Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these easy-to-bake cake mix donuts topped with a pink glaze frosting. They are a soft and fluffy sweet treat perfect for parties, Valentine’s brunch, or sharing with friends and family.
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Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to share some sweet treats with the one you love, and these festive vanilla cake mix donuts with pink frosting are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. They make a perfect snack for kids, a fun Valentine’s Day breakfast idea, or a delicious dessert idea to share at parties.
These baked Valentine’s Day Cake Mix Donuts are soft, fluffy, and quick to make as they only require a simple cake mix and a few pantry staples. My family likes to call them cupcake donuts, as they taste similar to a cupcake (because of the cake mix and the frosting on top), but just not as moist as your traditional cupcake.
However, of all the sweet snacks I like to bake, cake mix donuts always get eaten up the quickest in my home, so I knew I had to share this easy recipe. Of course, if you would prefer a denser donut with a more traditional donut texture, I share some ways below on how to modify the recipe.
Why You Will Love These Valentine’s Day Cake Mix Donuts
- Super Easy to Make, as it’s made with a vanilla cake mix, so they come out soft and delicious.
- Fun & Festive, with pink glaze making them ideal for Valentine’s Day.
- Soft and Fluffy, with a cake-like texture that melts in your mouth.
- Customizable, as you can switch up the color of the glaze or add sprinkles to fit any occasion.
- Perfect for sharing at Valentine’s gatherings, classroom parties (as they taste like mini donut-shaped cupcakes), or as a family treat.
- Beginner-friendly, as this recipe uses simple ingredients with quick prep, making them perfect for first-time bakers.
Looking for Valentine’s dessert recipes?
- 30 Delicious Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
- 25 Easy No-Bake Valentine’s Day Treats
- 22 Best Cheesecake Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day Cake Mix Donut Recipe
Ingredients for Valentine’s Day Cake Mix Donuts
Make Valentine’s Day extra sweet this year with these pink-glazed cake mix donuts. This easy and soft donut recipe is perfect for parties, gifts, or a delicious holiday treat that everyone will love.
You will need:
- vanilla cake mix
- water
- butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
Optional– flour and milk (instead of water) to make donuts denser, instead of cake-like.
Homemade pink glaze frosting:
- powdered sugar
- butter
- milk
- vanilla extract
- pink food coloring
How to Make Pink Glazed Cake Mix Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease your donut pans.
- In a large bowl, mix your cake mix, water, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spoon your batter into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off, and pipe into a donut pan filling about half full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack.
- While donuts are cooling, make your homemade pink glaze by whisking your powdered sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add a drop at a time of your pink food coloring to get your desired shade. You can also adjust the thickness ot the glaze if you need to. Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin or a little more milk if it’s too thick.
- Once the donuts are cool, dip them face-down into the glaze and then lift them straight up. Add Valentine sprinkles and enjoy!
Variations:
- Make chocolate-dipped cake mix donuts by dipping the donuts in melted chocolate, then drizzle with the pink glaze.
- Make them more festive and add Valentine sprinkles to the batter.
- Use different flavors of cake mix, like chocolate or red velvet.
- You can make these donuts less moist, like a cupcake, and more dense by adding ½ cup of flour and substituting the water for ½ cup of milk.
Helpful Tips:
- Try not to overfill the donut pan, or it will overflow, and the donuts will look like cupcakes.
- Let the donuts cool completely before glazing so the frosting sets.
- Add food coloring slowly, as a little goes a long way.
Storage:
- Store glazed donuts in an airtight container for 2 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why do these donuts taste like cupcakes?
Since the recipe uses vanilla cake mix, the donuts have a soft, fluffy cupcake-like texture, making a cupcake-style donut when baked.
How can I make these more dense like a traditional donut?
If you want a more classic donut texture, you can add flour and substitute the water with milk. This will create a firmer donut. (The amounts are shown in the variation section of this recipe)
Why does this recipe use 2 eggs?
Using only 1 egg in the recipe can sometimes cause the donuts to be crumbly and fall apart. By using 2 eggs, the donuts stay soft and keep their shape.
Should I use milk or water?
Honestly, either one will work, but if you are looking for a more dense donut, then using whole milk is usually the better option, as water will keep the donuts light and fluffy.
Valentine's Day Cake Mix Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pink Glaze Frosting
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pink food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and lightly grease your donut pans
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, water, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spoon your batter into a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off into a donut pan, filling about half full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then, let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Pink Glaze Frosting
- Melt the butter and let it cool.
- Once the butter is cool, whisk the powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add pink food coloring 1 drop at a time until you reach the shade you would like.
- Adjust the consistency if needed. Too thick? Add a little more milk. Too thin? Add some more powdered sugar.
- Once the donuts are cool, dip them face-down into the glaze and then lift them straight up. Add Valentine sprinkles and enjoy!
Notes
Variations:
- Make chocolate-dipped cake mix donuts by dipping the donuts in melted chocolate, then drizzle with the pink glaze.
- Make them more festive and add Valentine sprinkles to the batter.
- Use different flavors of cake mix, like chocolate or red velvet.
- You can make these donuts less moist, like a cupcake, and more dense by adding ½ cup of flour and substituting the water for ½ cup of milk.
Helpful Tips:
- Try not to overfill the donut pan, or it will overflow, and the donuts will look like cupcakes.
- Let the donuts cool completely before glazing so the frosting sets.
- Add food coloring slowly, as a little goes a long way.
Storage:
- Store glazed donuts in an airtight container for 2 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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