Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts - The LIGHTEST and most fluffy yeast donuts, rolled in sugar and filled with a tangy raspberry cheesecake cream!
You have probably noticed by now how much I LOVE donuts! In fact, they are my all-time weakness and today, I’m sharing another delicious recipe with you. These are some of my favorite donut recipes, Baked Funfetti Donuts, Old Fashioned Donuts and Nutella Donuts, and these Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts will be definitely added to the top of my list!
Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts Ingredients
- Bread Flour & All-Purpose Flour. I like using a combination. Bread flour has a higher amount of protein, which will add structure to your donuts. If you're unable to find bread flour, you can use all-purpose.
- Malted Milk Powder. This is optional, but highly recommended. It makes the donuts soft and enhances the flavor. I use this one.
- Salt. Rounds out the flavor.
- Whole Milk. Whole (full-fat) milk is best for this recipe. Fat equals flavor and tenderness. Warm milk will be used to activate the yeast.
- Yeast. I am using dry active yeast for this recipe.
- White Sugar. A little bit of sugar will be used to feed the yeast when we activate it and ¼ cup will be added to the dough.
- Unsalted Butter. We'll be using melted butter.
- Eggs + Yolk. Adds richness and structure. We want the eggs to be at room temperature here. To quickly bring your eggs to temp, submerge them into a bowl of hot tap water for about 15 minutes.
- Vanilla. Adds flavor. You can use vanilla paste or extract.
- Rum. This is optional as well, but it adds a bit of flavor.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese. Make sure to use cream cheese from the block, not whipped or cream cheese spread.
- Powdered Sugar. Also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar.
- Freeze-dried Raspberries. If you're unable to find freeze-dried raspberries, feel free to use freeze-dried strawberries. Alternatively, you can leave it plain or add a bit of lemon zest.
- Heavy Cream. Adds richness and makes the filling creamy.
- Vanilla. Adds flavor. You can use vanilla paste or extract.
Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts Instructions
DAY 1
Step 1. Make your dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer, start by blooming your active dry yeast in warm milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar for about 8 to 10 minutes. The yeast mixture should be frothy.
Step 2. Add ¼ cup sugar, eggs, yolk, melted butter, vanilla, rum, flours, malted milk powder and salt to the bowl. With a spatula, mix until the dough roughly comes together (will be shaggy).
Step 3. Fit your stand mixer with a hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be shiny and elastic. At the end 10 minutes, the dough should pull from the sides of the bowl, but will stick to the bottom of the bowl. Do not be tempted to add extra flour, just let the stand mixer do all the work.
Window Pane Test
Your dough is done kneading when it passes the Window Pane Test. To perform the test, take a small (2 tbsp) ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 4. Coat your hands with oil and lift the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Generously oil your bowl (I use the same one) and place the dough back in. Cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
DAY 2
Step 1. Shaping your donuts. Remove from the fridge and punch your dough down to deflate it and then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Portion into 12 equal pieces. Using a kitchen scale, measure each ball of dough to make sure they are as even as possible. Mine were about 80 grams per ball.
Step 2. Grab a piece of dough and press it flat to get rid of any air bubbles. Then start rolling the dough into a ball with your hand in a "claw" shape. You'll want the balls to be as tight and smooth as possible. Please watch this 1 minute video to see the technique. Place each ball of dough onto a 5x5 inch (12x12 cm) piece of parchment paper. I placed 6 donuts on each baking tray to give them more than enough room to proof.
Step 3. Loosely cover with cling wrap and allow to proof for at least 1 hour or until they have doubled in size. Be careful not to overproof them as it can lead to dense and oily donuts. The best way to know if your donuts are fully proofed is to lightly press them with your finger. If the indentation holds and does not bounce back right away, they're ready!
Step 4. While the donuts are proofing, make your raspberry cheesecake filling! In a medium sized bowl, add your cream cheese, powdered sugar, raspberry powder, heavy cream and vanilla. With a hand-held mixer, whisk until light and fluffy. About 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag or ziploc bag and set aside on the counter until needed.
Step 5. Frying and finishing your donuts. With 20 minutes left of proofing, get your oil ready so that you can start frying right away. Fill a medium to large sized pot with at least 2 to 3 inches of vegetable shortening or neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil. Once the oil reaches 360ºF to 375ºF (183ºC to 190ºC), fry 2 to 3 donuts at a time for 2 minutes on each side (set a timer). Try not to overcrowd the pot as it will bring the temperature down. I HIGHLY recommend using a thermometer to monitor the oil.
Step 6. Transfer cooked donuts onto a paper towel-lined cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before rolling into your sugar.
Step 7. Using a chopstick or small paring knife, create a small hole/pocket on the side of each donut and then fill with your prepared raspberry cheesecake filling. Devour right away and enjoy!!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS!
For best results I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients as it’s the most accurate way to bake. I like using King Arthur’s Weight Chart to convert to grams.
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Make sure your yeast is fresh. Whether you use active dry yeast or instant yeast, always activate it by mixing with your warm liquid and a bit of sugar. Nothing is worse than continuing on with a recipe, and then discover later that your yeast is dead.
Don't skip the overnight rest. The dough will ferment slowly overnight, which is essential to developing flavor. The dough is also much easier to work with when it's cold.
Your dough is done kneading when it passes the window pane test. To perform the test, take a small (2 tbsp) ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
The best way to know if your donuts are fully proofed is to lightly press them with your finger. If the indentation holds and does not bounce back right away, they are ready to go!
Use a thermometer to consistently check the oil’s temperature. It can rise and lower as you move through the frying process. Keep a close eye on the temperature to ensure it stay between 360ºF to 375ºF (183ºC to 190ºC). If the temperature of your oil is too low, your donuts run the risk of absorbing too much oil and if the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown too quickly and the center can be uncooked.
Be prepared before you start frying. After your donuts are done proofing, this recipe moves quickly. Have your oil to temp, thermometer clipped to your pot, a cooling rack lined with paper towels, and your sugar coating ready before you begin frying.
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📖 Recipe
Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts
- Total Time: 1.5 Hrs + Overnight
- Yield: 12 Donuts
Description
Raspberry Cheesecake Donuts - The LIGHTEST and most fluffy yeast donut, rolled in sugar and filled with a tangy raspberry cheesecake cream!
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 Cup (227g) Whole Milk
- 2 ¼ Tsp (7g) Active Dry Yeast
- ¼ Cup + 1 teaspoon (50g + 4g) Granulated White Sugar, divided
- 4 Tbsp (57g) Butter, melted
- 2 Large Eggs + 1 Yolk, room temp
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Rum (optional)
- 2 Cups (240g) Bread Flour
- 2 Cups + 2 tablespoon (240g + 15g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Malted Milk Powder (optional)
- ½ Tsp Salt
- Frying Oil
For the Raspberry Cheesecake Filling
- 8 Oz (227g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, room temp
- 1 Cup (113g) Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup (23g) Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder (see note below)
- ¼ Cup (56g) Heavy Cream
- ½ Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
Coating
- 1 Cup (200g) White Sugar
For Frying
- 2 Quarts (1.89 L) of Oil (canola, vegetable or shortening)
Instructions
For the Donuts
Day 1
- Make your dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer, start by blooming your active dry yeast in warm milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar for about 8 to 10 minutes. The yeast mixture should be frothy.
- Add ¼ cup sugar, eggs, yolk, melted butter, vanilla, rum, flours, malted milk powder and salt to the bowl. With a spatula, mix until the dough roughly comes together (will be shaggy).
- Fit your stand mixer with a hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be shiny and elastic. At the end 10 minutes, the dough should pull from the sides of the bowl, but will stick to the bottom of the bowl. Do not be tempted to add extra flour, just let the stand mixer do all the work.
- Coat your hands with oil and lift the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Then generously oil your bowl (I use the same one) and place the dough back in. Cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Day 2
- Shaping your donuts. Remove from the fridge and punch your dough down to deflate it and then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Portion into 12 equal pieces. Using a kitchen scale, measure each ball of dough to make sure they are as even as possible. Mine were about 80 grams per ball.
- Grab a piece of dough and press it flat to get rid of any air bubbles. Then start rolling the dough into a ball with your hand in a "claw" shape. You'll want the balls to be as tight and smooth as possible. Please watch this 1 minute video for the technique. Place each ball of dough onto a 5x5 inch (12x12 cm) piece of parchment paper. I placed 6 donuts on each baking tray to give them more than enough room to proof.
- Loosely cover with cling wrap and allow to proof for at least 1 hour or until they have doubled in size. Be careful not to overproof them as it can lead to dense and oily donuts. The best way to know if your donuts are fully proofed is to lightly press them with your finger. If the indentation holds and does not bounce back right away, they're ready!
- While the donuts are proofing, make your raspberry cheesecake filling! In a medium sized bowl, add your cream cheese, powdered sugar, raspberry powder, heavy cream and vanilla. With a hand-held mixer, whisk until light and fluffy. About 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag or ziploc bag and set aside on the counter until needed.
-
Frying and finishing your donuts. With 20 minutes left of proofing, get your oil ready so that you can start frying right away. Fill a medium to large sized pot with at least 2 to 3 inches of vegetable shortening or neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil. Once the oil reaches 360ºF to 375ºF (183ºC to 190ºC), fry 2 to 3 donuts at a time for 2 minutes on each side (set a timer). Try not to overcrowd the pot as it will bring the temperature down. I HIGHLY recommend using a thermometer to monitor the oil.
-
Transfer cooked donuts onto a paper towel-lined cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before rolling into your sugar.
-
Using a chopstick or small paring knife, create a small hole/pocket on the side of each donut and then fill with your prepared raspberry cheesecake filling. Devour right away and enjoy!!
Notes
- 1 cup of uncrushed freeze-dried raspberries will yield about ¼ cup or raspberry powder.
- Donuts are best eaten the same day. However, you can store leftover donuts in a airtight container on the counter for 2 days.
- Prep Time: 1 Hr
- Chill Time: Overnight
- Cook Time: 30 Mins
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