Baked Spiced Maple Glazed Donuts

Aren't these so pretty!! I am somewhat obsessed with maple flavoring. My very favorite donuts are the maple logs - they're hard to find now (which is a good thing), but if I see them in a shop I always have to get one. I remember mom getting those for us to snack on as we were checking out at our grocery store sometimes when I was little.

I don't pull my donut pan out very often, so was glad for an excuse to get it out and put it to work with these lovely spiced donuts!

These have wonderful fall flavors - the cake is soft and light, the glaze is buttery, sweet, and full of maple flavor. They are best served fresh, but will keep for a day or two in a tupperware on the counter, or in the refrigerator.

I had quite a bit of extra glaze left over, and let me tell you - a spoonful or two blended into warm oatmeal might be heaven!

Baked Spiced Maple Glazed Donuts

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (plain) at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Maple Icing
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
pinch of salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; spray your donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In a second bowl, combine the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk until blended and smooth. 
4. Add the wet into the dry ingredients, and mix just until smooth and combined. Batter will be thick.
5. You can carefully pour the donuts into the pan with a small spatula or spoon, or you can scrape the batter into a ziploc bag, then snip the end and use this to more easily distribute the batter. Fill the donut wells only halfway full. If you have extra batter, do a second batch once the first is baked.
6. Bake 10-11 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and donut springs back when pressed gently.
7. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then move to a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath.
8. Bake any remaining donut batter.
9. Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until well blended.
10. Once butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, maple extract (if using), and pinch of salt. Taste - adjust maple / salt / sugar if needed. Cool a few minutes and then pour the warm icing into a bowl that is large / flat enough to easily dip the donuts into it.
11. Dip tops of each donut into the warm icing and set them back on the parchment lined cooling rack to drip / dry. Double dip them for a thicker coating! 

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction