The Hole Truth

Who said it's impossible to make a healthy doughnut that tastes as good as the real (fried) thing? We did--and were then proven wrong.

BabyCakes NYC founder Erin McKenna, who's already demonstrated that dairy- and gluten-free sweets can indeed be delicious, has created a non-fried vegan doughnut that rivals its fattier counterparts.

While crafting recipes for her new cookbook, McKenna challenged herself to master a gluten-free, soy-free, agave-sweetened doughnut that has the same cakey consistency we love.

Using texture as her guide, she created a base recipe that can be adapted to all manner of flavors. She was so pleased with the results that she's permanently adding a rotating array of doughnuts ($3 to $3.50) to the bakery's menu, including maple-glazed, raspberry-glazed, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and lemon-coconut, as well as a chocolate-dipped variety that is so dead-on in its sinfully rich texture that BabyCakes's daily stock often disappears before noon.

BabyCakes NYC, 248 Broome St. (between Orchard and Ludlow sts.); 212-677-5047 or babycakesnyc.com