Well, happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you bake these up tonight or not, I thought this recipe would be a sweet treat for today. Something perfectly chocolatey! When it comes to doughnuts there are two ways to go. A real doughnut is always fried. A baked doughnut is really just a cupcake/muffin baked into a doughnut shape. Cute, but not really the same thing, you know? However, I still love a baked doughnut. They’re fun and cute and I prefer a non-fried sweet treat over a fried one any day. I always feel kind of gross after eating fried food. Plus more times than not, all I taste is the fried oil, not the yummy flavors in the doughnuts. When you bake the doughnuts, you can actually taste the flavors! Anyway, I say all this because my idea for these doughnuts came from the classic recipe for blackout cake. Chocolate cake sandwiched with pastry cream, then frosted, and covered in leftover chocolate cake crumbs. It’s chocolate layered with chocolate… and then more chocolate. Super decadent and so delicious. All I did here was take that concept and apply it to a chocolate cake doughnut. And you know, I think the doughnuts are way more fun. Not to mention much easier than the cake variation, and just as yummy too!
Details
Start with the doughnuts. The batter is quick and easy. Mix eggs with maple syrup to sweeten, then add in some milk and vanilla. For the flour, I like to use all whole wheat flour. You could also use a gluten-free flour blend if needed. The whole wheat flour is not only better for you, it actually helps to create a really nice texture and crumbs that are similar to the real-deal fried doughnuts. Once the batter is ready to go, just bake it up in a doughnut pan. Or if you don’t have a doughnut pan, make doughnut holes using a regular muffin pan. Either option works just the same. Just be sure to really grease the pan before adding the batter to ensure they don’t stick. Now the filling, it’s a mix of chocolate chips and oil melted together to create the creamiest “pastry cream”. It’s not a classic pastry cream, of course, but much easier to achieve, so we love that. You need to cut each doughnut in half, like a bagel, then sandwich it with the cream. It’s easy to do. For the glaze, more chocolate chips, but this time melted with milk! It’s a creamy, dark, and rich glaze that stays softer on the doughnuts. It’s delicious and leaves you with chocolatey fingers. Now the fun part, covering the doughnuts in even more chocolate. The cake crumbles are my favorite, but chocolate sprinkles remind me of childhood. Or you can do cacao nibs/chocolate chunks too. Personally, I like the crumbles best! And that’s it. Each bite is filled with sweet, fluffy cake, pastry cream, and extra fudgy chocolate frosting. A chocolate lover’s dream. Looking for other baked doughnuts? Here are my favorites: Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze Baked Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts Maple Glazed Doughnuts Baked Hot Chocolate Doughnuts Lastly, if you make these Baked Chocolate Fudge Glazed Doughnuts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
