
Get the best of both worlds with these filled cake donuts!
First - quick backstory on how these filled cake mix donuts came into being!
Someone asked me about my favorite type of donut not too long ago. I couldn’t pick a favorite! It took me a bit thinking about it to pin down why though. I love filled donuts - because of the filling (duh). But I love cake-style donuts because of their texture.
Then the idea hit - I have donut pans! Could I make a *filled* cake donut…?
The process -
Well obviously, that question needed an answer. I stocked up on a few extra cake mixes and cream cheese packages.
Then - when work put me on call one day - recipe testing commenced!
I’ve been making baked cake mix donuts for a couple of years now. They’re so easy - I can make them with my toddler. (Which is saying something, lol. She’s very much at that ‘want to help mama with everything’ stage. Which is adorable, and I love it. Only issue is her help isn’t generally super helpful.) So - if I try and tackle anything too complicated with her help pretty soon we’re both just frustrated.
The results -
I stuck with that cake mix donut base for these filled cake mix donuts. Worked great!
Then onto the filling! Again - toddler help being what it is - I wanted to keep the filling super simple. Cream cheese and sugar made the perfect mixture - rich, sweet, delicious, and still visible after the donuts were baked.
I added a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream to the remaining cream cheese filling. It thinned it down enough to make the perfect topping for the donuts!
"What do I need to make filled cake mix donuts?"
Not much! Donut pans, a box of cake mix, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 eggs, plus cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla for the filling and topping! Cookie scoop and baker's floured spray make the process a little easier, but are optional. I might also recommend a piping bag for filling the donuts, but a sandwich bag with a corner cut or rolled plastic wrap would work.
A few quick tips -
- Make sure you grease your pans well! It would be a huge bummer to get these baked and have them break coming out of the pans.
- Don't over-bake these donuts; they tend to get on the dry side when overbaked.
- These donuts - as the recipe's written - have a very dense texture. If you want a bit of a light cake-y donut add a 1/4 cup of buttermilk (or milk) to the donut mixture before baking. You just might have a touch harder time getting them filled.
- Should you want to skip the hassle of filling the donuts, just check out my 'Cake Mix Donuts' recipe page!
Don't forget to pin this recipe for later!

Filled Cake Mix Donuts
Can't choose between a cake and filled donut? These filled cake mix donuts have it all - cake donut texture, filling - AND they're SO easy!
Servings: 12 donuts
Calories: 304kcal
Equipment
- Donut pan(s) (linked is a set of 2 6-donut pans by Wilton)
- Baker's floured cooking spray (optional)
- 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 boxed cake mix (I used chocolate; flavor's up to you!)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted and cooled)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Glaze & decorations
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk (add to remaining filling mixture to make glaze)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (add to remaining filling mixture to make glaze)
- Sprinkle mix of your choice optional; I used a rainbow jimmies mix
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease donut pan(s) with baker’s floured cooking spray (or grease and sprinkle with a bit of flour).
- Mix together wet ingredients (eggs and butter) with a whisk or in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined (make sure melted butter isn't too hot, so it doesn't cook the eggs).
- Add in cake mix, and mix on low speed until incorporated, and then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. The mixture will be thick.
- Fill the base of each donut ring with 2 Tablespoons of donut mixture, and press it down into the base and slightly up the sides, creating space in the center for the filling.
Filling
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until well-combined and not grainy.
- Transfer ½ cup of filling into a piping or plastic bag. Pipe a ring of filling into each donut. I used about a pencil-thick ring of filling - more and it's harder to keep the filling inside the donut, but feel free to use more if you're feeling like it!
- Add another 2 Tablespoons of donut mixture to the top - I did this in sections to keep the donut filling inside.
Baking + Decorating
- Bake at 350 ℉ for 10-14 minutes, until each donut is no longer sticky in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Add milk and vanilla to remaining donut filling; beat until well blended. (You can add a bit more powdered sugar or milk if your glaze seems too thin or thick. I hate this comparison, but an Elmer's glue consistency worked well for me. Too thick and it won't stick to the donuts; too thin and it runs *everywhere.*)
- Glaze donuts either by dipping upside down in the bowl, or by transferring glaze to a piping bag and drizzling over the donuts. Add sprinkles if desired. And you're done! Refrigerate if not serving immediately - and enjoy!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate. Nutrition information per donut will be less if not all the cream cheese topping is used.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1donut | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g
DID YOU MAKE THESE CAKE MIX DONUTS?
Let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
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(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)