Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts
Fluffy Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts, topped with a cream cheese glaze and a dash of sprinkles, are so easy to make and delightfully delicious!
In less than 30, minutes you can treat the family, and more importantly, yourself, to a tray of mouthwatering Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts! Grab a box of your go-to red velvet cake mix and a few baking staples, butter, milk, eggs, cream cheese, and sprinkles to make everyone’s favorite scrumptious treat!
Red Velvet Cravings
Baked red velvet donuts with a decadent cream cheese frosting last for about 30 seconds in my house. Tangy chocolate red velvet is a treat, and these sweet donuts only take minutes to make. Using a cake mix and a few simple ingredients means it’s okay that they disappear quickly, but I can just make more! We also love layering on different sprinkles, so it’s fun to mix colors or go with a special theme for holidays and special occasions, like hearts, little trees, or even tiny tasty bats!
“Fall” in love with more donuts like Pumpkin Spice Donuts or flakey Air Fryer Donuts- they make enjoying homemade donuts even easier!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts
- White Chocolate Mocha Latte is the perfect drink to sip while eating half a dozen red velvet donuts.
- Cheesy Bacon and Egg Muffins are perfect for a bite-sized brunch and are loaded with bites of tasty bacon and cheese!
Ingredients
Cake Mix: To make these donuts, you will need a box of your favorite red velvet cake mix. You only need the mix, so don’t worry about picking up the additional ingredients listed on the back of the box.
Wet Ingredients: For this recipe, you will also need a few eggs, melted butter, and milk. Use whatever milk and butter you have on hand.
Cream Cheese Frosting: To make the frosting, you will need softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a little milk. Regular or Neufchatel cream cheese is recommended.
Sprinkles: You can use any sprinkles you like for these donuts or go with a theme for holidays or special occasions.
How to Make Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the donut pan. Add melted butter to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the milk, followed by the eggs. Stir the red velvet cake mix into the bowl of wet ingredients until smooth.
STEP TWO: Pour the batter into the prepared donut pan and bake for 15 minutes.
STEP THREE: Remove the donuts from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely.
STEP FOUR: In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth.
STEP FIVE: Dip the tops of the donuts into the frosting and, if desired, top them with sprinkles before serving.
Tips for Success
- Skip the additional ingredients mentioned on the back of the cake mix box and use the ingredients listed in the recipe instead.
- Allow the donuts to cool before frosting them to ensure the frosting doesn’t slide off.
- Store the donuts on the counter for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five days. Unfrosted donuts can be frozen for up to three months, but it’s not recommended to freeze frosted donuts.
What’s the difference between cake and donut batter?
The key difference between cake batter and donut batter is the addition of yeast to donut batter. Those puffy, airy donuts everyone loves are made with yeast dough and fried to create those lighter-than-air confections. Cake batter most often contains baking powder and other ingredients that help it rise but cakes have a tighter crumb. So yes, we can make donuts with cake mix and create scrumptious cake donuts, but they will not have the airiness that fried yeast donuts do.
Are there red velvet cake mixes?
There are a variety of red velvet cake mixes that are available at local grocery stores and even online. The great thing about variety is that you can try each one out to find your favorite because they are not all the same. Some mixes produce a cake that has a brighter red color, and others produce a cake with a more pronounced tanginess. Shopping online can also help you locate a gluten-free red velvet cake mix you likely won’t find at your local store.
More Red Velvet Treats to Love!
- Red Velvet Waffles
- Red Velvet Pound Cake
- Red Velvet Cookies
- Easy Red Velvet Fudge
- Swirled Red Velvet Brownies
*This post originally posted on 01/26/2015.
Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Velvet Donuts
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 13.25 ounces red velvet cake mix (1 box)
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Sprinkles for topping (optional)
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Gread a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the milk, and then whisk in the beaten eggs. Whisk in cake mix until the batter is smooth and combined.
- Pour the donut batter into the prepared pan so each cavity is full. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Cool them completely.
Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, cream cheese, and milk to a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until the glaze is smooth and fluffy.
- Dip the top of each donut into the cream cheese glaze. Place the donuts back onto the wire rack and top with sprinkles, if desired, before serving.
Yes, I am off to hunt for a donut pan now!!!
You have spoken straight to my heart with this. I’m 36.5 weeks pregnant and in AZ however dunking donuts is seriously 1 minute from my house but the last 3 times I’ve been I’ve been extremely disappointed with the quality. The last 2 days I’ve been craving some seriously delicious donuts but Krispy Kreme is well too far of a drive. So I think I will be making these here in just a bit and enjoying every last one of them. (To myself) lol! Thank you!!!
Congrats on the baby! I hope these donuts help. 🙂
These sound absolutely amazing! I might go out and buy a donut pan just to make these!
Thanks Jill! I love my donut pan. So many tasty treats to be made. 😉