Fluffy Strawberry Cream Donuts – Light, Fresh & Irresistibly Soft
Light, airy donuts filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream and fresh strawberries, dusted with powdered sugar for a perfect bakery-style treat.
Ingredients
For the Donut Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- Oil for frying
For the Vanilla Cream Filling
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 cup pastry cream or vanilla custard
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Layer
- 1 cup fresh strawberries thinly sliced
For Topping
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let it activate 5–10 minutes.
- Add egg, butter, flour, and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
Shape & Fry
- Roll dough to ~1 inch thickness.
- Cut into donut shapes or round disks.
- Let rise 20–30 minutes.
- Fry in medium-hot oil until golden. Drain on paper towels and cool.
Prepare the Cream
- Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold in pastry cream to make a smooth, fluffy filling.
Assemble
- Slice donuts in half.
- Spread a generous layer of cream and top with strawberries.
- Close donuts and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Tips
- Keep oil medium-hot to avoid burnt exteriors and raw interiors.
- Chill the cream before filling to maintain donut structure.
- Add strawberries just before serving to retain freshness.
Variations
- Chocolate Cream Donuts: Add cocoa powder to the cream.
- Berry Mix Donuts: Use raspberries or blueberries.
- Lemon Cream Donuts: Add lemon zest for a tangy twist.
- Custard Only: Skip whipped cream for a richer filling.
Storage
- Best eaten fresh within 24 hours.
- Refrigerate filled donuts up to 2 days.
- Store unfilled donuts at room temperature for 1–2 days.
- Freeze plain donuts only; avoid freezing filled ones.