Cream & Jam Filled Doughnuts

Orange and cardamom dough, vanilla bean mascarpone cream, and cherry raspberry compote, these cream filled doughnuts are my new favorite.

Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry Yeast?

I prefer using Instant Yeast because it tends to work more quickly. That being said, fresh or active dry yeast will work too! The amount of active dry yeast is the same as the instant but the weight of fresh will need to be converted. I haven’t tried these with sourdough starter but I would recommend letting the dough rest in the fridge overnight if you use starter.

How do I know when the dough has been kneaded long enough?

The dough for this recipe will come together quite quickly and might look smooth but if you try to stretch it, it will most likely snap rather than stretch. If it snaps and doesn’t stretch, the dough should be kneaded longer. This dough doesn’t have to pass the window pane test but it should be stretchy.

Can these be made in advance?

I recommend frying them on the same day you plan to eat them. However, the dough can be made the night before, covered and stored in the fridge. In the morning take it out and if it hasn’t yet doubled in size, let it sit out until it has. Then proceed with shaping, proofing, and frying the doughnuts per the instructions.

What are square doughnuts called?

The jury is very much out on this one. Square doughnuts can be called a variety of things including: long john doughnuts, beignets (although those usually aren’t filled, krapfen, berliner, etc.

Can I use store bought jam?

Yes of course you can use store bought jam instead of a homemade jam but I prefer to make it from scratch because you can use less sugar and keep a more tart fresh flavor to balance out the sweet cream.

Additional Recipes to try:

• Krapfen
• Vanillekrapfen | Sweet Cream filled rolls
• Quarkbällchen

Tips for making Fried Doughnuts

• Make sure all dough ingredients are at room temperature. For more tips on yeasted dough, refer to this Yeasted Dough Guide.
• After the first proofing, don’t punch the air out in the center as it will create a thin spot. Rather tip the dough out and evenly press the air out with your hands or a rolling pin.
• I use a heavy cast iron dutch oven for frying because the dense material helps the oil heat evenly and the tall sides keep oil from splattering. A thermometer is also key when frying to make sure the oil is at the right temperature.
• Once shaped, place the squares on lightly floured squares of parchment paper. This makes it easy to handle them once they are soft and fluffy and allows them to be easily transferred into the fry oil.
• It is important to fry the donuts between 350 F and 360 F. I find that 350 F is the best temperature that allows the center to be fully cooked without the outside burning. To keep the oil at the temperature be sure to keep a thermometer in the oil and I recommend heating it to 360 F. Then add in the donuts and the temperature will drop to around 350F.
• Roll the doughnuts in sugar immediately after frying to ensure that is sticks to the doughnuts.

Ingredients

Doughnut

• Orange Zest: Any type of orange or lemon will work, all you need is the zest to add flavor into the dough. Be sure to wash it first!
• Cardamom: I used already ground cardamom for the dough but you can buy the seed pods, break them open and grind the insides with a mortar and pestle for a stronger, fresher flavor.
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for these! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store. This recipe uses one full egg and one egg yolk. The egg yolk adds extra richness to the rolls.
• Sugar: This recipe uses sugar in the dough as well as on the outside for texture and flavor.
• Milk: The doughnuts use milk as the liquid in the dough; however, they will also work with non-dairy milks such as almond or light coconut milk.
• Butter: The butter adds moisture to the dough as well as makes it softer! It’s important that the butter is at room temperature, otherwise it will cool down the dough and be difficult to incorporate.
• Yeast: In this recipe, either active dry or instant yeast will work.
• Vanilla extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste enhances the flavors and sweetness of the doughnuts.
• Sea Salt: Fine sea salt enhances the flavors in the dough.
• Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil or Canola oil are used to fry the doughnuts, I believe avocado oil may work as well but I haven’t tested it.

Vanilla Bean Cream filling

• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work, just make sure it’s cold when you start to whip it.
• Powdered Sugar: I use powdered sugar in whipped cream because it dissolves better but you could use any sugar or sweetener.
• Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Bean Paste: Ideally scrape the insides of a vanilla bean into the heavy cream. If your vanilla beans have dried out like mine did, simply grind it up with a mortar and pestle and then dump it through a sieve.
• Mascarpone: Mascarpone adds body and richness to the cream filling, make sure it is at room temperature before adding it to the cream.
• Salt: A pinch of salt will balance out the sweetness and enhance the flavors in the cream.

Cherry Raspberry Jam

• Frozen Raspberries & Cherries: I prefer to use frozen fruit especially in the winter because they have better flavor than out of season fresh fruit and are usually less expensive.
• Orange Zest: Again any orange or lemon zested will work in the jam filling.
• Granulated sugar: A little sugar helps thicken up the jam and sweeten the raspberries.

How to make Square, Cream Filled Doughnuts

Cherry Raspberry Jam filling

*fyi this may make more than you need so just store any leftovers in an old jam jar

• In a medium sauce pan, add in one 10 ounce (284 grams) bag of frozen sweet cherries and one 12 ounce (340 grams) bag of frozen raspberries along with 100 grams of granulated sugar and the zest of one orange.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until it begins to simmer. Cook until thick and reduced, using a fork along the way to break up the cherries.
• Pour into a large shallow dish and allow it to cool. Place in the fridge if you’re in a hurry, just don’t forget to stir it! 

Make the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the sugar, orange zest, and cardamom. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils.
• Pour in the flour and yeast and whisk it all together.
• Warm the milk until it is just warm to the touch – it should not exceed 100 degrees F.
• Add in the warmed milk, egg and egg yolk, butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Knead the mixture with the dough hook on the stand mixer for 20-25 minutes on low speed until it is smooth and the bowl is clean. The dough should stretch and not just snap.
• Remove the dough and shape it into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl that you were just using and place the ball of dough back in. Then cover the bowl with a towel or plastic and place somewhere warm for 30-45 min. The dough should double in size.
• At this point, you could also cover the dough with plastic and place it in the fridge overnight.

Shape the Doughnuts

• After the dough has grown, dump it out onto a lightly floured counter or work surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and use flat hands or a rolling pin to gently press the air out.
• Roll the dough out into a rectangle that measures about 9″ x 12″ making sure it’s at least 3/4″ thick. Try to make the dough as straight and right angled as possible. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 12 3″ x 3″ squares.
• Place each square onto lightly floured squares of parchment paper. Cover with a sheet of plastic and leave them to rest for 30 minutes somewhere warm to proof.
• Start heating up 4-5 inches of oil in a large deep pot to 360 F about 10-15 minutes before the squares are finished proofing. This way it will be at the correct temperature when they are ready.

Fry and sugar roll

• Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and lay 2 layers of paper towel on top of the rack. Fill a wide bowl with granulated sugar to roll the doughnuts in once fried.
• Once the rolls are proofed, use a slotted spoon or a spider and each square of parchment paper to flip the dough onto the spoon. Lower the proofed dough into the hot oil. Don’t fry more than 3 at a time to avoid lowering the temperature more than 10 degrees.
• Fry them on each side for about 2 minutes – keep an eye on them as 90 seconds may be enough. Use the spoon to carefully flip them over by pressing down on one side. Then fry for another 90-120 seconds.
• Once they are golden brown, use the slotted spoon to remove them from the oil.
• Place the fried doughnuts onto the paper towel lined rack to drain off any excess oil. Allow the oil to reheat to 360 F before adding in another batch of doughnuts.
• Once the next batch is in the oil, roll the first batch in the granulated sugar and place on a separate wire rack to cool.

Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Whip

• In a medium bowl, add in 250 milliliters cold heavy cream, with 50 grams powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla bean paste or crushed vanilla bean.
• Whip until soft lines form. Spoon in 75 grams of room temperature mascarpone and whip/stir into the cream until smooth and medium/stiff peaks form. Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Assemble

• Use a small knife to poke a hole in the side of each doughnut.
• Fill one piping bag or plastic ziploc with the cream filling and one with the jam.
• Push the tip of the cream bag into the hole and squeeze the bag gently until the doughnut begins to puff up. Then press the tip of the jam bag into the same opening and pipe it in until each doughnut is full! Sometimes I use the first one as a test and cut it open immediately after to see if I’ve added enough filling.
• Enjoy immediately!

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