Doughnut varieties: cake vs. old-fashioned

Factual Questions
1

What’s the difference between a cake doughnut and an old-fashioned doughnut?

My favorite doughnut place offers cinnamon cake doughnuts and cinnamon old-fashioned doughnuts. They don’t look the same – the cake is smoother, like a classic Simpsons doughnut sans sprinkles, and the old-fashioned has cracks in it. It’s got more surface area for oil to fry, so it’s crunchier, and I like it better.

But I’m wondering if there’s a difference in the recipe, or if it’s all in the cooking technique. And if there’s a standard difference between cake doughnuts and old-fashioneds.

What’s the scoop?

2

I’ve always considered “cake” and “old fashioned” donuts to be pretty much analogous. The distinction, for me, is between that kind of donut (baking powder leavened batter) and raised donuts (yeast leavened dough).

Anyone know diffrunt?

3

Yeah, I’m pretty clear on the difference between cake and raised.

You’re in town: go to Top Pot, and compare their cake varieties with their old-fashioned varieties. They definitely look different, and they taste different, but I’m not sure if it’s a difference in the ingredients or just a difference in their preparation.

For all I know, though, Top Pot’s introducing a distinction where there isn’t one, traditionally. Not that I care – them’s some tasty doughnuts.

4

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who’ve tasted Top Pot donuts, and people who are walking around dead only they just don’t know it.

I will FORCE myself to do a taste comparison the next time I get tied up with duct tape and dragged kicking and screaming into Top Pot. It sounds like the kind of experiment that would most likely be impossible to resolve with just one or two trials; I might have to repeat it several times before I can report on it.

(Rick, any luck with that government grant?)

5

It’s more like the difference between cake and bread. BTW I’ve never encountered a ‘crunchy’ donut.

6

You are dead inside.

7

Could they be using “old-fashioned” as a synonym for buttermilk donuts?

And FWIW, I personally prefer the donuts from the Madison Park Bakery or from one of the outposts of the Tom Douglas empire.

8

For reference:

Old Fashioned Doughnuts
Cake Doughnut

Raised Doughnut

And because it seemed like a fun web page: The Great Donut Experiment

9

And according to that last link, “old fashioned” *does * seem to equal “buttermilk.”

10

At least at Top Pot. A friendly counterperson this morning said that their old-fashioneds have sour cream in the batter. This makes them softer than their cake doughnuts, so they crack while cooking and therefore have the different texture.

I imagine, more generically, that old-fashioneds are tangier than cakes, and different recipes call for buttermilk, sour cream, or some other tangifier. But not Tang.

11

What about cruellers? Huh?

:smiley:

12

Are we comparing Dunkin Donuts To Krispy Kreme?