Stacked Donut Cake (2024)

Who doesn’t get excited when they see a big pile of donuts? Sure, you could go to your favourite pastry shop, but you can easily make your own donuts at home. This Stacked Donut Cake is proof of that! And, it’s perfect for any occasion!

We love donuts of all shapes and sizes; all flavours too. Filling or no filling, they’re all fun to eat. But, in my opinion, a donut isn’t complete without sprinkles. I think one is never too old or too distinguished to enjoy a dessert loaded with sprinkles!

But, Dear Reader, you already know that about me! So, why a Stacked Donut Cake? Well, why not, right!?

To be perfectly honest, I was pondering over the idea for quite some time. You see, Dear Reader, I tend to struggle with my cake decorating skills. I just have not had enough practice. But, I’m quite happy with how I can bake, frost, and bedazzle a donut!

STACKED DONUT CAKE INSPIRATION

I’ve been seeing so many images lately on Pinterest which showcase these over-the-top, massive donut cakes. They look like a donut that has been formed using a bundt pan. I love the idea, but since my decorating skills are not up to the challenge, and I’ve never worked with fondant, the stacked donut cake was the next best choice for me.

I love the way this cake looks! It looks super festive, fun, and impressive too. I think if you placed this cake in the middle of an Easter brunch dessert spread, you’d be an instant star!

Now, here’s the thing about a Stacked Donut Cake – yes, I fashioned this one after springtime with the pastel-coloured frosting and the pink, green, blue, and purple sprinkles. I even placed those beautiful flowers around the base of the cake stand to emphasize spring.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Stacked Donut Cake. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE DONUTS:

• Flour– No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder– This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Baking Soda– Commonly known as sodium bicarbonate, or just bicarb, it is a baking ingredient that helps with leavening or rising.
• Salt– This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness.
• Sugar– Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown the batter as it bakes.
• Milk– When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated.
• Sour Cream– Baking with sour cream is a great way to keep baked goods moist while adding texture and richness.
• Eggs– Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Butter– Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Vegetable Oil
• Vanilla Extract– Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.

FOR THE GLAZE:

• Confectioner’s Sugar– This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often. When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
• Milk– When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated.
• Food Colouring
• Sprinkles

CHANGE THE COLOURS TO MATCH THE OCCASION!

But, truth be told, you can make this cake suited to any occasion! My mind automatically thinks birthday cake. You could frost the donuts to suit the theme of the birthday party. Every kid loves sprinkles, and lots of them! And, you can easily stick a bunch of candles into the top tier of donuts!

The possibilities don’t end there though! Think about how pretty this cake would look with white, pink and red frosting for valentine’s day. Or, what about red and green for Christmas? And, you just know that black and orange donuts would rock any Halloween party!

MY GO-TO SPRINKLE SOURCE

You can find sprinkles to suit any occasion too, which makes buying sprinkles almost as much fun as it is decorating and assembling this Springtime Stacked Donut Cake. I buy most of my sprinkles from Sweetapolita. They’re the best and you should check them out. All of the sprinkles you see in this post were mixes I found at Sweetapolita.

DONUT PANS – A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE AVID BAKER

When I first thought about the possibility of making donuts at home, I thought long and hard about purchasing donut pans. After all, how often will one make donuts at home? Did I really need to spend money on a set of donut baking pans? Would I use them more than just twice a year? Then, I’d convince myself that I didn’t have much storage room and eventually, I’d leave the store without them.

Ever since I broke down and purchased a set ofdonut baking pans, I can’t stop thinking about making donuts. Truthfully, Dear Reader, I will try to find any excuse I can to whip up a batch. I try not to do that, though. If I can limit them to special occasions only, I won’t feel so guilty for eating so many of them.

See Also

Donut Cake Tower

HOW TO MAKE A STACKED DONUT CAKE

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside. (This recipe makes 18 donuts. You can buy donut pans with six or twelve cavities, so you may need to bake the donuts in batches.) In a large bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream and eggs. Next, beat in the butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Beat into the wet ingredients.

Dump the entire batter into a large Ziploc bag. Cut one of the lower corners off the bag, and in a circular pattern, fill the donut pan about 3/4 way full. Tap the pan firmly on the kitchen counter to get the batter to settle into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool. Repeat until all batter is used.

When the donuts have fully cooled, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and milk until the icing is smooth and consistent. For a thicker icing, add more confectioner’s sugar. For a thinner icing, add about 1/2 teaspoon of milk at a time. Once you are satisfied with the consistency of the glaze, add a few drops of food colouring to get the desired colour. You will need to repeat this for each colour you are making.

Dip the cooled donut, top side down, into the icing. Lightly shake the excess icing off the donut, or gently drag the iced part of the donut over the rim of the icing bowl. Place on a cooling rack and add the sprinkles. Allow the glaze to fully harden before storing.

ADDED BONUSES!

When opting to make a stacked donut cake over a regular layered or tiered cake, one avoids all of the drama associated with cake decorating. This donut cake is five layers high. With a tiered cake, I’m sure support dowels would be needed. These donuts are so light and airy that there’s no need for support.

And, do you know what the coolest thing about this stacked donut cake is? It’s not the beautiful colours. And, it’s not the over-the-top display of sprinkles. No, it’s not the five layers either! It’s the fact that you don’t need a knife to cut the cake!!!!

Not having to cut the cake not only eliminates the need for precise cutting so that everyone gets the piece they want, but when it comes to donuts, one doesn’t need a fork or a plate. That means less dishes to wash up too! Who wants to host a party just to be faced with a sink full of dirty dishes once everyone leaves to go home? Not me!!

LIFE IS SHORT; EAT A DONUT!

No mess, no fuss; that’s what this Springtime Stacked Donut Cake is all about! Just place a big cake stand right in the middle of your dessert table, pour up cups of hot tea or coffee for the adults, and a big glass of milk for the kids, and let them dig in. Everyone gets to chose their favourite frosting colour.

Life is all about doing what makes you happy, at least that’s my philosophy. And, eating a donut every now and then makes me extremely happy. And, so does sprinkles. Lots and lots of colourful, bright, vibrant, joyous sprinkles!!! Enjoy, Dear Reader!!!