Fancy Dessert Donuts
March 9, 2019 by Nicole Collins
Is there such a thing as food being too pretty to eat?
Cause if there is, today’s recipe would definitely fall in that category!
I have to admit something to you. I’ve kind of become obsessed with the pictures for today’s recipe. I can’t stop looking at them.
Is that crazy?
I probably don’t want you to answer that.
I took these pictures a couple of weekends ago, and I feel like I’ve made a point to stop what I’m doing at least once a day to look at them or show them to someone/force someone to look at them. And, I made one of these pics the background on my laptop, so I get to look at it like all of the time.
I’ve always been like a baby raccoon and a moth to a flame all wrapped up in one…addicted to all things shiny, colorful, and bright. I’m a magnet for pretty things, and I think that’s probably how I’ve ended up with a house full of plates, cups, bowls, serving dishes, platters, etcetera etcetera…
Aside from being totally gorgeous (and please correct me if I’m seeing something that you’re not seeing), today’s recipe really gives me hope that spring is on the way. And, it is! We’re FINALLY in a place where the countdown to spring is in days instead of months.
Longer days, warmer temps…come to mama!
Oh, and remember that tea party we had the other day? Today’s recipe is the perfect addition to that spread! Or to a baby shower/bridal shower spread. Or, you know, just as your every day dessert spread.
Today, we’re making Fancy Dessert Donuts!
This plate of donuts looks like I spent $50 at a fancy patisserie. But in reality, I spent less than $10 (thanks, Aldi!) and had a TON of fruit to spare to make more. And, you guys are not going to believe how easy it is to make these works of art.
We start with a variety of store bought donuts. I recommend any mix of cake, sour cream, glazed, chocolate glazed, and chocolate frosted donuts. Ain’t nobody got time to work with yeast and break out the fryer when you’re trying to make a beautiful dessert to impress your loved ones, so let the store help you out with the donut base.
Next, we’re going to make an easy cream cheese frosting to pipe on top of our donuts. It’s a simple mix of cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and a splash of vanilla. In addition to or as an alternative to the cream cheese frosting, you could also make a quick whipped cream to pipe on the donuts by whipping together equal parts heavy cream and powdered sugar. Either way, these little dollops of creamy heaven make the perfect glue to pile our assortment of fruit on top of the cakey donut.
Now some people get really nervous at the thought of decorating desserts. The term “piping” gives them hives. But I promise you, this is amateur stuff. You don’t even need any fancy tools. You could use a freezer bag with the corner snipped off; but at minimum, I’d recommend using a piping bag. It’s much easier to control. To give some texture to my little blobs, I used an open star tip. That’s what gives them that ridged look. As long as you know how to squeeze and release a handheld bag, you can make these little decorations!
The final piece to our dessert is the fruit on top! This is really what brings this simple dessert together. And, this is where you have total creative freedom! You can use any combination of fruit you like. Just think about colors as you’re building your donuts. I used 4 types of berries, grapes, peaches, and mint for garnish. I would recommend you stick with softer fruits. Avoid the fruits that brown easily like apples or are super fibrous like pineapple. As much as I love them both, they’re not quite delicate enough for this dessert. But really, you’ve got a ton of opportunity here. Some pitted cherries or some kiwi would also be super beautiful on these. MMM…and let’s not forget delicious!
Your loved ones are going to be SOOOOOO impressed when they see this gorgeous dessert that you present to them. And, you’ll just be chuckling on the inside thinking about how little effort you put in to these. Besides, at the end of the day, these are just donuts. You ever met anyone that’s been mad about being given a donut?
I think not…
Alright guys, it’s time for me to go stare at these picture some more so you can create your own masterpieces. I'd love to see your pics when you make these, so be sure to send me some pics or tag me on Instagram!
Have fun, and let’s eat!
Fancy Dessert Donuts
Serves: 12 Print
Ingredients:
12 assorted donuts (cake, glazed, sour cream, chocolate frosted, or chocolate glazed)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla
about 3 cups assorted fruit (mixed berries, thinly sliced peaches, grapes, etc)
mint, for garnish
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until fully combined and smooth. Transfer cream cheese frosting to a piping bag.
Pipe dollops of frosting around the donuts. Arrange assorted fruit as desired on top of the donuts. Garnish with mint. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*If you or your loved ones that aren't a fan of cream cheese frosting, you could also make a quick whipped cream to pipe on the donuts. Using the whisk attachment in the stand mixer, beat ½ cup heavy cream on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup powdered sugar, and continue beating on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag, and decorate from there!
*I would recommend sticking with softer fruits for these. I would avoid hard fruits like apples or fibrous fruits like pineapple.
*I used Wilton tip 32 to pipe the small textured dollops on my donuts. You could also snip the end off of a piping bag with no tip to make a rounder, dollop.
*You can make the cream cheese frosting and prep the fruit in advance the day before. Then, assemble when you're ready to serve.
*As you're decorating the donuts with fruit, think about what colors and shapes pop when put together. This is your work of art, so there are no right or wrong combos!
The Yummy Muffin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I provide links to products that I use by my own choice, and all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!
