One-Bowl Jam Doughnut Cake

Updated Feb. 4, 2025

One-Bowl Jam Doughnut Cake
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
3 hours 20 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Rating
5(320)
Comments
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Filled with fruity jam and dusted with cinnamon sugar, this easy Bundt cake resembles a giant jelly doughnut. Easily mixed in one bowl, it has a tender, cakey crumb that’s scented with nutmeg and vanilla, and its jammy core helps it stay moist for several days. Serve slices plain, with coffee or tea, or dolloped with whipped cream for a festive, simple-to-make dessert.

Featured in: The Secret to Summery Desserts in Winter

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

    For the Topping

    • ¼cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted
    • ½cup/100 grams sugar
    • 2teaspoons/4 grams ground cinnamon

    For the Cake

    • ¾cup/180 milliliters whole milk
    • ½cup plus 2 tablespoons/141 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • cups/250 grams sugar
    • teaspoons baking powder
    • 1teaspoon fine sea or table salt
    • 1teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
    • cups/313 grams all-purpose flour
    • ¾cup/180 milliliters thick berry jam (such as blackberry, blueberry, raspberry or four fruit)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

475 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 40 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 268 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using some of the melted butter for the topping to generously brush the inside and sides of a Bundt pan.

  2. Step 2

    Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Use about a third of the cinnamon sugar to generously coat the inside of the buttered pan, reserving the rest of the melted butter and cinnamon sugar for finishing the cake.

  3. Step 3

    Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the whole milk, melted and cooled butter, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in sugar, baking powder, fine sea salt and nutmeg until smooth. Finally, whisk in the flour until just combined.

  4. Step 4

    Use a spatula to scoop half of the batter into the buttered and sugared pan. Use a spoon to create an indent or hollow in the middle of the ring of batter. Spoon the jam into the hollow (there should be batter on both sides of the jam), making sure none of the jam touches the sides of the pan. (The cake may stick otherwise.) Spoon the remaining batter on top to cover the jam.

  5. Step 5

    Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed. A cake tester should come out without any wet batter clinging to it. (There may be crumbs and jam adhering to the tester, and that’s fine.) Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Use a knife or offset spatula to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully flip upside down on a rack.

  6. Step 6

    Brush the warm cake with the remaining melted butter and generously dust with more of the cinnamon sugar. Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
320 user ratings
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Comments

This cake has a nice flavour, much like a coffee cake, and is moist. The outside has a crispness which is more like a buttermilk doughnut than a jelly doughnut. I think adding some lemon juice or zest to the batter would add a nice touch, as well as a lemon sugar glaze instead of the butter and cinnamon sugar. I had so much butter and sugar leftover after brushing the finished cake, I think that could be cut by 1/2 or more.

So some of the jam sank to the bottom of the Bundt pan and stuck. It wasn't a crisis, simply pried those bits loose, reattached, flipped cake over and the taste was wonderful. Next time, I think I'll put more than half of the batter on the bottom in an attempt to avoid this issue.

Would a lemon curd work in place of the jelly? Appreciate any guidance -

Came out absolutely perfect I was so impressed!! Super easy to throw together but the payoff is huge. Agree that a little lemon juice or zest would be a great addition. I did a combo of four fruit and strawberry rhubarb jams and I think the tartness of the rhubarb was essential!

For gluten free folks out there, I’m happy to report this works beautifully with the King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour blend. I always weigh ingredients so added it all exactly according to the recipe. I did add one extra egg as I find most gf flours need some extra moisture and hydration. It popped out of the Bundt mild beautifully after one hour of cooking, no sticking! I put the jelly on top of the batter and saved just enough batter to cover it, so none sunk in. Looks like the photo! So delicious. I skipped the extra melted butter on top as I liked the slightly crispy outside.

my cake wouldn't come out of the pan

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