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Key Lime Doughnuts

1 from 1 vote
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Makes 12 doughnuts

Ingredients
  

  • 1¼ cups (156 grams) unbleached cake flour
  • ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25 gram) baking soda
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (6 grams) lime zest
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) whole buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons (75 grams) fresh lime juice or key lime juice (see PRO TIP), divided
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups (180 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • Green and yellow liquid food coloring
  • Garnish: graham cracker crumbs, lime zest

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter and flour 2 (6-well) doughnut pans.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and lime zest until zest is evenly distributed. Add buttermilk, egg, 3 tablespoons (45 grams) lime juice, and oil. Whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Transfer batter to a pastry bag, and cut a ½-inch opening in tip. Pipe batter evenly into prepared wells (about 2 heaping tablespoons or 35 grams each).
  • Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert doughnuts onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) lime juice. Tint with food coloring as desired. Carefully dip top of each doughnut into glaze. Garnish with graham cracker crumbs and lime zest, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

PRO TIP

Fresh lime juice works well in this recipe, but to make this a true Key lime baked good, use bottled Key lime juice such as Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice. Juicing Key limes can be incredibly difficult due their diminutive size, and we find the store-bought juice to be as effective as fresh juice.
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