I donut know about you, but I like to enjoy my cocktails with a little sweet on the side! Shaker & Spoon’s Rum Buck has a tangy, tropical flavor from the mix of their house-made hibiscus syrup and fresh lime juice, as well as a bit of a bite from the ginger beer. I wanted to come up with a recipe that would complement and enhance the flavors of this delicious drink, so I thought mini donuts would be perfect! I decided on a key lime pie flavor to extend the tart/tangy taste, and there is even crystallized ginger on top for a touch more spice. This recipe is truly a piece of cake—as it starts with cake mix!—and because the donuts are baked, they come out light and fluffy (so you donut need to feel bad if you end up eating all of them in one sitting).  

Key Lime Pie Donuts

Prep: 10 min      Bake: 5 min      Yield: 3–4 dozen

Ingredients

Donuts

• 1 box key lime/lemon cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• nonstick cooking spray
• mini donut pan (Wilton makes a great one)

Glaze

• 1/4 cup key lime juice
• crushed graham crackers
• crystallized ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• green icing coloring (I like Wilton Moss Green)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and generously spray the mini donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the cake mix, egg, vegetable oil, and water until combined (about 2 minutes).
3. Carefully fill each donut well with about 1 teaspoon of the batter (you want to fill each well a little under half full—you can also pipe the mixture into each well by spooning the batter into a Ziploc bag and snipping off a corner of the bag).
4. Bake for 4-6 minutes (the donuts should bounce back if you lightly touch them).
5. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
6. To glaze the donuts: mix the key lime juice, icing coloring, and powdered sugar (you may have to play around with the amount of sugar depending on how thick you want your glaze, but it should be a bit runny). Then dip the top of the donuts into the glaze and twist to allow the extra to run off the top before placing back onto the cooling wrack. I like to dip a few, and then sprinkle the crushed graham crackers and a few pieces of crystallized ginger on top.
7. Let cool completely (at least an hour). You can use these mini donuts to garnish the drinks by placing them over the straw!

Jessica is a photo stylist, curator of cute, and soon-to-be blogger who lives in Ohio with her fiancé and their pet bunny named Mouse. See more from Jessica on her Instagram.