Yesterday was my birthday, and since I didn’t have any cake or ice cream for the occasion, it seems fair that today I’m celebrating with both cake and donuts. Extravagant, I know. At least these donuts are baked, not fried, and they’re made with two kinds of fruits and vegetables (lemon and rhubarb), so I can pretend they’re healthy.

(You’ll need a donut pan for these. I use this one.)

Baked Lemon-Poppy Seed Donuts

(Adapted from here)

Makes 6 donuts

Batter
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
zest from 1 lemon

Glaze
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
pinch salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and poppy seeds.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, vanilla extract, egg, and lemon zest.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Grease your donut pan with a non-stick spray.

Once your pan is lightly greased, fill each mold about two-thirds full with batter. You can do this with a spoon, a pastry bag, or cut the corner off a plastic zip-top bag.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. Place a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet. When the donuts have completely cooled, flip the pan upside-down onto the rack to release your donuts.

While the donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine the rhubarb, salt, and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the rhubarb has softened and broken down. Remove from heat, and pour into a fine-mesh strainer atop a medium bowl. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Add powdered sugar and whisk until combined.

One by one, dip the donuts into the glaze and let them dry on the rack. For more flavor, double-dip them, letting the glaze harden between dippings.

Enjoy! I recommend a cup of tea with your donut.