Quick & Easy Gingerbread Cake Donuts

If you need something simple for your office breakfast bash, the littles are coming to visit or your hosting guests this holiday season, get ready, because we’re sharing our quick and easy gingerbread cake donuts with cream cheese frosting with you today.

If you had a chance to read our Christmas Inspired Kitchen post yesterday, you already know we’ve been spending a lot of time baking these past few weeks.

While we love trying new recipes to share with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers we also want them to be as easy as possible, so we can spend more time doing the things we love like cozying up by the fireplace or riding around to see all the holiday light displays.

Breakfast is hands down our favorite meal of the day and we’re always looking for a sweet way to dress up our weekend menu. These gingerbread cake donuts are so simple to create you can leave them out for guests who like to sleep in to enjoy at the coffee bar, to make special memories with the littles or to bring into the office for those slow mornings when everyone is getting ready for vacation.

Here’s a look at all the details so you can make them too! (Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

Quick & Easy Gingerbread Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe & Supplies: 

• Gingerbread Cake Mix
• 1 Egg
• ¼ cup Oil
• 1 cup Water
• Cream Cheese Frosting (We tinted our frosting a slight shade of bush and also tried them with Vanilla Frosting which we liked but it made the donut a lot sweeter)
• Edible Embellishments or Nuts (optional)
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• Donut Pan (other sizes available)
• Mixing Bowl & Whisk (we use this stand mixer)
• Pastry Bag & Tip (optional)
• Cooling Racks
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet

Quick & Easy Gingerbread Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting Steps: 

Step #1 – Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and spray your donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Step #2 & #3 – Mix together gingerbread cake mix, egg, oil and water.

Fill a pastry bag with gingerbread cake batter and fill donut molds about ½ full. Some of mine were totally full in the beginning and they looked like bagels when they were done ?

Step #4 & #5 – Using caution and care as oven will be hot, bake for 12-13 minutes. Again, using caution and care, remove the donut pan from the oven and allow the gingerbread cake donuts to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes.

Step #6 – Remove gingerbread cake donuts from the donut pan and allow the donuts to cool completely on a wire baking rack.

Step #7 & #8 – Lay a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet, then lay the cooling rack with the gingerbread cake donuts on the parchment paper. I totally forgot to do this step and it was a mess when all the embellishments started falling through the cooling racks so don’t forget this step for easy clean up, ok?

Drizzle store bought cream cheese frosting (or make your own) over each gingerbread cake donut with a spoon or use a pastry bag and tip to pipe a design on each donut.

Step #9 – Embellish with candies or nuts, if desired.

These quick & easy gingerbread cake donuts are so good I made a batch to take to the surgical staff for S’s checkup today.  I could totally see them being enjoyed snuggled up on a weekend morning, as an afternoon snack with a hot cup of coffee or as part of a Christmas inspired dessert bar. No playing, they were easier to make than cupcakes.

With so many different kinds of cake mix and frosting combinations available at the grocery store, I think we might be making these a lot. Our favorite so far has been the Spice Cake Donuts we made for Fall. I tried to make a chocolate/crushed peppermint combination, but they turned out really dry. We’re going to try carrot cake donuts next, I think. There are just so many options!

Of course, it’s all fun and games now but think I’m going to be on the treadmill seven days a week come January 1^st ha ha. Let us know if you guys decide to try these quick and easy gingerbread cake donuts with cream cheese frosting or if you have any other favorite flavors we should make!

See you guys back here tomorrow, we’re teaming up with another group of fabulous bloggers to bring you last minute holiday tablescape ideas! Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo