Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato Cake Donuts

These maple-glazed sweet potato cake doughnuts are a cozy autumn twist on the classic sour cream doughnut.

Do you spell it donut or doughnut? Whether you prefer the light, yeasted kind or the denser cake variety, this recipe is aimed at cake doughnut lovers. These maple-glazed sweet potato cake doughnuts combine tender, moist dough flavored with sweet potato and warm spices, finished with a silky maple glaze.

Mixing the Cake Doughnut Dough

These doughnuts are cake-style, so they rely on baking powder rather than yeast for lift. Make sure your baking powder is fresh—old baking powder loses potency and can leave the doughnuts dense. The dough comes together much like cookie dough: relatively easy but tacky. While hand mixing is possible, a stand mixer with a paddle attachment speeds the process and gives consistent results.

Sweet potato puree adds moisture and a beautiful golden hue, similar to pumpkin puree. You can use canned sweet potato puree, roasted and mashed sweet potatoes, or microwaved sweet potato flesh. The puree contributes both texture and flavor without overpowering the doughnuts.

This Dough Is Sticky

This is not an exaggeration—the dough will be tacky and cling to your hands. Generously flour your work surface and your hands, and keep the doughnut cutter well floured. If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter plus a 1-inch cutter for the center works fine. Because there’s no yeast, you can re-roll scraps multiple times—gather scraps, knead briefly, and re-roll to cut more rings.

Shortening vs Oil for Frying

Traditional doughnut shops often fry in vegetable shortening, which is firm at room temperature and yields doughnuts that feel less greasy with a crisp exterior. At home, vegetable oil or canola oil are convenient alternatives. Both have high smoke points suitable for deep frying—canola tends to be a slightly healthier choice while general vegetable oil is usually the most economical option.

Maple Glaze

These doughnuts are finished with a thin, silky maple glaze that soaks into the surface and settles into every nook and cranny. The glaze blends dark maple syrup with confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a hint of maple extract to intensify the maple flavor. The result is glossy, flavorful, and not overly heavy—perfect for highlighting the sweet potato notes.

Storage and Leftovers

Doughnuts are best the same day they’re fried—ideally within a few hours. The maple glaze benefits from air circulation; storing glazed doughnuts in a breathable box (a cardboard bakery box or a container with the lid slightly ajar) keeps the glaze set without turning the doughnuts soggy. We enjoyed these for several days when stored properly, though they are at their peak on day one.

More Sweet Potato Ideas

• Sweet potato cupcakes with toasted meringue or a marshmallow topping
• Sweet potato pancakes for a hearty breakfast
• Homemade sweet potato dog treats for pets
• Purple sweet potato pie bars for an eye-catching dessert

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Maple Glaze

Yield: 10 doughnuts | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 mins | Chill time: 1 hr | Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (390 g)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (24 g) or use softened butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream (114 g)
• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree (170 g)
• Vegetable shortening or oil as needed for frying

Maple Glaze:

• 350 grams confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup or glucose
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional to intensify flavor)
• 1/3 cup dark maple syrup
• 1/4 cup hot water (adjust for desired consistency)

Instructions

Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, egg, and egg yolk. Scrape down the bowl as needed for even mixing.
3. Add the vanilla, sour cream, and sweet potato puree. Mix on medium speed until combined.
4. Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing on low until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be tacky. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Cooking

1. Attach a candy thermometer to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Fill the pot about 3 inches deep with shortening or oil and heat to 350°F (175°C).
2. Remove chilled dough and transfer to a generously floured surface. Flour the top, then pat or roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Use a floured 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter (or a round cutter plus a 1-inch cutter) to cut rings. Place rings on a lightly floured baking sheet.
3. Gather scraps, knead briefly, and re-roll to cut more doughnuts.
4. Brush off excess flour from the rings. Fry 2–4 doughnuts at a time in the hot oil without overcrowding. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until golden.
5. Drain on a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Monitor and adjust heat to maintain temperature during frying.

Maple Glaze

1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Stir in the salt, corn syrup, vanilla, maple extract (if using), and dark maple syrup until combined.
2. Add the hot water a little at a time and mix until smooth. Adjust water to achieve a thin glaze that will coat the doughnuts and settle into crevices.
3. Dip warm doughnuts into the glaze, allow excess to drip back into the bowl, then set glazed doughnuts on a wire rack to set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Use a candy thermometer to keep oil at the correct temperature for even frying.
• A 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter works best, or substitute with round cookie cutters as described above.
• If you don’t have maple extract, the glaze still benefits from dark maple syrup and vanilla for strong maple character.
• Leftovers store best in a breathable box to prevent the glaze from sweating and making the doughnuts soggy.

Nutrition (approximate per doughnut)

Calories: 445 kcal; Carbohydrates: 93 g; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Sugar: 59 g; Fiber: 2 g; Vitamin A: 4160 IU. Nutrition values are approximate and should be used as a guideline.

Like this recipe? Leave feedback or try your own spin on the glaze and spices.