Cake doughnuts (buttermilk old-fashioned)

Mix a loose batter leavened chemically rather than with yeast; rest it briefly.

Deposit rings of batter from a hopper into the hot fat.

For old-fashioned doughnuts, fry at a lower temperature so the batter spreads before the crust sets, flipping shortly after it hits the oil.

variation: for a light modern cake doughnut, fry at a higher temperature so the batter sets in seconds with a clean edge and less oil absorption.