I'm trying to find the perfect baked double chocolate cake doughnut recipe, and so far this one's the best -- or at least the most practical. It doesn't call for a lot of ingredients and the doughnuts bake into a nicely rounded shape.
The original version used dark brown sugar, but all I had was light. For a little added moisture, I used a tablespoon of oil in place of part of the melted butter. For the glaze, I used the one made with butter, chocolate chips and corn syrup as well as a basic vanilla glaze. If you want a powdered sugar based chocolate glaze, I recommend the one that goes with the Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnuts from a few days ago. That one is bit more firm, while this one is on the soft side.
Freezing Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
Also, these doughnuts and all the other ones I've been making seem to freeze really well. I put them in the freezer uncovered for about 10 minutes just to set the glaze a bit, then put them in a heavy duty zipper bag and store in the freezer. They thaw pretty quickly.
Recipe
Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 4.5 oz
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips 1 ½ oz
- 1 teaspoon hot water or as needed
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅔ cup confectioners sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- Whole milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 6 count doughnut pan with cooking spray.
- Stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar together in a bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, butter and oil.
- Add the flour mixture and stir with a heavy duty scraper until well blended.
- Spoon two generous tablespoons of batter into 6 doughnut cavities. You will have enough batter leftover to make 4 more doughnuts.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched.
- Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, put the butter, corn syrup and chips in a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl. Microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Add hot water to thin, then drizzle over doughnuts. Alternatively, you can put the glaze in a shallow bowl and dip the doughnuts.
- To make vanilla glaze, melt the butter in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Add sugar and stir until mixed, then stir in milk (as needed) until smooth. Add vanilla. Spoon over doughnuts or transfer to a bowl and dip the doughnuts.
Drew says
This looks so yummy, and easy enough for a newbie like me.
Anna says
D, no. I have never heard of the Dunford Chocolate Cake Doughnut, but I Googled them and it appears they are from a west coast based bakery. I doubt I'll see them in Chicago, but that's okay because we have a bunch of great doughnuts here.
Sonya, they were good.
After I posted this I tried another recipe on King Arthur's site. King Arthur's baked chocolate doughnuts were very good too, but more like chocolate cupcakes in doughnut form. Not that that is a bad thing, but I kind of like a dense, less sweet texture in doughnuts.
Sonya says
Yum!!!
d says
Have you ever tried a Dunford Chocolate Cake Doughnut? They are wonderful!! I don't know if that is just a local product or if they distrubute nationwide. They are in every gas station and grocery store here. Costco sells them. They're wonderful. I'm going to try this recipe and see how it compares to those.