Baked Apple Donuts with Maple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

makes six donuts

For the donuts:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (non-fat, 2%, or whole)

1/4 cup organic skim milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons low-fat buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup finely grated apple (1 small apple, peeled and cored)

For the icing:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) cream cheese (or neufchâtel)

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt, milk, egg, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth. Fold in the grated apple.

4. Carefully spoon the donut batter into the prepared baking pan. Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.

5. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the donuts just spring back when touched.

6. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then remove the donuts from the pan and let cool completely.

7. While the donuts are cooling, make the icing: use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add in the maple syrup and cinnamon and beat on high until smooth.

8. Ice each donut just before serving. Icing can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container; donuts can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature.