill ‘er up! Your donut will plump up and look so good!
If you are serving a bunch of these at once its handy (and pretty) to line them up on their sides like this. I like to put them in a pretty casserole dish with the filling pointing up.
And that’s IT! Remember, only fill the ones that you are planning to eat right away. These do not store well! Invite all your friends over, they will love you!
LEMON CURD. omg I’m telling you guys, I had a donut filled with fresh lemon curd once on vacation in Australia forever ago, and forgot about it until this moment. It was so good, you have to try it. Nutella. I mean, do I need to explain further? I guess I do, because I actually have an entire post dedicated to Nutella Stuffed Donuts. Please read my story about Kirby the vacuum man and die with me, haha! Good times. 😂 Ooh, here’s an idea, you could even mix your nutella with the whipped cream called for in this recipe for something lighter. Jelly or Jam. I mean, this is a classic right? See above about folding with whipped cream. Yum. Any flavor of homemade or even instant pudding would be so good.
What even is a donut without milk, tea or coffee? Start there for sure! Baked Bacon » Ready in about 10 or 15 minutes, SO much easier than frying on the stove. My Best Quiche Recipe » This one is no joke. You will never go back. Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs » so creamy and tender and easy to have waiting while you finish the donuts Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Ham » fun fact, this is the most visited recipe on my site! Chili Rellenos Casserole » this one is so easy Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata »easy to make, super fast, and full of cheesy deliciousness Classic Fruit Salad from Downshiftology
If you’ve already filled your donuts and have some leftover, eat just one more. Stuff it in. I’m sorry, you didn’t come to me for diet advice. The next option is to call all the neighbors over for a donut party! You will be solving all of America’s loneliness problems! Pat yourself on the back! But, if you really have no alternative, you can refrigerate them in an air-tight container for about 3-4 days. Just know that the quality of the donut will deteriorate significantly with each passing day. Flash freeze them on a sheet pan for 20-30 minutes, then put them in a large freezer ziplock bag with wax or parchment paper between them so they don’t stick. They’ll last in the freezer for about 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter overnight, then warm in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. You’ll need to make the cream filling fresh. When frozen and thawed, it will separate on you and be a watery mess. Anything made with cornstarch isn’t going to do great in the freezer, the excess water from thawing ruins any binding action. Luckily, pastry cream is a cinch to throw together and will help the frozen donuts taste just that much fresher once they’re all filled.
More pastry goodness you’ll love!
The Best Homemade Donut Recipe » Sometimes you just need a perfect glazed donut. Or two. Or three. Maple Donut Recipe (Maple Bars) » one of my FAVORITE donuts ever Nutella Stuffed Donuts » soft, puffy donuts filled with Nutella? Yes, please 4 Ingredient Apple Cider Doughnuts » too easy, and perfect for fall 30-Minute Maple Bars » The shortcut version of my favorite donut Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe » so fluffy, and you can make them overnight! Soft Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe » such a decadent recipe that tastes like it’s from a bakery One Hour Almond Rolls » Kinda like cinnamon rolls, but with the most amazing honey-caramel sauce Maple Butter Twist Coffee Cake »maple-brown sugary goodness all wrapped up in a buttery bread Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts from Sally’s Baking Addiction Danish Pastries from Brown Eyed Baker
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