Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts will satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate craving. A quick chocolate buttermilk cake base is poured into doughnut pans, baked and then dipped into a buttermilk glaze. This recipe yields 12 chocolate cake doughnuts.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts on a white plate with coffee

Glazed chocolate cake doughnuts have been my weakness since 1984.

Or thereabouts, because I was little.

In those early years, every so often on a random Saturday morning, my dad would drive out to the nearest Dunkin Donuts and pick up a coffee for himself and a dozen doughnuts for us. I never could predict when that white, orange and pink box would magically appear on the kitchen table, but you can believe I ran down the stairs every Saturday hoping to see it. Forever craving a sticky sweet chocolate cake doughnut.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts side shot of doughnut bite

To this day, whenever I take a bite of one it takes me back to my childhood.

The. Best.

top down photo of doughnut ingredients

To Make These Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts You Will Need:

  • unbleached all-purpose flour
  • unsweetened cocoa powder
  • espresso powder
  • baking soda
  • light brown sugar
  • mini chocolate chips (optional)
  • kosher salt
  • buttermilk
  • applesauce (unsweetened)
  • unsalted butter (melted)
  • vanilla
  • egg
  • powdered sugar

flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and instant espresso in a sieve set over a bowl.

Preheat your oven to 375375℉ (or 190℃).

In a large bowl, sift in 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

clear bowl with sifted ingredients, brown sugar, mini chocolate chips and kosher salt.

Once sifted, add in 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. The mini chips are optional, my girls love them and they do add a depth to the chocolate flavor.

top down shot of mixed dry ingredients.

Mix to combine.

top down photo of bowl with egg, apple sauce, melted butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, measure and add 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons melted (slightly cooled) unsalted butter, 1 large egg and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

egg, melted butter, buttermilk, apple sauce and vanilla whisked together.

Whisk to combine.

adding the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

doughnut wet and dry ingredients combined.

Stir until just combined.

spoon batter 3/4 of the way up in a greased doughnut pan.

Spray 2 doughnut pans with nonstick spray. I HIGHLY recommend using a nonstick spray that has flour to ensure easy release after baking.

Spoon the doughnut batter into your prepared pans.

top down shot of filled doughnut pan.

Fill 3/4 of the way full and use the back of the spoon to spread the tops even.

Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 8 t0 12 minutes or until the doughnuts bounce back when gently pressed and/or a cake tester comes out with only a few crumbs (no batter) attached

top down shot of baked chocolate cake doughnuts in doughnut pan

Once baked, allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a thin rubber spatula around the edge to make sure they are sticking.

chocolate cake doughnuts inverted onto cooling rack.

Carefully, invert the pan onto a wire rack so the doughnuts can cool completely.

close up of unglazed chocolate cake doughnut.

YUM!

bowl with icing and whisk

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a mixing bowl, sift 2 cups powdered sugar. Add a splash of vanilla and whisk while slowly adding buttermilk, until desired consistency.

doughnut dipped into glaze.

Dip.

glazed chocolate cake doughnut on wire wrack to set glaze.

top down shot of 12 glazed doughnuts.

And invert onto a wire rack set into a rimmed metal baking sheet to allow the excess glaze drip off and cool and harden.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts with 2 cups of coffee

Or don’t.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts - close up of the doughnut missing a bite.

I never can.

Rich and chocolaty and incredibly delicious. Serve with hot coffee or milk.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts - close up top down shot of doughnut with a bite missing.

Enjoy! And if you give this Glazed Chocolate Doughnuts recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts - stack of doughnuts

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Yield: 12 doughnuts

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnuts will satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate craving. A quick chocolate buttermilk cake base is poured into doughnut pans, baked and then dipped into a buttermilk glaze. This recipe yields 12 chocolate cake doughnuts.

Ingredients

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS:

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE GLAZE:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 splash pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS:

  • Preheat your oven to 375℉ (or 190℃) and spray 2 doughnut pans with nonstick spray. Nonstick spray with flour works best here.
  • In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, espresso and baking soda. Then add in the brown sugar, mini chocolate chips and kosher salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • Next in a separte bowl, combine buttermilk, applesauce, (melted and cooled) butter, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
  • Use a rubber spatula to combine until all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Spoon batter into the wells of 2 doughnut pans. Fill 3/4 of the way and use a spoon to spread the tops evenly.
  • Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven fro 8 to 12 minutes or until the doughnuts bounce back when gently pressed and/or a cake tester comes out with only a few crumbs (no batter) attached.
  • Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a thin spatula around the top edges to ensure they do not stick. Turn the cake doughnuts out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
  • Once they have cooled completely, prepare the glaze.

MAKE THE GLAZE:

  • In a mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar and add a splash of vanilla. Gradually add milk while whisking until it reaches a desired consistency.
  • Dip doughnutes into glaze and transfer back to the wire rack.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 229kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 229mg, Potassium: 124mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 66IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1mg