Crullers are one of those pastries that often spark debate among donut lovers, especially when it comes to their classification. With their distinctive ridged shape and airy interior, many people wonder: is a cruller a cake donut, or does it belong in a category of its own? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. While both crullers and cake donuts are fried and sweet, they differ significantly in ingredients, texture, and preparation. Understanding what sets a cruller apart from a cake donut can help clarify the confusion and deepen appreciation for this unique pastry.
Understanding What a Cruller Is
The term ‘cruller’ can refer to several different types of pastries, depending on where you are and who’s making it. In the United States, a cruller typically refers to a twisted or ring-shaped donut that’s made using a light choux pastry dough, giving it a crisp exterior and airy, tender interior.
Key Characteristics of Crullers
- Shape: Usually ridged or twisted, formed using a star-shaped piping tip.
- Dough: Made from pâte à choux (a dough also used in cream puffs and éclairs).
- Texture: Light, eggy, and airy with a slightly crisp crust.
- Cooking method: Deep-fried and sometimes glazed or dusted with sugar.
French crullers, the most common style in American donut shops, are perhaps the most recognizable due to their fluted ring shape and light consistency. They differ from traditional cake donuts in several fundamental ways.
What Defines a Cake Donut?
Cake donuts are named for their resemblance to, well, cake. Made with a thicker batter that includes baking powder or baking soda, they have a denser crumb and a more traditional sweet flavor. These donuts are not light or airy like yeast-raised varieties or crullers.
Key Characteristics of Cake Donuts
- Texture: Dense and moist, with a firm bite.
- Leavening agent: Use chemical leaveners like baking powder instead of yeast or steam.
- Dough: Similar to cake batter, often including flour, sugar, milk, and eggs.
- Shape: Typically ring-shaped, made using cutters.
Because cake donuts are fried rather than baked, they develop a slightly crisp outer layer, which contrasts nicely with their soft, cake-like interior. They also come in a variety of flavors and often feature icing, sprinkles, or powdered sugar coatings.
How Crullers and Cake Donuts Differ
Though both are fried pastries served in donut shops, the similarities between crullers and cake donuts largely stop at appearance. Their ingredients, preparation, and resulting texture reveal clear distinctions.
1. Dough Type
Crullers are made from choux pastry, which involves cooking flour with water and butter, then adding eggs to create a sticky, airy batter. Cake donuts, in contrast, use a standard cake batter with flour, sugar, eggs, and milk. This difference results in very different textures.
2. Leavening Method
Crullers rely on steam for leavening generated from the high moisture content of the choux dough during frying. Cake donuts depend on baking powder or baking soda to create air pockets. This makes cake donuts denser while crullers are lighter and airier.
3. Texture and Flavor
Crullers are crispy on the outside and custardy inside, often described as light and eggy. Cake donuts are firm, crumbly, and taste more like classic baked cake. The richness of crullers often comes from eggs and butter, whereas cake donuts rely more on sugar and fat for flavor.
4. Equipment and Technique
Crullers are usually piped using a pastry bag with a star tip onto parchment squares before frying, which gives them their iconic ridges. Cake donuts are typically rolled and cut using donut cutters, then fried to golden perfection.
Are Crullers Considered Cake Donuts?
Based on all the differences in ingredients, texture, and method of preparation, crullers are not considered cake donuts. In fact, crullers are often placed in their own category entirely sometimes even alongside éclairs and cream puffs due to their shared dough type.
However, the confusion may arise from terminology and regional variations. In some areas, any fried donut without yeast may be referred to as a ‘cake donut,’ leading to the occasional mislabeling of crullers. But technically and culinarily, crullers stand apart from both cake and yeast donuts.
Types of Crullers
There are a few different kinds of crullers found around the world, each with unique regional twists:
- French Crullers: The most common in American donut shops, made from choux pastry and ring-shaped with ridges.
- Traditional Crullers: Found in older cookbooks, these are twisted strips of cake-like dough, similar to what some might call a twisted cake donut.
- German Kruller: These resemble twisted sticks and are usually denser, more in line with cake donuts in texture but shaped differently.
It’s important to know which kind of cruller is being discussed, as older or regional recipes may use different techniques or batters that blur the line between crullers and cake donuts.
Why the Confusion Exists
The classification debate often comes down to labeling used by bakeries and chains. Some donut shops group crullers with cake donuts simply for convenience, especially if both are made without yeast. Others, especially artisan or European-style bakeries, make a clear distinction between choux-based crullers and cake donuts. Adding to the confusion, cruller shapes can resemble cake donuts, especially when dusted or glazed similarly.
Still, in the culinary world, ingredients and preparation methods take priority over visual appearance. And by those standards, crullers are not cake donuts.
Enjoying Crullers and Cake Donuts
Despite the debate, both crullers and cake donuts have their place on the breakfast table. Crullers are ideal for those who prefer a lighter, airier treat, especially when paired with coffee or tea. Cake donuts, with their dense and rich texture, are a satisfying option when you’re in the mood for something more filling.
Popular Cruller Flavors
- Glazed French cruller
- Vanilla or chocolate icing
- Lemon or orange zest infused crullers
Popular Cake Donut Flavors
- Old-fashioned buttermilk
- Blueberry cake donut
- Chocolate-frosted with sprinkles
So, is a cruller a cake donut? The clear answer is no. While both are sweet fried treats commonly sold in donut shops, they differ in virtually every important way dough, texture, leavening, and preparation. Crullers belong to their own unique category, especially the French-style crullers made with choux pastry. Knowing the difference can enhance your appreciation for both and help you make the right choice next time you’re at the donut counter. Whether you’re a fan of rich, dense cake donuts or prefer the light and airy elegance of a cruller, there’s no wrong way to enjoy these delicious pastries.