All Things Chocolate, Breakfast

Chocolate Cake Donuts

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When I was younger my friends and I would walk to the local donut shop and get donuts. If I remember right it was a Winchell’s Donut Shop. Chocolate cake donuts were always one of my favorites to get. I love chocolate! Those were good memories. Time to build some new memories by making these easy yummy chocolate cake donuts right in your own home. These donuts are packed with chocolate flavor and dipped in a yummy homemade chocolate glaze. If I can do it, you can do it, let’s get baking!

If you want are a chocolate lover like me make sure to check out these other chocolate recipes here.

chocolate cake donuts ingredients sitting in glass bowls on top of table with white table cloth.

Step 1: Gather the chocolate cake donuts ingredients and tools

First, we need to gather the ingredients and tools that we will need to make these chocolate cake donuts. You will need the following:

  • All-purpose (plain) flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • White granulated sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Table salt
  • Melted butter
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Milk
  • Egg

Chocolate Glaze

  • Powdered sugar (confectioner’s, icing)
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Milk

Tools:

For the tools you will need:

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Now mix together the dry ingredients, the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, using a whisk or sifter. A sifter is always a good idea when working with cocoa powder, it helps to get the lumps out.

Step 3: Combine wet ingredients

Now in a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, melted butter, vanilla extract, milk, and egg, using a whisk or mixer.

Man stirs donut batter in a large glass bowl with a whisk.

Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients

Now combine the flour mixture about a third at a time with the wet ingredients, mixing in between with a whisk or mixer. Keep doing that until everything is combined and the batter resembles a nice cake-like batter. The chocolate donut cake batter is complete and ready for the next step. Resist the urge to dig in with a spoon. I may or may have not done that a few times in my life.

chocolate cake donut batter dripping off a beater in a large bowl sitting on table.

Step 5: Fill up that donut pan

Now add the batter to a Donut Pan. Spray the donut pan first with a light cooking spray. Use a spoon to add in the batter, if you like you could use a piping bag. Fill them up about 3 quarters of the way full. Once full, place it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Then bake them for 7 to 9 minutes, until a toothpick comes our cleaned when poked.

Step 6: Make the chocolate glaze

Once the donuts come out of the oven, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before handling them. While they are cooling it is time to make the chocolate glaze. To do that add together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder and 4 to 5 Tbsp. of milk. Don’t pour in all the milk at once, start with about half, and mix it together with a fork or whisk, then add more milk as needed to get a nice smooth runny mixture, which will resemble thick chocolate milk.

Step 7: Dip the chocolate cake donuts in glaze

Using your hand dip the donuts halfway in or do both sides of it, then place on a rack to dry. Before it dries you can add some sprinkles if you like. The glaze with set in 15 to 20 minutes or so. They will last a few days at room temperature if covered with plastic wrap or in a plastic bag. The homemade chocolate cake donuts will last about a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

Do you like breakfast foods like me? Check out these other breakfast food recipes here.

Six chocolate cake donuts sitting on a wire wrack in a sheet pan on a table.

Video Tutorial for the Chocolate Cake Donuts

Now watch those steps in action by checking out the video tutorial. 🙂

How to Make Chocolate Donuts - Chocolate Cake Doughnuts Recipe
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5 from 8 votes

Homemade Chocolate Cake Donuts

I love chocolate and donuts so naturally I would like chocolate cake donuts. These donuts are packed with chocolate flavor and dipped in a yummy chocolate glaze. This recipe is really easy to make, if I can make them you can make them. Let's get baking!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Cooling/Resting time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, chocolate, easy
Servings: 9 Donuts
Calories: 201kcal
Author: In the Kitchen with Matt

Equipment

  • Donut Pan
  • Whisk or Electric Mixer
  • Fork
  • spoon

Ingredients

Batter

  • 1 cup of all purpose flour (125g)
  • 1/4 cup of cocoa powder (25g)
  • 1/3 cup of granulated sugar (68g)
  • 1 tsp of baking powder (5g)
  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda (2g)
  • 1/2 tsp of salt (2g)
  • 3 Tbsp of melted butter (45g)
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract (5ml)
  • 1 cup of milk (250ml)
  • 1 large egg

Chocolate Glaze

  • 1 cup of powdered sugar confectioners (125g)
  • 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder (21g)
  • 4 to 5 Tbs of milk (60 to 75ml)

Instructions

  • First preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Now mix the dry ingredients with a sifter or whisk. The flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Now combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, the melted butter, vanilla extract, milk, and egg, using a whisk or mixer.
  • Next combine flour mixture about a third at a time to the wet ingredients, mixing in between with a whisk or mixer. Keep doing that until it is all nice and combined and the batter resembles a nice cake-like batter.
  • Now add the batter to a Donut Pan. Sprayed the donut pan first with a light cooking spray. Use a spoon to add in the batter, if you like you could use a piping bag. Fill them up about 3 quarters of the way full. Once full, place it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (176 C). Then bake them for 7 to 9 minutes, until a tooth pick comes our cleaned when poked.
  • Once the donuts come out of the oven, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before handling them. While they are cooling it is time to make the chocolate glaze. Add together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder and 4 to 5 Tbsp. of milk. Don't pour in all the milk at once, start with about half, and mix it together with a fork or whisk, then add more milk as needed to get a nice smooth runny mixture, which will resemble a thick chocolate milk.
  • Now using your hand dip the donuts half way into the glaze or do both sides of it, then place on a rack to dry. Before it dries add some sprinkles if you like. The glaze with set in 15 to 20 minutes or so. They will last a few days at room temperature if covered with plastic wrap or in a plastic bag. They will last about a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

Notes

nutritional facts for chocolate cake donuts
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal

Do you like the recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. 🙂 If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Here are a few other recipes you may like:

Homemade Croissants

Mini Cheesecakes

28 Comments

  1. Ariana Mante

    5 stars
    Hello! I am planning on making these but dont have a cooling rack…what can I use instead? Thanks!!

    • Before you bake them, you can pull one of the oven racks out and use that. Just make sure it is clean. 🙂 Good luck! Let me know how they turn out. 🙂

  2. Courtland

    Hi,
    Thank you for sharing your recipe . I did attempt the recipe, but my donuts came out a bit “chalky tasting”. I’m not sure where I went wrong. I followed the directions.

    -Help

  3. 5 stars
    Donuts – *drools in best Homer Simpson impression*. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love them, but I hate the guilt afterwards. I have to keep them out of my sight. LOL!

  4. Melanie williams

    My friend love donuts. We have a shop here is the UK and she is forever buying the chocolate ones lol

  5. This sounds sinful! Give me a dozen yum!

  6. 5 stars
    Chocolate Cake Donuts look so good! I hope to make this on weekends. It sounds so yummy!

  7. My kids would devour these in a heartbeat. We may have to make these for Valentine’s Day 🙂

  8. I like cake donuts, and asked for one at Dunkin Donuts recently. The person in the drive-through had no idea what a ‘cake’ donut was, and I laughed. I’m sure they have been told now…or at least, I hope so. 🙂 These look good.

  9. This looks oh so tasty!
    And it seems fairly easy so maybe even I could make it 🙂

  10. 5 stars
    Chocolate Cake Donuts are one of my most favorite kind of Donut. I’ll have to try this recipe with my daughters.

  11. Krissy Allori

    5 stars
    Yum! These are amazing. I love cake donuts and these were fairly easy to make and a hit with the whole family.

  12. 5 stars
    Everyone needs a good chocolate donut recipe and this one looks and sounds like a winner!

  13. 5 stars
    We had so much fun making these donuts! They are delicious!

  14. 5 stars
    Matt, I appreciate all your effort so much! The detailed pictures AND a video. Your claim “If I can do it, you can do it!” is absolutely right! 🙂

    Have a nice weekend!

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