We talk a lot around here about the best doughnuts. And newest doughnuts. Most of them fall into one of two categories. And we have opinions on that, too.

Raised Doughnuts: The Real Treat

The case for yeasted doughnut superiority begins with the fact that hardly anyone knows them by their technical name. They’re just…doughnuts. Raised to their airy form by yeast, the doughnut archetype appears by the million as maple bars and glazed rings, or voluminous oblongs designed to hold custard or cream. One recent morning, when I asked if the wares at Capitol Hill’s Half and Half Doughnut Co. were of the yeasted variety, the gentleman working the counter replied, “Yeah, regular.” Regular.

Cake? A ponderous dessert meant for birthday candles. Yeasted doughnuts welcome the day with effervescence. The genus encompasses multitudes, from 1.6 billion guilty pleasures sold a year at Krispy Kreme to the local brioche delicacies at the Flour Box, where lines snake down Rainier Avenue.

To rest my case, turn to historical precedent: In 1926 the Bon Marché advertised cake doughnuts for sale in the Seattle Daily Times, 20 cents for a dozen, with little enthusiasm. But in the same ad, in glowing terms and double the price: “Fluffy French Doughnuts, real treat.” —Allison Williams

Cake Doughnuts: U-S-A!

Cake doughnuts are an American creation. After everyone else spent centuries waiting for their yeasted dough to rise before frying, we seized upon the glorious time-saving invention of baking powder and basically came up with a round piece of cake. That is fried.

Sure, bad cake doughnuts can be dry. But most yeasted doughnuts are just vessels for all the sugary glaze, roasted marshmallows, crystallized ube, bacon bits, Honey Nut Cheerios, Pop Rocks, and whatever else we pile on top. It’s a gimmick. A good cake doughnut just needs a little cinnamon and sugar, maybe a dash of icing for funsies. And some sprinkles: I’m not a nun.

During World Wars I and II, women volunteering with the Salvation Army and Red Cross made quick baking-powder doughnuts and coffee on the front to boost soldiers’ morale. Cake doughnuts helped preserve worldwide freedom. What have brioche doughnuts done for you lately?

Okay, if rampant jingoism doesn’t convince you, think of cider doughnuts in fall. Think of the pleasure of dipping an old-fashioned in hot coffee. Think of Homer Simpson. Anyone who isn’t moved at this point can take your Krispy Kreme–guzzling, sticky-fingered selves and just keep walking. I’ll be over here, eating cake that is fried. —Allecia Vermillion

Doughnut Dossier

Cake Doughnuts: Made with a chemical leavener, like baking powder, rather than yeast. Unlike their raised counterparts, these come together fast and have a denser texture. Technically cake doughnuts are made with batter, not dough. But “batternuts” would be a questionable name for a pastry.

Raised Doughnuts: Made with yeast or some other natural leavener. This dough must be kneaded and left alone for at least a few hours to rise—a process that delivers a light and airy texture. Brioche doughnuts, a subset of raised doughnuts, use more eggs and butter.