Chocolate Cake Donuts
intro
Rich, moist baked chocolate cake donuts coated in smooth chocolate glaze, an indulgent sweet treat simpler to make than traditional fried donuts.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep Oven and Pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the middle. Lightly grease a 6-cavity standard donut pan with non-stick spray or 1 teaspoon melted butter, coating the center posts fully to prevent sticking during baking.
Whisk Dry Ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 190g all-purpose flour, 40g unsweetened cocoa powder, 150g granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp fine table salt. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to break up cocoa lumps and evenly distribute all leavening agents.
Mix Donut Batter
Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredient mix, then add 180ml room-temperature buttermilk, 1 lightly beaten room-temperature large egg, 57g cooled melted unsalted butter, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Stir gently with a rubber spatula for 45 seconds only, until no dry flour streaks remain; do not overmix to avoid tough, dense donuts.
Fill and Bake Donuts
Transfer batter to a piping bag or sealed plastic bag with a 1cm corner cut off, then pipe batter into each donut cavity, filling each only 2/3 full (approx 60g batter per cavity) to prevent overflow as donuts rise. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of a donut comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs, no wet batter.
Cool Baked Donuts
Remove the pan from the oven and let donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then gently twist each donut to loosen and transfer directly to the rack to cool completely for 20 minutes before glazing; warm donuts will cause glaze to slide off and set unevenly.
Make Chocolate Glaze
While donuts cool, add 113g semi-sweet chocolate chips and 80ml heavy cream to a small heatproof bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts at 50% power, stirring between each burst, for 60 seconds total until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Stir in 60g sifted powdered sugar until lump-free, then let glaze cool 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
Glaze and Decorate
Hold each cooled donut by its edges, dip the smooth top surface halfway into the glaze, lift and twist slightly to let excess glaze drip off for 3 seconds, then return to the wire rack. Top with 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (if using) immediately after dipping each donut, before the glaze sets. Let glaze set 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Tips
2.Always let donuts cool fully before glazing: residual heat will melt the chocolate glaze, causing it to run off the sides instead of setting into a thick, smooth, even coating.
3.If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make a quick substitute by adding 3/4 tablespoon white vinegar to a measuring cup, then pouring in whole milk to reach the 180ml line. Let the mixture rest 5 minutes before using.
Just popped my first batch of these in the oven! Swapped regular dairy milk for oat milk and used vegan dark chocolate chips to make them dairy-free for my roommate, and the raw batter is so rich and chocolatey I already know they’re gonna slap. Can’t wait to dig in once they cool!
Wait, this is the easiest chocolate cake donut recipe I’ve ever come across? 50 minute total time, no fancy equipment, no frying mess? I’m grabbing my mixing bowls right now, I’ve been craving a solid chocolate donut all week and this looks exactly like what I need.
Just whipped these up post-gym as a little weekend treat and wow, these are SO good — way better than the chalky protein donuts I usually grab from the supplement shop. They’re moist, deeply chocolatey, and I didn’t even feel guilty eating two after my leg day workout. Total win, will be adding these to my regular weekend rotation.
Quick silly question — do I need to grease my donut pan even if it’s non-stick? I’ve had so many baked goods stick to my pans lately and I don’t want to ruin a whole batch of these, they look absolutely perfect.
Made these for my partner last night for our at-home date night and he was totally obsessed! I dipped them in dark chocolate glaze and topped with crushed pretzels for that perfect sweet-salty kick, and he thought I ordered them from the fancy donut shop across town. Pro tip: let them cool all the way before glazing, otherwise the glaze slides right off — learned that the hard way on my first two donuts!
My kids went absolutely nuts for these after school yesterday! I’ve tried so many baked donut recipes that come out dry and crumbly, but these were perfectly moist and fudgy — even my super picky 7-year-old asked for thirds. The 50 minute total time was so doable even on a busy school night, no stress at all.
I’m not usually a big sweets guy, but my cousin made these when I visited last weekend and I ate three in one sitting. The chocolate flavor isn’t cloyingly sweet, which I loved, and they have that perfect tender cake donut texture that’s not too dense or too fluffy. I’m making a double batch for my fantasy football draft party this Sunday, I know the guys will demolish them.
These look amazing for our team potluck next week! Quick question — can I make the batter the night before and bake them in the morning? I have an 8am start time for the potluck and I’d rather not get up at 5am to bake if I don’t have to!
I’ve been making fried chocolate cake donuts for my grandkids for over 40 years, and I was so skeptical of a baked version, but let me tell you — these are incredible! No messy hot oil to deal with, the chocolate flavor is deep and rich (not that weak watery cocoa taste you get from box mixes), and the texture is perfect. I added a pinch of cayenne to my chocolate glaze like I do with my old fried recipe, and it gave the best little warm kick.
OMG these chocolate cake donuts are a total game changer! I brought a double batch to my office potluck two weeks ago and every single one was gone in less than 10 minutes. The recipe is so easy even when I was running late that morning, and the rich chocolate flavor doesn’t taste artificial at all, unlike a lot of other baked donut recipes I’ve tried. I’ve already made them twice since!