Strawberry Custard Doughnuts

These irresistible strawberry custard doughnuts are an absolute delight to enjoy. Imagine golden-brown doughnuts, fried to perfection, filled with luscious strawberry-infused custard, and topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Whether it’s for breakfast or a special occasion, these doughnuts are sure to impress. This delightful recipe combines classic charm with fruity goodness and creamy richness, and awaken your taste buds to a world of sweetness and delight!

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

• Warm Milk: You will need warm whole (full-fat) milk. Warm temperatures are also required to activate the yeast. Temperatures required are between 110ºF to 115ºF ideally. Anything hotter than this can kill your yeast. You will need 3/4th cup warm milk to make this recipe.
• Yeast: Once the yeast is added, you should wait for it to be activated before proceeding. In case of instant yeast, it will activate immediately and you will have a foamy & bubbly mixture. However if using active dry yeast, you will need to let the mixture rest for around 15-20 minutes before the yeast is active.
• Granulated Sugar: A small amount of sugar is added to the dough. This not only helps to add sweetness but also acts as food for the yeast which helps to activate it and become foamy & bubbly.
• Egg and Egg Yolk: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your dough and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Unsalted Butter: You will need melted butter to make the dough. You will need half cup unsalted butter for this strawberry custard doughnuts recipe. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• All-purpose Flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the all purpose flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.

• Fresh Strawberries: Ripe and fresh strawberries are best to make a juicy, cream filling & frosting for these these strawberry cream cheese frosting doughnuts. You can also use freeze dried strawberry powder instead.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to thicken the vanilla custard and bring it to the desired consistency.
• Cream cheese: Having your cream cheese at room temperature helps to make a smooth glaze without and lumps. I recommend using block cream cheese to make this cream cheese icing to frost in brioche doughnuts from scratch.
• Vanilla: You must use a high quality pure vanilla extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods especially when they contain chocolate. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavour of all ingredients and you should never leave this out. You will need a teaspoon vanilla extract for this recipe.
• Vanilla Bean: You will need vanilla bean to make vanilla strawberry custard. You can replace it with natural vanilla essence but the taste will be a bit different.

BAKE ALONG WITH ME:

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make the best strawberry custard doughnuts! For the full ingredient list and instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Step 1: Heat milk to 110-115 degrees F. Add in the sugar and yeast. If adding dry active yeast, wait for 10-15 minutes for it to bloom.

Step 2: Add in the egg and egg yolk to the bloomed mixture and whisk until combined.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until crumbly in texture.

Step 5: Add in the melted butter and knead dough in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment or by hand for 8-10 minutes. It is done when it bounces back on pressing a finger into it.

Step 6: Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight until doubled in size.

Step 7: Meanwhile, chop the strawberries and place them into a bowl. Mix in the sugar, salt and vanilla.

Step 8: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the strawberries to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and allow them to roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the fruit and juices are bubbling.

Step 9: Allow to cool completely and then grind them to get a roasted strawberry puree.

Step 10: To make the vanilla bean custard, mix the eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar and salt together. Whisk until combined.

Step 11: In a saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean until it simmers. Slowly pour the milk into the mixture whisking continuously. This helps the eggs to cook. Finally move the mixture over medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes whisking regularly until it thickens to desired consistency.

Step 12: Transfer to an airtight container and cover with a plastic film. Make sure the film touches the custard directly to avoid a layer from forming. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours until chilled.

Step 13: Divide the fermented dough into 90g balls. Make sure to tightly seal the bottom. Cover with a plastic film and allow to ferment for ~45 minutes at room temperature until doubled in size.

Step 14: In a saucepan, heat oil. Deep fry them until golden brown and cook over medium heat. Take them out on a paper towel. Iimmediately roll in powdered sugar.

Step 15: Using a piping tip make holes in each strawberry custard filled donut. Fill a piping bag with strawberry custard. Pipe the strawberry custard filling into each donut. Top with chopped strawberries.

FAQ

TROUBLESHOOTING SIMPLE ROASTED STRAWBERRY DOUGHNUTS RECIPE:

• My yeast is not getting activated: If your yeast is not getting activated it maybe because either it is too old or your milk is not at the right temperature. Once opened, yeast packets last in the refrigerator for upto 4 months or in the freezer for upto 6 months. If your yeast is too old or your milk is too hot it will cause your yeast to die. I recommend starting over with a fresh packet of yeast if this happens. If your milk is too cold, your yeast will still not get activated properly. Ideal temperature for yeast activation is between 105ºF-115ºF. Anything more than 120ºF starts killing your yeast.
• I forgot to add eggs in my dough: If you remembered to add eggs to the dough while it is bulk fermenting or after completely fermented, you’re definitely in luck. You can add in the eggs at any point before shaping the dough. Allow it to ferment for 1-2 hours until doubled after adding in the eggs. After shaping the dough there is not much scope of adding in the eggs, you can still fry the dough if you want. It will definitely be a lot tougher.
• My dough did not double during fermentation: This is possible if either your yeast was not properly activated or if you did not knead your dough properly. Your yeast should be bubbly and foamy and your dough should bounce back when you poke a finger in it. Over kneading your dough can also cause the gluten strands to break and not rise properly.
• My bombolinis did not puff during proofing: A major reason of this happening is because you did not ferment or proof the dough in the correct environment. The ideal temperature to proof the dough is 85ºF – 95ºF with 70 – 75% humidity.
• My doughnut is already puffed before proofing: If your donut is already puffed up and tightly fitting your pan, then I suggest you immediately put it in the oven. If you still proof it at this point, it will be over proofed.
• My doughnuts came out to be dry: Adding too much flour or over frying your doughnut can cause it to turn out dry and tough. Temperatures also play an important role here. A high oil temperature can dry out the donut if fried for the recommended time. A low temperature will require an increased frying time, which can also dry out the dough. I highly recommend using a thermometer for reference here.

Secrets to Success for strawberry cream cheese doughnuts

These doughnuts are extremely delicious and very straightforward to make. However, if you want them to turn out absolutely perfect, here are some tips that you should keep in mind!

• Do not overheat your milk: You want to measure your milk in a heatproof bowl and put it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The milk should be warm to touch but not too warm. The ideal temperature for the milk is between 110ºF – 115ºF. I highly recommend using a thermometer here. Anything hotter than this can kill your yeast, resulting in it not being activated.

• Be careful while adding in flour: Too much flour and these doughnuts will be dry and tough. Not enough flour and the dough won’t have enough structure to rise and will be dense and soggy. Toward the end of mixing, gradually add a tablespoon at a time and check the texture of the dough after each addition.

• Use room temperature eggs: Using cold eggs can affect the yeast in this recipe can cause the melted butter to coagulate in the mixture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.

• Set a timer to knead your dough: I highly recommend setting a timer to knead the dough for this recipe. To allow the dough to strongly develop gluten and form a smooth round ball, you must continuously knead it for a minimum 10 minutes.

• Do not over-proof the dough: Over proofing the dough causes the air bubbles to escape and will therefore cause your bombolinis to deflate instead while frying. Never exceed 16 hours while proofing the dough overnight in the refrigerator and 45 minutes while proofing in warm temperature conditions.

Last but not the least

All of the recipes on the blog are thoroughly tested multiple times and carefully designed so that anyone can reproduce these delicious baked good in their own kitchen and enjoy them to the fullest. The only way to make this possible is when anyone can exactly replicate the measurements and temperatures.

• In order to standardise the way ingredients are measured, I highly recommend that you weigh them in grams. Volume measurements are nearly not as accurate and have a lot of scope for errors. To precisely be able to replicate the recipes, all you will need is a kitchen scale!
• Every oven heats up differently. Your oven might be over heating or under heating by around 50 degrees or more and you might not even know. In order to ensure that you are baking at the right temperatures, I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer!

If you would still like to bake using volume measurements, I mentioned those below. However, I primarily test my recipes in grams and cannot promise the best results if you do so. Trust me, once you’ll start using these tools you’d never want to go back.

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