A Dozen Chocolate Cake Donuts celebrates National Donut Day on June 5 this year. Cake Donuts are so easy to make - no yeast, no rolling out and almost no work. These deeply chocolate, soft and moist donuts are finished with 12 different toppings - one or two are sure to please.
it looks like I visited my local bakery, doesn't it? Now, I'm not suggesting making one of each of these fillings. But pick out a couple of your favs and make the softest, deepest chocolate donut and finish them as you wish.
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Why You'll Love This Chocolate Donut Recipe
- Making these donuts if fast and easy.
- The recipe is a base recipe so it is endlessly adaptable. Adding or subtracting a few ingredients makes it a whole new donut.
- It uses pantry ingredients for the cake donut.
- Top it anyway you want - even if it's not on my list
- For the caramel, use my caramel or substitute Werther soft caramels as the closest you can get to mine.
Variations
in addition the the original base recipe for the Chocolate Cake Donuts, the folowing are included:
- Chocolate Coconut - omit coffee and vanilla and add 1 teaspoon coconut extract to the batter. Add ½ teaspoon to the chocolate glaze. Top with shredded, sweetened coconut.
- Peppermint - omit coffee and vanilla and add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter. Add ½ teaspoon peppermint to the chocolate glaze. Top with Andes pieces or crushed starlight mints.
- Mexican - Add 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the batter. Top with cinnamon chips. If using Hershey's chop them up a bit so they aren't so large.
- Turtle - Base recipe, toasted pecans and caramel.
- Mocha - add 2 teaspoons instant coffee to batter and ½ to 1 teaspoon to the glaze.
- The following all use the Base recipe and are topped with:
- English Toffee Bits or Brickle - found in the baking aisle
- Chocolate Strawberry - Freeze dried strawberries are added to the basic powdered sugar glaze.
- Caramel - Mine or Werther's
- Hello Dollie - The favorite combo of coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips (mini in this case) and toasted pecans
- Nonpareils
- Peanut Butter Glaze
Recipe Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Donuts
FIRST ROW: Salt, instant coffee, baking powder, vanilla, baking soda
MIDDLE ROW: Brown sugar, unsalted butter, eggs
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, Dutch cocoa, sour cream
Chocolate Ganache
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter, corn syrup (or honey or golden syrup)
BACK ROW:
Powdered Sugar Glaze
FRONT ROW: Milk, semisweet chocolate (optional)
BACK ROW: Powdered sugar
Toppings for the Chocolate Cake Donuts
FRONT ROW: Instant Coffee
SECOND ROW: Toasted pecans, nonpareils, mini chocolate chips
THIRD ROW: Cinnamon chips, Werther caramels, freeze dried strawberries, butterscotch chips
BACKROW: Andes Mint chips, peanut butter chips, coconut, English Toffee Bits or brickle
Note: The peanut butter chips were not used.
Key Ingredients
- Espresso Coffee may be substituted at half the amount
- The pecans must be toasted for the best taste
- Sprinkles can
- Werther caramels can be substituted for home caramel
- Freeze dried strawberries are the main ingredient in the strawberry glaze. Trader Joe's has the best price on these.
- I used Heath English Toffee Bits but any can be used. These are the most easily found in the grocery store.
- Andes Mint Chips are also found in the grocery store in the baking aisle.
- The coconut is the sweetened variety.
- The peanut butter chips were not used.
- Dutch cocoa powder is used for it's color and intensity of taste.
- The semisweet chocolate I prefer is now priced out of my range. I am using the very last of it. My other favorite is Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate. It's a Belgian chocolate and comes in other flavors also. It's priced much better than most quality chocolates.
- Either Light Brown or Dark Brown sugar can be used.
- It is important to use heavy cream in the chocolate ganache or it can be too thin.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda the salt in a strainer over a mixing bowl. Step 2. Sift the cocoa over the powdered sugar. Step 3. There will, most likely be lumps left. Step 4. Push them through with the back of a spoon.
Step 5. Add the brown sugar to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Step 6. Place the melted butter, eggs, the vanilla with the coffee dissolved in it and the sour cream in a medium size bowl. Step 7. Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour over the dry ingredients. Step 8. Mix on low to bring the ingredients together and then on medium to blend completely.
Step 9. Lightly spray the wells of the pans with a non-stick baking release. Because this is a very thick batter, it is easiest to fit a piping bag with a ½" plain tip and pipe the filling ⅔ of the way up so they don't go over the top. Alternatively, used a doubled plastic bag. fill it with the batter, cut the tip off and use that to pipe the batter. Make sure to smooth the tops. I did not do this to mine and some of them rose inconsistently and were a bit lopsided. Step 10. Bake as called for. Cool in the pans and turn out. They may be frozen, without their tops at this point and finished later. Freeze them hard, wrap well in foil. They will last several months. Thaw on a cooling rack to finish. Step 11. After your desired topping has been prepared, make the chocolate glaze. Put all the ingredients in a microwave bowl and heat for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate begins to melt. Stir to blend. Repeat the heating with less time if needed. Step 12. To prepare the powdered sugar glaze, place the powdered sugar and ⅔ of the milk in a bowl and stir together. To make the chocolate powdered sugar glaze instead of the ganache, add the melted chocolate. Dip the donuts using the plain powdered sugar glaze first, then stir in the melted chocolate. In either case do not be too enthusiastic or air bubbles will form that are hard to get out.
Recipe FAQ'S
There are basically two reasons. They were over baked or the recipe was faulty. These donuts are unbelievably soft and moist because it is balanced.
The cupcakes will be lighter in color and the chocolate flavor may be lessened to some degree. However, in reality either is fine.
For this recipe, sour cream, buttermilk or plain yogurt all work. Use the same amount for all of them.
Storage and Freezing
After the donuts are baked they can be held at room temperature before topping. They can also be frozen with no topping. Freeze them until they are rock hard, wrap well in foil and they will last for several months. To finish, thaw at room temperature on a cooling rack and finish as desired.
Once they are finished, they will last several days at room temperature lightly covered.
Expert Tips
- The most important tip here is not to over bake the donuts. They don't take very long so use a cake tester or your finger to touch them lightly and if they spring back they are done.
- When filling the wells of the donut pan, be sure to smooth the batter out so it is flat and touches the sides of the pan.
- If you don't own a donut pan, these work well in a regular size muffin pan. No hole - same donut. There may be 10 or 11 donuts because the muffin pans are a bit bigger.
Counterclockwise from the mocha in front, chocolate, English Toffee bits or brickle, coconut, turtle, caramel, strawberry, peanut butter and peppermint. In the middle on the top left is the Mexican and Hello dollie, and below that is the nonpareil.
More easy quick treats to consider
A lot of work goes into each of my recipes and my only ask is that if you like the recipe or even the looks of it, please leave me a star rating to help me rank better. It’s important and I appreciate it and I appreciate you.
A Dozen Chocolate Cake Donuts
Equipment
- 2 6 well donut pan or regular size muffin pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (140 grams)
- ½ cup Dutch cocoa (45 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- ¾ cup sour cream (170 grams)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (60 grams or 4 tablespoons)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee*
- ½ teaspoon espresso
Glazes and Toppings - the amounts given are to finish and top 12 donuts. if choosing more than one, adjust the recipe depending upon how many of each you are finishing.
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup, honey or golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 grams)
- 5 ounces semisweet chocolate (140 grams)
Powdered Sugar Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
- 4 to 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, optional
Peanut Butter Glaze
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 to 6 tablespoons milk
Strawberry Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
- ½ cup freeze dried strawberries (1.2 ounce pkg)
- 3 to 5 tablespoons milk
Hello Dollie topping
- ¼ cup butterscotch chips
- ¼ cup coconut, sweetened
- ¼ cup mini or regular size chocolate chips
- ¼ cup toasted pecans
Mocha Glaze
- Powdered Sugar Glaze above
- 1 to 2 teaspoons instant coffee
- 2 teaspoons water
Caramel
- My caramel: https://pastrieslikeapro.com/caramel-building-block-pastry/
- OR
- 24 to 30 Werther caramels
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 6 well donut or muffin pans lightly with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
- Over a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl.
- Sift the cocoa into the bowl on top of the flour. If there are lumps, push them through wit a spoon.
- Add the brown sugar to the dry ingredients and mix with a paddle attachment to blend.
- Add the coffee to the vanilla and stir to mix. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla/coffee mixture. Whisk to combine and pour over the dry ingredients.
- Mix on low to combine (it will be very thick). Raise the speed to high and mix until completely combine, scraping down as necessary.
- Fit a piping bag with a ½" plain tip. Pipe the batter ⅔ up the way of the wells. Smooth the top so it touches the edges of the wells and is flat. Alternatively, double a plastic bag, fill it with batter and cut ½" off the tip. Use this to pipe the batter into the cups.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Check at 10 minutes with a cake tester which should come out clean or touch the center of one of the donuts to see if it springs back. Do not over bake. Cool on racks.
Topping the Donuts - Have whatever toppings you are using ready before you make the ganache or glazes.
- Chocolate Ganache - Place all of the ingredient in a microwave proof bowl or in a bowl place over simmering water. Microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir to combine. I needed microwave slightly more to melt everything. Heating over simmering water may take a bit longer. Cool to warm before using.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze - Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the milk a bit at a time until a thick glaze is made. If it is too thin, it will just run right off making it difficult to top.
- Peanut Butter Glaze - Combine the creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and the smallest amount of milk. Stir to combine. Add additional milk to make a thick glaze.
- Strawberry Glaze - Place the powdered sugar and freeze dried strawberries in the bowl of a of a processor. Process until the strawberries are powdered and the powdered sugar is pink. Stop and scrape down as necessary and process again. Be sure to cover the feed tube with your hand or the plunger as the powdered mixture will go everywhere. Remove from the processor and place in a bowl. Add the milk a bit at a time to make a thick mixture
- Mocha Glaze - Combine the water and coffee. Let it sit for a few minutes then stir to make sure no crystals are present. Add to the Powdered sugar glaze. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar a little at a time.
- Hello Dollie Topping - chop the chips and pecans finely and combine everything with the coconut.
The following specialty donuts are as follows. They are all dipped in the Chocolate Ganache or the Chocolate Powdered Sugar Glaze as you chose.
- Base Chocolate Donut - dipped in and left plain.Chocolate Coconut - omit coffee and vanilla and add 1 teaspoon coconut extract to the batter. Add ½ teaspoon coconut extract to the chocolate glaze. Top with shredded, sweetened coconut.Peppermint - omit coffee and vanilla and add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter. Add ½ teaspoon peppermint to the chocolate glaze. Top with Andes pieces or crushed starlight mints.Mexican - Add 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the batter. Top with small cinnamon chips. If using Hershey's or another larger chip chop them up a bit so they aren't so large.Turtle - Dipped in caramel and topped with finely chopped toasted pecans. Mocha - add 2 teaspoons instant coffee to batter and ½ to 1 teaspoon to the glaze.English Toffee Bits or Brickle - sprinkle on top of the chocolate ganache Nonpareils or sprinkles - sprinkle on top of the chocolate ganache
Assembly Using the Plain Powdered Sugar Glaze
- Hello Dollie Donut - After dipping, immediately apply the mix to the top of the donut.
- Strawberry - Dip the donut into the glaze. Allow to dry.
- Mocha - Dip the donut into the glaze. Allow to dry.
- Peanut Butter - Dip the donut into the glaze. Allow to dry. An afterthought was to top the glaze with finely chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Notes
- The most important tip here is not to over bake the donuts. They don't take very long so use a cake tester or your finger to touch them lightly and if they spring back they are done.
- When filling the wells of the donut pan, be sure to smooth the batter out so it is flat and touches the sides of the pan.
- If you don't own a donut pan, these work well in a regular size muffin pan. No hole - same donut. There may be 10 or 11 donuts because the muffin pans are a bit bigger.
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