I had rather specific taste when I was young. None of this high falutin’ stuff that I like now. Like most children the idea of eating most food, especially seafood, was grotesque. I recall when my older cousin got married, they served us large tempura battered prawns at the pre-wedding dinner and I proceeded to eat the batter off the prawns and left the huge prawn behind much to the clucking and disgust of the adults who thought that it was frightfully wasteful.
When I was young, my favourite donut ever was the Strawberry Jam donut, and the frozen Herbert Adams ones were my favourites (do they still even make them?). Like a lot of parents, mine didn’t really listen when I told them what I wanted and every time I’d get a cinnamon and sugar donut which I’d never eat leaving me pining for a soft strawberry centered donut instead of the boring one with the hole in the middle. I’d also devour Bubble O’Bill ice creams and Twisters like the world would end the next day (and to a kid what did we know? It could have).
My friend Kathy in the US sent me the link to this from the Taste.com.au website as she had just made them and I was instantly smitten. So was my husband – when he first moved to Sydney before I met him, he’d eat a dozen donuts for dinner working the night shift at a website development company. Either that or a whole tub of yogurt. So it wasn’t hard to persuade him to take a trip down memory lane with me – for me it was back to when I was 6 years old and for him, 20 years old. I even brought some over to visit my food blogger friend Christie from Fig & Cherry one afternoon. These are deliciously addictive and beautifully soft, the cinnamon sugar instantly transporting back to a time when getting the donut flavour that you wanted was the most important thing in your life.
Jam Donut Cupcakes
Makes 8
Ingredients
- 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
- 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 175ml/6 fl oz buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 teaspoons good-quality strawberry jam (I also tried this with Bonne Maman’s Four Fruits when I ran out of strawberry and it was good although admittedly, less authentic)
To brush on top and then roll
- 100g/3.52 ozs unsalted butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tray.
2. Sift the flour into a medium bowl, then add a pinch of salt and the caster sugar. In a jug, combine the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add to the dry mixture and stir to only just combine. It will be thick and puffy. Place a tablespoonful of the mixture in each muffin hole and make an indent in the centre. Fill each indent with a teaspoon of the strawberry jam.
3. Cover the jam with the remaining cupcake batter. I found that these slightly overflowed and that the tops stuck together but then after taking it out, it contributed to the puffy donut look. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter and cool slightly. Combine the extra sugar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush each muffin lightly with the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Serve while still a little warm.
Adapted from a recipe by Valli Little in delicious. – July 2002, Page 85
This is also my entry for Vampituity’s Childhood Delights event!
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61 Comments | Add your own
Oh, these look fantastic! And so doughnutty! I’m not sure I’d get on terribly well with making them—whenever I try to bake muffins with a filling in place it always leaks everywhere. However, I do have a Bismark filling tip for cupcakes and doughnuts, so this could be the perfect recipe to use it with!
these look so good!! thanks for sharing the recipe. I don’t usually like donuts however in a cupcake form they look delicious
i ll give them a try
ooh yum! I’d like to try a cherry jam donut, that would be awesome. I’ve been wanting to make some donuts soon but I don’t like the thought of standing over the fryer in summer, so these would be perfect!
I’ve seen similar recipes and been tempted for the same reason – except my favourite donuts were the jam filled ones at the Queen Vic Market and (gulp) still are! And I would still turn my nose up at seafood.
I hasten to add that I do have tastes that have matured beyond childhood! Like you I would go for the good quality jam these days rather than any old sugary stuff
Very nice! I wonder if I can use fig jam (which I somehow have to make) for this recipe. We have a giant fig tree out the back which is showing signs of ripe figs in the near future!
Those are some rather pretty looking donuts!
I would definitely like to try them though I don’t know that my cooking skills are quite up to it.
I could eat a dozen of these..and still not feel guilty because they’re not deep fried lol.
Wow – a donut and a cupcake in one, that’s just sin on a plate! I’m on day 2 of my new year diet, sworn off cakes so I’ll have to file this for when the diet ends (probably only a week away if I’m honest!)
wow these look awesome!! i want to try it one day =)
love your site!
oh i love it when people get all soppy and sentimental about food from days of old!
i was telling my children about the times my parents would buy $2’s worth of chips from the chip shop, and how it would come wrapped up in newspaper – this huge, steamingly-hot bundle of carbohydrate deliciousness. my sisters and i would tear off little strips of the paper and wrap them around each chip, so as not to burn our fingers in the eagerness to eat those chips!
seems like a world of time away when you compare it to those cardboard-tasting french fries they serve you today!
great post, Lorraine.
I love these muffins! It’s like a little sugary surprise!
brilliant! i love it! what a great idea! must try, must try! i just adore jam donuts…so this has jumped up to the top of the list for flavours to try!
So glad you liked the recipe! I was really impressed with how simple the recipe was and how yummy the muffins turned out. I’ve wanted to make these again but am currently on a self imposed post-Christmas baked goods ban
Yes I can confirm that they are absolutely scrumptious!
a donut’s not worth eating to me unless there’s jam inside or coconut coating the outside. making them in muffin form is even better. a big bravo to you.
I like the way the jam is hidden inside like a surprise. Our school canteen used to sell cakes on Wednesday. Jam doughnuts and custard tarts were the best. When I was in year 6 and allowed to do canteen duty I made sure it was on Wednesdays
Hi Angela-The filling is quite thick so it might go well? But not until after you get better!
Ah well now that you’ve got the fancy tools there’s no reason not to make them! 
Hi snookydoodle-Yes this is good even for the non donut eater, dare I say, it’s the healthier version?
Hi Lisa I never deep fry things, I have a fear of oil splatter so these were the closest I’d get to actual donuts!
Hi Johanna-I think the youthful years were more a pursuit of sugar but nowadays it’s the pursuit of many other taste sensations-or at least I hope so for myself!
Hi Howard-Ooh Bonne Maman also make a lovely Fig jam (I have some in my fridge). Although freshly made beats all of it. Lucky you, I dream of having fresh figs at the ready. I have no doubt fig jam would work a treat!
Hi Cappucino-Thankyou! I’m sure they are, they’re very straightforward to make
Hi Miss Honey-Haha exactly! Not deep fried so ummm… calorie free?
Hi Paula-Ahh best of luck with that!
It’s good to give your system a break anyway, even if it’s for a week (more than I could go for anyway 
)
Hi Madison-Definitely, they’re delicious! Thankyou so much!
Hi the projectivist-Don’t get me started
I could go on about Redskins and sausage rolls at the swimming pool, Twister ice creams, Bubble O Bills, Samboy chips (apparently Atomic tomato is back!), Sunny boys and Razzs and being able to buy all the lollies you could dream of for $1!
Oh how cute is that memory! And very clever using the paper to keep your hands from burning. Awww there should be somewhere that still does it this way! I insist on it!
Hi Blond Duck-Yep definitely not for the sugar fearing but oh so good
Hi the airy fairy-As soon as I saw it I checked my ingredients and made it straight away. How could I resist a jam donut?
Hi Kathy-Thanks so much for sending the link! Given how extensive your baked goods menu was for Christmas I don’t blame you, it sounded like a cake/dessert lover’s paradise!
Hi Christie-You are too kind dahlink! Glad that you liked them
Hi grace-That’s quite right, there’s nothing like squidgy sweet jam inside! Forget that weird faux cream, jam is the way to go!
Hi Arwen-A very smart girl and exactly what I would have done. If we were at the same school I have no doubt we would have been doing canteen duty together
Ooh I like the sounds of a donut that doesn’t need frying. What a great idea. And I loved Bubble o’ Bills too! Good times!
This reminds me of the jam donuts they used to serve when I was in my A-Level college.. hehe.
I’m have to admit that I’m on a slight donut overload though, one of my friends brought a whole box of Krispy Kremes over! So good yet so sinful…
gosh, the instructions look so easy, must try it out! thanks for sharing..
p.s happy new year + happy eating..
ur more than welcome Lorraine dear.
Happy new year..n guess wht i made an austrian torte to celebrate 2009 onset.
I love this idea. Cupcakes are perhaps my favorite treat, and these look way too tasty not to bake immediately.
Hi Helen-Yes deep frying and me just don’t go together. Happy to eat it but not to cook it. And Bubble O Bill was great as you got a bonus bubble gum. I always thought he was the most worth it
Hi Su-yin-oooh sounds temptingly good! The problem with Krispy Kreme is that it’s so hard to stop at one and before you know it, 4 have gone down the hatch
Or am I the only one with this problem?
Hi isLa-It’s definitely easy, Id love to know what you think of it!
Happy New Year to you too isLa!
Hi Navita-Happy New Year! Wow, what a treat to celebrate NY with!
Hi Hayley-They’re really good and when people hear that they’re also donuts, they’re instantly sold
Mmm, that’s such a great idea. It looks delicious!
OMG – I bet the troops would love these. They look absolutely delicious. I still love Bubble-o-Bills – not sure if you can still get the Herbert Adams stuff though.
Hi gaga-Thanks, the taste site has great stuff I have to say!
Hi Cakelaw-Oh yes adults and kids alike would love these
Oh wow, so you can still get Bubble O Bills? I must look for the jam donuts next time I go to the supermarket!
These look so good. Of course, we all donuts (or doughnuts as we call them) and my daughter loves them with jam. She also avoids the sugary cinnamon ones.:)
Shall definitely try these out.
Happy New Year too.
Hi Aparna-Your daughter has good taste!
I think she might like these too. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
I saw Christie’s post about these. They looked yummy then, and they certainly look yummy now!
Hi Y-Thanks! They got a bit less pretty on the trip but she photographed them so well so that you couldn’t tell
I was always a fan of the microwavable jam donuts so just had to try these cupcakes for myself. The only thing I didn’t like about the old school donuts was that there was never enough jam so I made sure I put a good dollop in to this recipe. And the result…. yummo! Love them to bits
Hi Pimi-Oh wonderful! And I agree with putting more jam inside them, I always used to get so upset when there would only be a tiny spot of jam inside!
Well, I made these… and I was a little disappointed – I followed the instructions precisely, the only thing I changed was I didn’t have buttermilk, so had to do the ol ‘vinegar in milk’ trick – do you think this would make a big difference?
Perhaps I was really hoping for that donut taste, which I know is silly – but I found these to be quite dry.
I also felt they needed more than a teaspoon of jam.
My boyfriend loved them though – they were gone by the next night, so not all is lost!!
Hi Lulua-I don’t mind the vinegar would have affected it badly unless there was too much added. It’s only a tiny bit that’s needed to sour the milk. Donuts are generally quite dry and cakey to me and I used a teaspoon of jam for my ones and that was enough but of course you can use how ever much jam that you like. I’m glad your boyfriend like them though!
Ok i have decided to make them now after looking and looking at them here for days on end, i cant stand it anymore…off i go.
Hi Tina-Wonderful! Please let me know what you think of them
Ok I just a chance to get back on here and i have to say they did not last long at all. They are delicious now a favorite in our house hold. I had a friend over and she has begged me to make them at her house when we have a girly night to show all the others that cant bake how to make them.
So easy to make very surprised but awesome thanks Nigella.
Hi Tina-Oh wonderful to know!
Aww that’s so lovely to know. P.S. I’m Not Quite Nigella 
Hi Lorraine,
I finally had a chance to make these with my daughter yesterday. She did most of the work and they turned out beautifully! I don’t usually bake with self-rising flour so I was pleasantly surprised at the result – looks and taste. I won’t tell you how many my kids ate! They want to make more, though:)
Hi Dana-Wonderful! I think it’s a great idea making these with kids. It’s pretty straightforward and they’d love the flavour. Hehe I’m so glad, thanks for letting me know!
Just made a batch of these today & they were scrumptious, though I would add more jam into them – just so it will oooooze everywhere. From above they really do look like doughnuts, but without the frying – yeh! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Jules-Haha yes the idea of oozing jam sounds so lovely and decadent! Glad that you liked it
Oh yum! These look absolutely divine! I’m printing out the recipe RIGHT NOW!
Hi Fuji Mama-they are so worth making, the only problem is stopping at one!
A treat from another hemisphere- I suppose these might be our version of jelly donuts, but they seem so much more exotic. Thanks for sharing the deliciousness with Childhood Delights SHF folks, and especially those of us from so far away!
Yummy these look delicious
!
Hi Rachel-Thanks for hosting the SHF! Yes it’s pretty much like how I’d imagine your jelly donuts would taste (well without having tried one for myself)
Hi Gine-Thankyou so much!
I made these at the weekend.I liked them but they can’t be compared to real donuts.
Hi NQN,
Just wanted to say thank you soooo much for your wonderful blog, it has inspired me to create my own and expand my baking capabilities. I will be forever grateful, and for that matter so will my Husband!
Y x
Hi Amy-I thought they were very donut like! Not Krispy Kreme like mind you but traditional donut like.
Hi Yvette-Wonderful! That’s fantastic. That’s such a nice thing for you to say!
x
Lorraine, I’ve made these so many times but finally just got around to posting them in an eggless version.
Thanks.
These look amazing – definitely going to make these for my 9yo son! Is it any wonder I love your blog the jam filled donought was my favourite also, as well as cheese twisties, chocolate paddlepops & let’s not forget the chuppa chup!
Being of Italian descent frozen food was not part of our life and Pomme Noisettes were the item in the frozen section that intrigued me most – mum bought them for me once and then I desperately wanted to make them but I must have been 10 or 11 so mum agreed – how hard could it be? – they were a total disaster – I still remember the mess I made in mums kitchen and my distress when my beautiful little balls of potato disintegrated in the oil!! Makes me laugh now!!
I made it today and I couldn’t believe how much they taste like jam donuts. It’s so delicious. Will definitely make these again.
A very clever recipe!
Hi Aparna-Fantastic! Thanks so much for letting me know
They look great!
Hi Stefania-Haha yes all those wonderful things from childhood!
Oh I remember Pommes Noisettes! I thought they were the height of elegance! 
Hi Myra-So glad that you like them. They’re quite eerily donut like aren’t they!
Hi,
These look really good!
I was wondering if you could tell me what brand of strawberry jam you used, and whether i can find it in local supermarkets (woolies/coles etc.)?
i find the conserves (which is often all i can find) offputting. haha
Also, i read in one of the comments that you can add vinegar to normal milk instead of using buttermilk. What would be the ratios? And is white vinegar ok?
Sorry about all the questions..
Thanks in advance!
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