Recipe Description
The big challenge when creating chocolate doughnuts is cramming enough rich chocolate flavour into a dough that still fries up with that appealingly light, springy crumb that´s the trademark of a good cake doughnut. If you really pay attention, most mass-produced versions don´t actually taste a heck of a lot like chocolate. I avoid that fate by substituting cocoa powder for a full cup of flour, and I add a hint of cinnamon to help deepen and round out the cocoa´s flavor. The resulting doughnut is almost midnight black in colour and satisfyingly bittersweet, with a texture that doesn´t stray from the cake doughnut ideal.
Recipe Ingredient
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Basic Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix 1 cup of the flour, the cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and yolks and mix well. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and oil, and mix until combined. Add the remaining 2 cups flour and mix until just barely combined.
- Scrape the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and put another sheet of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, flatten and roll the dough until it's 1cm to 1.75cm thick. Put the dough in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it no longer clings when you try to lift it off the parchment paper.
- Heat at least 5cm of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer until the oil reaches 180°C. Prepare two baking sheets: one lined with paper towels, and the other dusted with flour.
- Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper and flip the dough onto a floured work surface. Remove the second sheet of parchment paper and dust the dough with flour. Using a floured biscuit or doughnut cutter, cut the dough into 2½- to 3-inch (6.4cm to 7.6cm) tubular rounds and put them on the flour-dusted baking sheet.
- Fry the doughnuts in batches, taking care not to crowd the pot, until slightly red-brown all over, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on the paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
- While the doughnuts are still warm, dip them one at a time in the glaze, flipping once so that the entire doughnut is coated in glaze. Put them on a wire rack to set.
- Once dry, serve them immediately, or store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Basic glaze: This glaze is as simple as they come: it's the basic confectioners' sugar concoction that adorns glazed doughnuts everywhere. I like to use whole milk instead of water, as it adds a little bit of extra richness and body. Makes ¾ cup: 1 cup icing sugar, 2 tbsp whole milk
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and milk until smooth. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before use.
- Apple Cider Glaze: In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, boil ½ cup apple cider until it has reduced to a little more than 2 tbsp. Let cool and whisk it with 1 cup icing sugar.
Variation:
