Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze: Baked Cake Donut Recipe

By:

Sage Martinez

Published:

September 23, 2026

[grow_share_buttons]

Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze

These baked lemon doughnuts are sweet, tender, and packed with bright citrus aroma, then finished with a fresh lemon glaze. They are made from scratch with a short list of pantry staples, and the whole batch bakes in about 10 to 12 minutes.

If you have been hunting for a treat that feels special without any frying, this is the one I keep coming back to.

Jump to:

Baked lemon donuts

Real lemon does the heavy lifting here. Freshly squeezed juice and freshly grated zest give these donuts their sunny flavor, and there is no extract standing in for the real thing. The crumb is delicate, fluffy, and light, the kind that springs back when you press it.

Because these are baked rather than fried, you skip the pot of hot oil and the splatter that comes with it.

That single change makes the whole process far more manageable, especially on a busy morning or a warm afternoon when you would rather not stand over the stove.

A donut pan does the shaping for you, and the batter goes in with a pastry bag in a matter of minutes.

Why you’ll love this lemon donut recipe

Here is what keeps this recipe in my regular rotation:

Soft, not dense. The baked crumb stays light and tender instead of turning heavy or dry.
Big lemon flavor. Juice and zest both go into the batter, so the citrus reads clearly in every bite.
Simple shopping list. A handful of everyday staples, most of which are already in your kitchen.
Fast prep. About 20 minutes of hands on time before the pan goes into the oven.
Flexible serving. They work for breakfast, for an afternoon cup of tea, or as a dessert on a weeknight.

Lemon donut ingredients

This recipe is proof that you do not need a long ingredient list to make something memorable. Here is exactly what goes into the batter.

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Butter, softened	1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g)	Room temperature so it creams well. Salted works, or use unsalted plus 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Powdered sugar	1/2 cup (100 g)	Sweetens and keeps the crumb light
Egg	1	US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand: large. UK and Europe: medium
Buttermilk	1 1/4 cups (300 g)	Highlights the lemon and gives a tender crumb
Lemon juice	3 tablespoons	Freshly squeezed
Lemon zest	From 1 organic lemon	Rinse the lemon under warm water before zesting
All purpose flour	2 cups (250 g)	Spooned and leveled, or weighed
Baking powder	2 1/2 teaspoons	Gives the rise and light texture

Fresh lemons matter most. Squeeze the juice yourself and grate the zest right before you use it, since that is where the oils that carry the aroma live. I like to rinse an organic lemon under warm water and dry it well before zesting, which keeps any waxy coating out of the batter.

Buttermilk is the quiet hero. It highlights the lemon and gives the donuts a tender, soft crumb. Powdered sugar adds sweetness while keeping the texture light, and the same sugar returns later for the glaze.

Let your butter and egg sit out for a bit first, because room temperature butter creams smoothly with the sugar and a room temperature egg blends in without any curdling.

Flour is the one place where a small habit pays off. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off, or weigh it if you keep a digital scale on the counter. Too much flour is the fastest way to tough, dry donuts. Baking powder is what lifts the batter into that light, fluffy texture.

For reference, the source nutrition lists each donut at about 76 calories, with 13 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of protein.

Lemon glaze for donuts

The glaze uses three ingredients that already appear in the batter, so nothing extra goes to waste. Sift the powdered sugar first, because lumps in the sugar turn into lumps in the glaze and no amount of whisking will fix them.

Lemon juice brings the tart edge that keeps the sweetness in check, and grated zest can be sprinkled over the finished donuts as a quick decoration.

Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze, Lemon Glaze For Donuts — Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze: Baked Cake Donut Recipe 29

For one batch you will need 1 1/2 cups (170 g) of sifted powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and zest only if you want it.

Start with 2 tablespoons of juice and add more only if the glaze needs to be thinner.

How to make lemon donuts

Preheat the oven, get your ingredients on the counter, and work through the steps in order.

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4).

Step 2: Prep donut tin

Grease the donut pan with butter or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. I also recommend dusting the pan with a light coat of flour, which makes release much easier later.

Step 3: Mix batter

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the buttermilk, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest until everything is well incorporated.

Step 4: Add dry ingredients

Add the flour and baking powder. Stir by hand just until the wet and dry ingredients come together into a thick batter.

Step 5: Fill pan

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter into the greased donut tin, filling each mold about two thirds of the way up.

Step 6: Bake donuts

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes so they set before you remove them, then invert the pan and release them onto a wire rack.

Step 7: Make glaze

While the donuts cool, make the glaze. Put the sifted powdered sugar in a shallow, medium sized mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, starting with 2 tablespoons, and whisk until the glaze is smooth. If you want a thinner texture, whisk in a little more juice.

Step 8: Glaze donuts

Dip the top of each donut in the glaze, flip it over, and set it back on the wire rack.

Sprinkle with lemon zest if you like, then let the glaze set.

Tips for the best lemon cake donuts

A few small moves make the difference between good donuts and great ones.

Stop mixing once the flour goes in. Beating the batter after the flour is added activates gluten, and that is what turns a tender donut dense. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture by hand only until the flour disappears.
Grease the pan properly. Wipe each cavity with butter or coat it with nonstick spray, then sprinkle in a little flour. Skipping this step is the usual reason a donut tears on the way out.
Pipe, do not spoon. The batter is thick, so a pastry bag fills the molds faster and far more neatly than a spoon.
Fill two thirds to three quarters. That range gives you plump, thick donuts with a proper hole instead of a muffin top.
Watch the clock. Check at the 10 minute mark with a toothpick or cake tester in the center. The donuts are done when it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

One habit that saves a batch every time: set a timer for 10 minutes and stay close to the oven. A minute or two past done is the difference between soft and dry.
Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze: Baked Cake Donut Recipe 32

Variations

Once you have the basic batter down, it takes very little to change the personality of the batch.

Lemon poppy seed donuts. Fold 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the batter and bake as directed.
Blueberry lemon donuts. Prepare and fill the molds as usual, then press a few blueberries into the batter in each mold before baking.
Lemon ricotta donuts. Swap the buttermilk for ricotta for a richer, slightly denser crumb.
Lemon filled donuts. Fit a pastry bag with a small round piping nozzle and fill it with lemon curd. Pipe the curd into the bottom of a baked donut, circling the entire donut as you go.

Storage and shelf life

These donuts are at their best the day they are made, but they hold up well for a few days with a little care.

How to store lemon donuts

Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay good for up to 3 days. Skip the refrigerator, because the cold makes the crumb dense and firm.

Can you freeze lemon donuts?

Yes, and they freeze beautifully. Store them unglazed in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months, since glaze does not hold up well in the freezer. Let them defrost in the fridge, then glaze them fresh when you are ready to serve.

Tools to make lemon glazed donuts

You do not need a bakery setup, but a few tools make the job easier:

A donut pan, which shapes the batter while it bakes.
A lemon squeezer for getting all the juice out of the fruit.
A citrus zester for fine, even strips of peel.
A mixing bowl for the batter.
A silicone spatula for folding in the dry ingredients without overmixing.
An electric mixer for creaming the butter and sugar and combining the wet ingredients.
A pastry bag with a round piping tip for filling the pan.

More Baking

If you enjoy this kind of baking, where the oven does the work and the flavors stay bright, there is plenty more to try.

Lemon shows up beautifully in loaf cakes, muffins, and simple glazed quick breads, and the same creaming method you use here carries over to all of them.

Keep a donut pan and a zester within reach and you can rotate through a new citrus bake every week without buying anything unusual.

FAQs

What can you substitute for buttermilk in baked lemon donuts?

You can substitute buttermilk with an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Greek yogurt keeps the donuts light and tender, while sour cream may create a slightly denser crumb. Regular milk is not a direct substitute because it lacks the acidity needed for the best texture.

How should you store lemon donuts, and can you freeze them?

Store leftover glazed lemon donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, freeze the unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before glazing when you are ready to enjoy them.

Why are my baked lemon donuts dense?

Dense baked donuts are usually the result of overmixing the batter after adding the flour, which develops too much gluten. Mix just until the flour is incorporated. Other causes include using stale baking powder, overfilling the pan, or not cooling the donuts properly in the pan before removing them.

How do you make the lemon glaze for lemon donuts?

Whisk 1 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice until a smooth glaze forms. Dip the top of each cooled donut into the glaze, flip it over, and place it on a wire rack. Sprinkle with freshly grated lemon zest for decoration, if desired, and allow the glaze to set.

Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze: Baked Cake Donut Recipe

Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze

Baked lemon donuts

Why you’ll love this lemon donut recipe