Even casual breakfast pastry aficionados know that there are two major types of donuts: cake and yeast. And just by reading their names you can probably guess the basic differences between the two: the former has a cake-like dough while the latter has a more stretchy bread-like base. While that’s true you’ll need to delve into the flavor and texture nuances between the two if you want to make the leap from novice to expert.
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 Reactions | 2018-05-29 13:00:05 |  25,776 Views |
The Ultimate Donut Battle: Cake vs. Yeast
While the exact ingredients can vary the major difference between the two is that yeast donuts contain a leavening agent: the dough for yeast donuts is risen with the help of (surprise!) yeast while cake donuts are made with baking powder much like a typical cake batter. Yeast has been used in food for thousands of years and while yeast donuts are much newer than the fungus itself they’re still quite ancient. Traces of fried dough have been discovered in settlements as diverse as ancient North America and Rome but what we would recognize as something resembling today’s donut appears to have been created by Dutch immigrants to New York in the 17th century. Baking powder on the other hand is a much more recent invention popping up in the mid-19th century and followed a few decades later by the cake donut in the early 20th century.
The dough for yeast doughnuts (sometimes called "reised doughnuts") is somewhat similar to that of brioche. It generally contains eggs butter flour sugar milk salt and yeast and is prepared in the same way as French breads: the dough is mixed kneaded and risen. The doughnuts are then fried in oil until golden brown and have a delicate crispy crust.
Yeast donuts tend to be lighter and fluffier than their cake-like counterparts due to the way they’re prepared. When the flour gets wet gluten forms and when it’s kneaded the gluten bonds become significantly stronger. This means that the gluten traps the gas that’s released as the yeast in the dough ferments creating little air pockets that give them that airy texture. The result is something that’s—thanks to the milk and butter in the mix—moist slightly chewy and has a hint of fermented yeast flavor. Of course the flavor largely depends on how they’re filled or glazed. The light interior of a yeast donut means that they’re easier to fill with things like cream or jelly though a classic glaze made from powdered sugar and milk is what you’ll most often see sold. If you’ve ever been to Krispy Kreme you’ve experienced the divine delights of a yeast donut.
