What It Is
Old-Fashioned Doughnuts are basically cake doughnuts that have been fried. This gives them a slightly crunchy outer shell, that’s usually lacquered with glaze or dusted with sugar. The inside tends to be less dense than the cake of your typical powdered doughnut and less airy than a Krispy Kreme-style glazed. The slightly irregular ring is often marked with indentations that create petal-like wedges.
Why We Love It
Fried. Cake. This classic doughnut style is making a comeback thanks to the glorious combo of its sugary crunch, doughy bite, and throwback dose of nostalgia. The fact that super smart pastry mavens are offering brilliant new flavors is just the glaze on top.
Where to Find It
We Have Doughnuts:Birmingham, AL
French-inspired bakery in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood, where the flaky kouign amann, burnished with sugar, pairs perfectly with a pour-over coffee from Octane, a local roaster that shares space with the Little Tart.
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee:Chicago, IL
Started in 1963 in Los Angeles, Stan’s has gained local cult status since opening in The Second City. They keep about a half dozen old fashioned varieties on the menu, but we’re just crazy about the Chocolate Orange.
Frost:Seattle,WA
This Seattle shop, which describes their doughnuts as “evolved,” fries up 18 different flavors daily, including the tart and herbaceous lavender Old Fashioned tinged with lemon and the vanilla Old Fashioned dipped in white truffle chocolate with raspberry.
