Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. This step is crucial as it ensures that your donuts will bake evenly and rise properly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 pinch of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, and if desired, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Mixing these dry ingredients together ensures that the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients: 1 cup of canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of melted butter, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisk everything together until it’s well blended. You want a smooth mixture that will incorporate the dry ingredients easily.
Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Be careful not to overmix; you want the batter to be just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense donuts.
Prepare your donut pan by greasing it lightly with non-stick spray or by using butter. Then, place the batter into a piping bag and snip off the tip. This allows you to easily fill the donut pan without making a mess.
Fill the donut pan about three-quarters of the way full with batter. This will give the donuts room to rise without overflowing.
Bake the donuts for about 18 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. They should be lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the donuts are baking, prepare the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons of strong espresso until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more espresso or confectioners sugar as needed.
Once the donuts are done, let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before carefully removing them. This step is important; if you take them out too early, they might break apart.
Dip each side of the donut into the glaze and place them on a rack glazed side up, allowing any excess glaze to drip off. Make sure to let them cool a bit so the glaze hardens slightly.
