Applesauce Crumb Donut

Ready for the perfect fall breakfast?  These Applesauce Crumb Donuts are so divine.  Really I can’t quite think of anything I like better than a donut except maybe crumb topping. Since it would be weird to eat that by itself, I thought putting it on a donut would be delicious: I was right:) I actually made the donuts without the topping and rolled them in cinnamon and sugar.  They were pretty good but not worth waking up early to bake.  I was really comitted to the idea of an apple donut for bake to school so I tried again with the topping and these donuts will become a regular back to school tradition in our house:)

Crumb topping

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1  tsp. ground cinnamon
• pinch of  salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1  3/4 cups cake flour

In a small bowl, cut together all ingredient with the side of  a fork  until well mixed crumbly.  Set aside.

Donut

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup chunky unsweetened applesauce (homemade or store bought)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda. Set aside

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars.  Add oil and then eggs one at a time until combined.  Add applesauce and vanilla.

Next alternate adding in flour mixture and buttermilk starting with 1/3 of the flour then 1/2 of the buttermilk.  You will end with the flour mixture.

Put batter into a piping bag.  pipe into a lightly greased donut pan. Top with crumb mixture.  My best tip here: Use more than you think.  Pile it on.  Some falls off and some sinks into the donut.

Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.  Let cool for 10 minutes then gently lift each donut out of the pan. Let cool on wire rack.

Pack some to share.

Xo,

Jenny