Christmas Wreath Doughnuts

I absolutely adore Christmas wreaths! They are wonderfully festive and just look so special! So why not take that extra special creation and turn it into something just as wonderful, but EDIBLE. Of course, it has to be pretty too, and so my gorgeous Christmas wreath doughnuts were born!

Time for some festive fun!

Christmas is one of the best times of year for me. The twinkly lights, everyone so happy and jolly, the excitement of the season… There is something so heartwarming about it, I just spend the whole of December smiling!

So when it comes to baking, my bakes simply have to reflect some of the mood of the season too! Whether it’s a fun festive bake to do with the whole family or a true celebration cake for the big day, I love getting creative in the kitchen at this time of year! And who can resist a doughnut, let alone one as pretty as this beauty?

What ingredients do I need to make these Christmas wreath doughnut?

• Flour: I use plain/all purpose flour to make these doughnuts. I prefer adding raising agents separately, as I do with salt, so I can control the rise of each of my bakes.
• Brown sugar: for sweetness in the doughnuts, but also gives additional moisture and a light caramelised flavour. Yum!
• Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: the leavening agents in this doughnut wreath.
• Salt: salt enhances the flavour of the doughnuts. You will not taste it, don’t worry!
• Milk: adds to the liquid requirements of this doughnut recipe.
• Egg: gives structure to the bake and helps with the rise of it too.
• Vanilla: purely for flavour. Yum!
• Butter: used (melted) in the doughnuts and (unmelted) to make the buttercream.
• Icing/powdered sugar: used in the buttercream. Better than other sugar options as it dissolves more easily making for smoother buttercream to decorate the doughnuts!
• Food colouring: to colour the buttercream. I used a deep pink gel colour here and used less to make a paler colour and more for a stronger pink buttercream.
• Fondant: I used red fondant to make the pretty bows to decorate these Christmas themed doughnuts, but this is totally optional of course.
• Sprinkles: to add the final decorations on the Christmas wreath doughnuts.

What equipment do I need to make baked doughnuts?

• Doughnut pan*: I used two six hole doughnut pans to make these baked doughnuts.
• Pastry brush*: for brushing the doughnut pan with melted butter before baking.
• Digital kitchen scales*: my recommended method of measuring ingredients is to weigh them out using grams rather than cups. I do, however, provide cup measures too, if you prefer working with this method.
• Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp). A set of dedicated measuring spoons are far more accurate than using everyday eating spoons, so is a small investment well worth making.
• Mixing bowl*: used to mix up the easy Christmas doughnut wreaths in before baking. I like to use a large bowl to give me plenty of room to work with. The large bowl is also used to make the buttercream icing in once the doughnuts are done. The small bowl is used when splitting the buttercream to colour the two buttercream portions different shades of pink.
• Sieve*: to remove larger clumps from the dry ingredients before mixing everything together.
• Jug*: for mixing together the wet ingredients before adding to the dry.
• Spatula*: to use to mix ingredients together when combining wet and dry together. Also used to smooth out the buttercream and fill the piping bags with buttercream.
• Piping bags*: I use a piping bag to fill my doughnut pan with the batter as I find this easier and less messy. You can, of course, just spoon it in too. I also used piping bags when decorating the doughnuts with buttercream stars.
• Electric hand mixer*: used when making the buttercream to decorate these Christmas wreath doughnuts for light and fluffy delicious frosting!
• Piping nozzle*: I used a small star tipped nozzle here, to create the piped decoration on these Christmas baked doughnuts.
• Bow mould*: this is the mould I used to make the gorgeous little bows to decorate the bottom of each Christmas wreath. This is a little extra bit of decoration, but is just such a pretty finishing touch!

How to make Christmas wreath doughnuts

Just as with making cupcakes, first make the vanilla doughnuts, then the pretty pink buttercreams before bringing it all together to decorate the doughnuts and finish off with sprinkles. Yum!

For the doughnuts

Step 1: Brush the doughnut pan with some melted butter and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the doughnut mixture.

Step 2: Into a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add in the brown sugar. Whisk it all lightly to combine, then set aside.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, or ideally a jug, tip in the milk, egg and vanilla and whisk together. Gradually add in 4 tbsp of melted butter, whisking as you go so the butter does not solidify when it hits the cold ingredients in the jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined.

Step 4: Transfer the doughnut batter to a piping bag and fill the doughnut pan no more than ⅔ full. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the doughnuts are springy to touch. Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then carefully loosen and transfer to a wire rack to cool whilst preparing the buttercream.

For the buttercream and decoration

Step 1: Press a little red fondant into each of the bow moulds, then smooth the top to level. Flip the mould over and gently tap the bottom of the mould to release the bows onto a work surface or plate. Set aside until needed for decorating.

Step 2: Cream just the butter until light, fluffy and really soft. This normally takes me about 4-5 minutes. Your patience will be rewarded, I promise!

Step 3: Add half the sugar to the whipped butter and beat to combine. Once mixed together, add in the second half of the sugar and vanilla and beat again to combine. Beat the vanilla buttercream for 3-4 minutes until wonderfully airy and light.

Step 4: When the buttercream is ready, give is a really good mix around using a spatula to get rid of air pockets, leaving you with a smooth buttercream. Split the frosting equally in two, then colour both buttercreams different shades of pink by using more or less gel colour in each batch to achieve the desired colour. Transfer the two buttercreams into two piping bags fitted with star nozzles ready for piping.

Step 5: Pipe random star shaped blobs of buttercream all over the top of each doughnut, changing the sizes of the stars by pressing out more or less frosting each time. Once you have finished piping, decorate each wreath with some gold sprinkles and a fondant bow. Enjoy!

How do you remove the doughnuts from the tin?

Once you have removed the doughnut pan from the oven, let it sit on a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes. Then, very gently, use a (rounded) knife to gently ease the doughnuts to make sure they are loosened from the pan. If you greased the pan before baking, they should easily slip out.

How long do these doughnuts last and how do I store these Christmas wreath doughnuts?

These Christmas wreath doughnuts will last 2-3 days if stored in a cool place and in an airtight container. However, they are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Be careful not to stack the decorated Christmas themed doughnuts or you may squish and spoil the buttercream decoration.

Can I make these doughnuts gluten free and dairy free?

Yes! You can substitute plain/all purpose flour for a gluten free flour, but do add an additional ¼ tsp Xanthan gum for a better texture. For dairy free options similarly use a plant based milk and butter (in both the doughnuts and the buttercream). Also please make sure to grease the doughnut tins with dairy free butter.

Can you freeze doughnuts?

Absolutely! Freeze the doughnuts before decorating them so the decoration does not get spoiled or ruined. The Christmas doughnuts can freeze for up to two months. Keep reading for how to freeze the doughnuts.

How to freeze doughnuts

I would recommend not decorating the doughnuts before freezing, but doing it once you have defrosted them instead. I use a large (sealable) food or freezer bag to freeze mine. Cut two pieces of parchment slightly smaller than the bag, then slide one into the bottom of the bag. Place the doughnuts, in one layer, on the paper and top with the second piece of paper. Gently push as much air out of the bag as possible and seal almost all the way. Using a straw, carefully slip it into the unsealed part of the bag and use it to suck the remaining air out of the bag. This will make it look like it’s shrinking and make the paper contract against the doughnuts. This is exactly what should happen. Once you have as much air out as you can, seal the bag and lay it flat in the freezer. 

How to thaw baked Christmas doughnuts

When you want to enjoy the frozen doughnuts again, just thaw them in the fridge overnight. Bring them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before decorating to all the doughnuts to come to room temperature. If you are short on time (or you forget to pop them in the fridge to thaw), you can warm the doughnuts in short bursts directly in the microwave to thaw instead. However, this can run the risk of drying them out, so I would not recommend this unless you are desperate!

Additional tips for making this Christmas wreath doughnuts recipe

• Pipe the doughnut pan no more than ⅔ full. If the doughnut pan is filled more, the doughnuts will no longer have a hole once baked as the mixture will rise and fill the space.
• Leave the doughnuts to cool completely before decorating. They cool pretty quickly, taking about 20 minutes or so. Doing it sooner could result in the buttercream melting, leaving you with buttercream soup instead!
• When making the buttercream, beat the butter really well until it is really fluffy before adding the sugar. This will give you a light and soft buttercream, which is really easy to work with.
• Likewise, give the buttercream a good, vigorous stir after everything has been incorporated. This smooths out any air bubbles, so you are left with a smooth buttercream to work with.
• Pipe larger and smaller stars of buttercream over the doughnut or equal sized ones for different effects of the decoration of the wreath.

Troubleshooting

If you have any other questions about this recipe, please leave me a comment below, I will do my best to help you. And if you do make this Christmas doughnut recipe, please do leave me a rating and review below. I would so appreciate your feedback and it is incredibly helpful for others looking for a recipe too. Additionally, you could also post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. Please do, you know I would love to see it!

More Christmas recipes for you to enjoy

Christmas pudding cookies: These adorable chocolate Christmas pudding cookies are soft and chewy brownie cookies, decorated especially for the season. And they are just too cute to resist! Perfect for festive baking with the kids, both big and small!

Gingerbread biscotti: This is totally and utterly the BEST biscotti recipe for the festive season, and then some! Packed with delicious warming spices and partly dipped in white chocolate, this biscotti recipe is perfect for edible gifting or just to enjoy with a steaming hot drink!

Mini mince pies: Is there anything better than mince pies at Christmas? Why, homemade mini mince pies, of course! These snowflake topped mince pies are so simple to make and utterly divine. A fabulous bake for making with kids of all ages (and adults too!), just put on some festive music and get everyone helping!

So many ideas, please do check out my Christmas baking section for plenty more festive recipes!

For now though, thanks for joining me today friends. Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Happy Christmas, from our home to yours! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Doughnut pan	Pastry brush
Digital kitchen scales	Measuring spoons
Mixing bowl	Sieve
Jug	Spatula
Piping bags	Electric hand mixer
Piping nozzle	Bow mould