Chocolate Glazed Baked Donuts

Last week I started a "Homemade Celebrations" series.  Basically, my theory is that instead of running out to buy everything for your family's celebrations, try your hand at making instead.  The philosophy isn't about making life harder, but more simple.  It isn't always more simple or better to make it yourself - in which case, yes! go out and buy it.  However, I think we needlessly get intimidated by things like making simple flower arrangements, baking birthday cakes, etc.  It isn't that hard and it can be so much fun to do it yourself.

I love good bakery donuts, but they are so hard to find.  I want them fresh, I want them warm and I want them no too sweet.  Frying homemade donuts is not something I want to do very often... maybe 2-3 times a year.  However, I've finally perfect a baked donuts recipe that is so yummy - tender, soft, fluffy.  The best part is that you can make the batter ahead of time, Scoop it in a Disposable Piping Bags in the freezer or fridge, pipe them into the Donut Pan, then bake them anytime you want.  (I do the same thing with muffins!)  They take 6-8 minutes to bake.  Literally, by the time the coffee is ready I can have warm, fluffy cake donuts any day of the week and I don't have to leave the house.  This could get dangerous!

Baked Cake Donut Essentials : 

Donut Pan

18" Disposable Piping Bags

Scoop

I've topped these with a chocolate glaze and sprinkles - perfect for a morning birthday treat.  Or for a Friday.  Or Tuesday.  We also love tossing them in cinnamon and sugar, or powdered sugar.

For the recipe, I started with the King Arthur Flower recipe, but modified it after trying it a couple of times.  (more butter and brown sugar, less flour)

There is also a new Mini Donut Pan available in my store.  Have you ever?!  These are the cutest things I've ever seen.  I think they would be darling for a ladies breakfast or shower.  Served with a pumpkin spice or vanilla latte?  omg.

Stay tuned for more toppings ideas!

Baked Cake Donuts

makes 12 large donuts or 24 mini

6 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of milk
2 1/4 flour
......
2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing pan
......
recipe for glaze follows below

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a mixer, mix together 6 t of melted butter, oil and white and brown sugars until smooth.  Add eggs, beating until combined.  Stir in baking powder, soda, salt and vanilla.  Pour in milk, then top with flour.  Mix on low just until incorporated.

Scoop the batter into two large piping bags.  Brush the donut pans with the melted butter.  Pipe batter into pans until they are almost full.

Large Donuts : Bake donuts for 8 minutes until golden and puffed.
Mini Donuts : Bake 5-6 minutes until golden and puffed.

Let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto parchment to glaze.

The batter is similar to a muffin batter - super easy to mix together.

This recipe will make about 2 batches.  Split the batter between two large disposable piping bags.  Save one for later in the fridge (if using within a couple of days) or the freezer.  Just get it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before so it is thawed ready to go in the morning.

I write on the bag with a sharpie so I can tell it isn't muffin batter!

The piping bag makes it so much easier to put it in the pan.  Fill them almost to the top to get fluffy, full donuts.

Glaze while they're still a little warm, but not too hot.

Chocolate Glaze 

1/2 stick butter1/4 cup of milk3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar (desired consistency)

*Sift cocoa powder and powdered sugar if you don't want any lumps.

In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat butter and milk in the microwave until butter is melted.  Add cocoa and heat for 30 more seconds, stir vigorously when it comes out to break up any lumps of cocoa.  Stir in powdered sugar, starting with 1 cup at a time, then add more if you'd like it to be thicker.  

And top with sprinkles, of course.

I hope you find an occasion (like any day of the week) to make them soon : )

Baked Cake Donut Essentials : 

Donut Pan

18" Disposable Piping Bags

Scoop

Homemade Baked Cider Donuts

It is only right that I follow our Fall Fun post with a Cider Donut recipe... as that is exactly how each of our fall field trips seem to end up, too - with fingers covered in cinnamon and sugar.

Saturday, as we were enjoying some fresh donuts on the car ride home, Mike asked me - what makes them cider donuts?  Is there actually cider in them?  I had no idea. 

After a little googling I discovered that, in fact, they do.  The cider gives them an acid bite and makes them extra moist.  The recipes I found online recommended making them with a condensed cider made simply by boiling the cider for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavor.

As it is officially October, we spent another weekend farm and orchard hoping.  Our "field trip" this time was to a real pumpkin patch.  This was the first time in 25 years that I've actually picked pumpkins from a field.  I know - I can hardly believe it myself.  It was so much more fun than picking them out at the market.  Emma picked her very own pumpkins - all just her size.

Emma had the best time.  Each time she found one, she would say... "Look, there's one! There's a punkin'!"  We have all of her pint size pumpkins lined up on our front steps. 

 

Last weekend's donut stop was not the best, but this weekend, oh my.  Oh my.  I bought a dozen and they were gone by Sunday morning at 8 am... leaving us craving more by the afternoon.

The beauty of these donut is that they are baked - in just about 10 minutes!  I don't think you can make it to the donut shop and back in that time.  You will need a donut pan - which you can find in my store : Donut Pan for $14.

baked

Cider Donuts

New! Printable Recipes, here.

1 1/2 cup of apple cider

......

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

.........
4 tablespoons butter1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees with the donut pan in the oven.

Begin by condensing the cider - boil 1 1/2 cup for 15 minutes until it has reduced.

Pour the cider into a measuring cup, then add butter, milk, vanilla and egg.  Stir to combine.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, then stir in wet cider mixture.

It should be about the consistency of waffle batter.

Remove the donut pan from the pre-heated oven, then spray or butter the donut pan.  Then spoon in mixture 3/4 of the way up the pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set.  

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Remove from pan, and one at a time brush with melted butter, then coat donut with cinnamon sugar.

Serve warm, if possible.

Also, serve with hot apple cider, if possible.




Cider donuts have become a weekend morning tradition for us - I'm so glad we can make our own version at home.  Now I'm wondering... cider pancakes?  cider waffles?  cider scones with a maple glaze?!

What are you favorite fall weekend morning traditions? 

Find the donut pan, here>

Baked Glazed Donuts & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts | The Barefoot Contessa Project

I can not follow a recipe.  No matter how hard I try, I can not help but to alter it in some way or another...  So, even though this series is supposed to be about The Barefoot Contessa's new book, Foolproof, again I have taken her recipe and done my own version of it.  Ugh.  Sorry.  BUT, these glazed donuts were sooo good.  I guess I'm not that sorry.


Read more about my Month with The Barefoot Contessa Project, here.

I love glazed donuts. 

Mike loves cinnamon sugar donuts.

So, I made both.



I used a Baked Donut Pan ($10, available in my store).

I started with Ina's recipe for Cinnamon Baked Donuts.  Because I new I would be doing both glazed and cinnamon/sugar, I left out the cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter.  I did everything else.  Exactly.

I have to say - they are good!  I'm not sure which I like better.  I made cinnamon sugar for dessert last night and then the glazed for breakfast.

The batter takes no time to put together - it is about like pancake batter - and bakes for 17 minutes.  So, by the time they come out of the oven, you have time to wash the mixing bowl and put together either the glaze or cinnamon and sugar.  It is definitely something I'll do for guests in the future - dessert or breakfast.

Large Donut Pan, $10

 The batter ready for the oven.  See how messy I am?

Done - the outside is golden and the inside is so moist... almost creamy.

Cinnamon Sugar (for dessert last night).  After you bake them, they get dunked in butter, then cinnamon sugar.  I think the butter really makes them extra delicious.  Obviously.

Then, this morning's batch - dunked in a simple milk, melted butter and powdered sugar glaze.

Recipes | Granny's Homemade Donuts & Real Cappuccino | Breakfast | Brunch

When we spent the night at "Granny's" house, she always made these "biscuit donuts" in the morning.  As she stood at the frying pan turning out dozens of donuts, we had a great time topping them with cinnamon and sugar, an icing glaze, or even just powdered sugar.  They were always so delicious, and guess what?  They still are.