Double Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
Submitted by andie
Double chocolate cake doughnuts made from scratch with unsweetened chocolate and buttermilk, then fried and topped with cocoa icing. Rich, cakey, and worth the overnight chill.
YIELD
30 doughnutsPREP
30 minCOOK
5 minREADY
1 daysThese are the real deal. Unsweetened chocolate melted with butter goes straight into the batter, and the cocoa icing on top doubles down on that chocolate intensity. The result is a dense, cakey doughnut with a crackly crust and a fudgy interior.
Buttermilk is doing important work here. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda for lift, and it adds a subtle tang that keeps all that chocolate from tasting flat. The dough is sticky when first mixed, so chilling is not optional. The recipe even suggests making the dough the night before and frying in the morning, which is solid advice.
Roll the chilled dough to ½-inch thick and cut your shapes, then let them rest 10 minutes at room temperature before they hit the oil. That rest relaxes the gluten so the doughnuts fry up tender instead of tough.
Ninety seconds per side at 370°F (185°C) is all it takes. Any longer and the outside gets greasy while the center stays underdone. Dip your spatula in the hot oil before lifting each doughnut so they don’t stick.
Pro Tips
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting so the butter and chocolate incorporate smoothly
- Don’t crowd the skillet. Fry 3 or 4 at a time to keep the oil temperature steady
- Drain on a wire rack over a sheet pan instead of paper towels for a crispier bottom
- The icing should be thin enough to spread but thick enough to coat without dripping off. Add water a drop at a time
Variations
- Skip the icing and roll warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar for a different finish
- Add a shot of espresso to the icing for a mocha glaze
- Fold ½ cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough before chilling for triple chocolate
Ingredients
Directions
Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Beat the sugar and eggs together until creamy and lemon colored.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over low heat or nuke it, stirring every few seconds.
Beat into the sugar and egg mixture. Add the vanilla and buttermilk.
Mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Add slowly to the liquid mixture. Divide the dough in half.
Chill to make it easier to handle.
I usually go this far the night before and finish in the morning.
Roll out one half of the dough on a lightly floured board to about a ½ inch thickness.
Cut into doughnuts.
Allow the cut doughnuts to stand for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 inches of oil to 370℉ (185℃) F in a large skillet.
An electric skillet is perfect if it has a temperature control.
The doughnuts should be at room temperature before frying.
Dip a metal pancake turner or slotted spoon into the hot oil before using it to add or turn a doughnut.
Transfer the doughnuts to the skillet, one every 15 seconds.
Fry each doughnut about 90 seconds per side.
Remove the doughnuts and drain on paper toweling or on a rack placed on a cookie sheet.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
ICING: Prepare the icing by beating all the ingredients together.
If the icing is too stiff add additional water, one or two drops at a time.
Beat until smooth.
Spread onto the doughnuts after they have cooled.
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