This donut was a huge success last St. Patrick’s Day.  All year whenever I told friends I was thinking of making donuts, they’d say, “You should make the ones you made for St. Patrick’s Day again.”

This recipe uses my proven, kitchen-tested, yeast-raised donut base (which you can use for a multitude of different donuts).  The topping is a chocolatey, coffee-infused mocha icing and the filling is a vanilla buttercream that’s been transformed into a taste of the Emerald Isle by a shot of Irish coffee liqueur.

There’s an old Irish proverb that says, “Hunger is a tasty topping.”  That may be true, but I think you’ll prefer this mocha icing.

To Make The Yeast-Raised Donuts:

• 1 package dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons malt syrup
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 and 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons soy flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 level teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 Tablespoons shortening
• 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup mashed potato
• canola oil – for frying

In a small bowl or cup, stir the malt syrup into warm water (110 degrees) until it dissolves.  Stir in the yeast.  Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy on top.

Sift the all-purpose flour, soy flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg together into a large bowl. Add the vanilla to the milk.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar together. Add the egg yolks one at a time – mixing on low – until well combined.   Add the yeast/water mixture, the mashed potato and half of the flour.  When mostly combined, add the milk and remaining flour.   Mix on low until combined then switch to medium until dough comes together and starts to pull away from the mixing bowl.  Change to the hook attachment and knead the dough for 2 minutes.

Transfer dough to a well-greased bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise to double its size – about 90 minutes.

Turn the  dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Dust top with flour.  Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the donuts and transfer each one to a parchment-lined baking sheet – leaving an inch of space between each doughnut. Let the donuts set until almost doubled in size – about 45 minutes.

Fry in batches in 3 inches of hot canola oil (360 degrees).  Fry one side to golden brown (about 1 minute and 5 seconds).  Flip and cook other side to golden brown (about 50 seconds). Transfer cooked donuts to stacked paper towels to drain off excess oil.

For The Irish Buttercream Filling:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered egg white
• 3 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the butter, shortening, powdered sugar and powdered egg white together until well blended.

Add Irish cream and vanilla.  Beat on medium to blend and then on high until light and fluffy.

For The Mocha Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon meringue powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces chocolate chips
• additional water as required

Dissolve the instant coffee granules in the hot water.

Sift the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a shallow mixing bowl.

Combine the coffee-infused water, butter, milk and corn syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat.   Stirring often, cook until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce heat to low and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Add chocolate mixture to powdered sugar and whisk until very smooth.

If icing thickens at any point, add more water – a teaspoon at a time – to thin it out.

Once donuts are cooled, fill each one with Irish buttercream and dip the top of each in the warm icing.

For other Irish-inspired breakfast ideas, check out last year’s St. Patrick’s Day post called Top O’ The Mornin’ Lads And Lassies: Green Egg Casserole.

“May your home always be too small to hold all of your friends.”  – Another Irish Proverb

This year’s featured Valentine’s Day recipe is for heart-shaped, yeast-raised donuts with strawberry buttercream filling and vanilla icing.  The secret ingredient is… as usual… love.  I decorated some with sprinkles and others with a decorative pink icing that I made by simply combining the leftover filling with the leftover icing.

I won’t sugar coat it.  Raised donuts take time.  All together, you’re into it for at least 3 hours, probably 4.  Much of that is just waiting for dough to rise, but you can’t really hurry the process.  Don’t be fooled by TV shows like “Donut Showdown” where gourmet filled donuts are made in under an hour.

If you have the time, these donuts are actually fun to make – especially during the decorating phase.  If you have someone special to make them with, all the better.  For as great as they are to make, they’re 1,000 times more fun to eat.  Let’s get to work…

To Make The Raised Yeast Donuts:

• 1 package dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons malt or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 and 1/2 cups + 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons soy flour (use additional all-purpose flour if you don’t have this)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 level teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 Tablespoons shortening
• 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup mashed potato
• canola oil – for frying
• special equipment: 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

This recipe makes 16 donuts.

In a cup, stir the malt syrup into the warm water (110 degrees) until it dissolves.  Top with the yeast.  Let it set for 5 minutes until foamy on top. Sift the all-purpose flour, soy flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg together into a large bowl. Add the vanilla to the milk.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar together. Add the egg yolks one at a time – mixing on low – until well combined.   Add the yeast/water mixture, the mashed potato and half of the flour.  When mostly combined, add the milk and remaining flour.   Mix on low until combined then switch to medium until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the mixing bowl.  Change to the hook attachment, knead dough for 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl that’s been coated with cooking spray.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow dough to expand to double its size – about 90 minutes.

Turn the  dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Dust the top with flour.  Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the donuts and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the donuts set until almost doubled in size – about 45 minutes.

You can tell the donuts are ready for frying when you poke one gently with your fingertip and it holds the indentation.  If the dough bounces back quickly, let the donuts rest for a few more minutes.

Fry in batches in 3 inches of hot canola oil (360 degrees).  Fry one side to golden brown (about 1 minute).  Flip and cook other side to golden brown (about 50 seconds). Transfer cooked donuts to stacked paper towels.  Allow them to cool completely before filling.

For The Strawberry Buttercream Filling:

• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 and 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup (non-chunky) strawberry jam
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk

In a large mixing bowl, mash the butter and powdered sugar together with a wooden paddle.  Add all remaining ingredients and beat on medium with an electric beater until fluffy and frosting-like – about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a pastry bag with a long tip and fill the donuts.  You could also pierce each donut with a paring knife and add the filling using a small stirring spoon.

For The Vanilla Icing:

• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 or 4 Tablespoons milk

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 Tablespoons of milk.  Stir until a frosting like texture is formed.  This may take nearly a minute.  Add additional milk by the teaspoon to achieve desired constancy.  Test by inserting a spoon in the bowl.  The icing should coat it and drip off slowly like a thick syrup.

I usually stir my icing in a bowl over a hot water bath.  I find that the icing comes together more easily without having to add as much milk.  That equates to icing that firms up faster and firmer on the donuts.

Dip the tops of the cooled, filled donuts into the bowl of icing.  Twist donuts as you remove them to coat completely and to help the excess icing drip away.

Place the donuts on a wire rack and allow the icing to set.  If adding sprinkles, do that as soon as the donuts are iced and well before the icing has a chance to set.

For The Pink Decorative Icing:

I went rogue for this part and didn’t use any recipe.  I simple combined my leftover filling with my leftover icing and stirred in more powdered sugar until the consistency was just a little thicker than softened butter.  Then I transferred the mixture to a piping bag with a thin tip to decorate.

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Last Valentine’s Day, I made Heart-Shaped Breakfast Cereal Treats, including classic Rice Krispies-style treats and others made with random breakfast cereals.  You can revisit that post right here.

Let me sign off with a Valentine’s Day joke:

What did the icing say to the donut?  Answer: I’m sweet on you.

I’m sweet on you for reading this post.  Happy Valentine’s Day Everybody!

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Yikes! Christmas is coming too soon!  Where did the time go?  Eek!  No time for a flowery introduction.  Gotta make the donuts!  Let’s jump right in.

The decorating techniques shown here can be applied to any donut with a hole… baked, raised or cake.  I went with cake donuts.  Here’s the recipe:

Basic Cake Donuts

• 2 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup mashed potato
• canola oil for frying

This recipe makes about 20 donuts.

Sift the flours, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together into a medium bowl.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the shortening and the sugar.  Mix on slow until the mixture resembles coarse sand.  Add the egg and mix on slow until well combined and uniform in color.

Add the potato, a third of the flour mixture and a third of the milk.  Mix on slow until just combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.   Continue adding the flour and milk in intervals.  Stop when just combined. Try not to over-mix.

Transfer to a shallow casserole dish that’s been coated with cooking spray.  Press the batter down to an even layer.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat 3 inches of canola oil to 360 degrees in a fryer or a heavy pot.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Sprinkle the top lightly with flour.   Pat the dough down to a ½-inch thickness.  Cut out donuts and donut holes.  Gather dough remnants into a ball and pat down again to make more donuts.

Carefully slide 2 or 3 donuts at a time into the oil.  As soon as the donuts float, flip them over using two chopsticks.  Cook until the underside is lightly browned (about 40 seconds).  Flip and cook the other side to golden brown (about 30 seconds).

Transfer completed donuts to stacked paper towels.

Be sure the oil is at 360 degrees again before frying another batch.

Make sure all donuts have cooled to room temperature before icing.

This recipe explains the homemade donut making process in rather simple terms.  Refer to the end of this article for more detailed instructions.

Snowmen Donuts

For these snowmen donuts, I used a simple vanilla icing.  You can get the recipe for that (and some icing tips) from a post I did a couple weeks ago called Christmas Cake Donuts: Chocolate With Crushed Candy Canes.

The mouth and eyes are chocolate chips and the nose is a Reese’s Pieces candy.

I made snowman faces.  If you wanted to make a full snowman body, just ice 2 donuts with no other decoration and use those to make a body for your snowman face.

Christmas Wreath Donuts

To make these, I used the leftover vanilla icing from the snowmen and stirred a couple drops of green food coloring into it.  To make the flavor more interesting, I stirred in a handful of melted white chocolate chips.   Instead of dipping the donuts in the icing, I put the icing in a piping bag and applied it that way.  Green and red jimmies added a beautiful final touch.

Reindeer Donuts

I wish I could take credit for the design of these cute little guys, but I’ve seen many variations on the internet in different shapes and sizes.  The antler are broken mini-pretzels.  The eyes are white chocolate chips.  The nose is red peanut M&M.  For the icing, I used my go-to chocolate recipe…

Chocolate Icing

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• additional milk or water as required

Combine the butter, milk, corn syrup and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat.   Stirring often, cook until butter is melted and ingredients are combined.  Reduce heat to low and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Add chocolate mixture to powdered sugar and whisk until very smooth.  If icing thickens over time, add more liquid to thin it out.

For all these donuts, make sure you adhere the decoration (eyes, sprinkles, etc.) before the icing has a chance to set.  (I keep my bowls of icing warm over pans of hot water so I’ll have plenty of time to work before the icing hardens.)  The only exception is the reindeer pretzel antlers.  I let the icing completely set on those so I wouldn’t smudge the icing while poking the pretzels in.

I hope you’ll have fun making your own Christmas cake donuts.

May your days be merry and bright… and may all your Christmas donuts be white… snowmen, green wreaths or chocolate reindeer!

This concluded the article for the casual reader.  For those really into making great donuts, I think you’ll find the following tips helpful…

Cake Donut Cooking Notes:

If you have it, try replacing 2 Tablespoons of the all-purpose flour with soy flour.  With that that small amount, you’ll notice that the donuts absorb less oil when they fry.

I suggest having your better chill in a casserole dish rather than a bowl (as other recipes tend to advise).  This is so that the dough is already partially flattened and shaped when you turn it out later.  The less you have to work the dough right before frying, the better your chances of success.

When cutting donuts, I uses a 2 and 1/2 inch biscuit cutter to make the donuts and a 1-inch cutter to make the holes.  I have a small bowl of flour near my work station and dip the cutters into the flour between cuts to prevent sticking.

I like to cut the dough in two batches, so half of the dough remains chilled and firm in the refrigerator as I work the first half.  Once the donut batter gets warm, it becomes sticky and difficult to work with.

When you gather the dough remnants to get more donuts from the scrap, you’ll need to incorporate a bit more flour for the dough to be workable.  Add only as much as you barely need.  If you add too much flour, the donuts become more biscuit like in texture.  However, they they will still taste great and look as pretty as the first batch when they’re decorated.

When frying,  be sure not to overload the fryer or pot.  If it’s a large pot, you can certainly make more than 2 or 3 at a time.  I like to use a 10-inch x 12-inch Le Creuset French Oven cast-iron pot which comfortably cooks 4 donuts at time.

I flip my donuts in the oil using 2 chopsticks.  It’s the best tool for the job, but a couple of table knives work fine as long as you work quickly so they don’t get hot.  To remove the donuts from the oil, I like a wire skimmer – a kitchen tool that looks like a small basket attached to a handle.  Metal tongs will work if you don’t have a skimmer.

I’ve tested the recipe above dozens and dozens of times.  I actually wear a stop watch around my neck because I’ve become extremely confident in the cooking times detailed.  When you start making donuts at home, you’ll have a tendency to want to overcook them – to feel safe that the insides cooked through.  Rather than overcook them, try the recommended times, make a batch and then rip into one donut from the first batch (when cool enough to touch).  You’ll find the inside fluffy and completely cooked.

Beware of other cake donuts recipes that list frying times in minutes rather than seconds.  Over-frying makes crusty, dry donuts.

The only difference between this Christmas Cake Donut recipe and the cake donut recipe I use for other applications is a slight increase in the amount of cinnamon.

For the icing, I stir 1/4 teaspoon of meringue powder in with the powdered sugar.  That ingredient isn’t required, but it does help the icing set firmer.

If you’ve been on social media in the last year, you’ve probably encountered enticing, single-serving, microwave recipes for brownies, cakes and other desserts. They usually look amazing and always promise to be fast and easy.  I went to baking school, but I still became temporarily obsessed with the idea of making my favorite desserts in minutes in the microwave.  I tried several of the recipes and they we’re mostly satisfactory, if not stellar.

Throughout this quick-fix phase, I pondered how I could make a satisfying donut in the microwave.  I tweaked and tested recipes until I came up with a microwave cake that tasted similar to a chocolate cake donut.  Coming up with the recipe was the easy part.  Making a donut out of it was another matter.

I played with thicker batters piped in the shape of donuts.  That didn’t work.  The batter fused together in what was supposed to be the hole.  Plus, the cake was too dry from having to add extra flour.  I knew I had to find a way to stick to the recipe I liked, yet still create a donut shape.

Having no luck, I decided to drink my troubles away.  I was pouring bourbon into a shot glass to make a Manhattan.  The answer was in my hand.  I took the shot glass and rested it in a glass cereal bowl.   There it was… a donut mold.

I whipped up another batch of the cake batter, greased my makeshift mold and gave it a try.  It worked!  I realized on subsequent attempts that works best if the shot glass is right-side-up in the bowl with the smallest part of the glass touching the bowl.

In a reality, these donuts are just cakes in funny shapes.  But isn’t that what donuts are?  They need icing to make them really feel like donuts.  Without icing, they look kind of like sad, little, porous Bundt cakes.  But once you add icing, you get the donut experience.  At least, you get the best donut experience you can get in a couple of minutes from your microwave.

They’re not quite as good as a real donut.  But I would suggest that nothing is quite as good as real donut… except maybe bacon.  But for a quick fix, these are terrific.

Everything you need to know is on the recipe card above, but I’ll go into detail below in case you want further explanation on those purposefully simplistic instructions.

How To Make Microwave Chocolate Donuts

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoon white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter – melted

This recipe makes 2 microwave donuts.

You will need a microwave-safe, small bowl with a rounded bottom (with about a 4 and 1/2 inch top diameter),  a standard glass shot glass and a mixing bowl.

In a medium mixing bowl (I like to use a big measuring cup with a pour spout), beat the egg.  Add the sugars and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Add the flour and cocoa powder and stir gently with a spatula until mostly moistened and combined.  Pour in the melted butter and continue stirring until fully combined.

Spray the inside of the small bowl with cooking spray (or see tip below about using butter). Spray the outside of the shot glass with cooking spray and place it right-side-up in the middle of the bowl.

Pour half the batter in the bowl around the shot glass.

Microwave on high for 60 seconds.

Remove the shot glass.  When the bowl is cool enough to handle, invert it to release the donut.

Clean the bowl and shot glass.  Re-spray with cooking spray and use remaining batter to make the second donut.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar or apply icing as desired.

Tips:

I like to melt the butter in the small bowl I use for the donuts and then swirl it around to grease the bowl instead of using cooking spray.

When preparing the batter, allow melted butter to cool slightly so it’s not hot enough to cook the egg.

In the picture above, you can see that the front donut was dipped in icing and the back donut had its icing applied with a spatula.  The dipped donut looks more like a donut from a donut shop.

How To Make Microwave Chocolate Icing

Makes enough icing for 2 microwave donuts.

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons milk or cream
• 2 drops vanilla

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl by microwaving for about 20 seconds (I wipe out my donut bowl and use that).  Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Microwave on high for 30 seconds (mixture will bubble).  Stir and microwave 30 more seconds.  Stir and then ice the donuts either by dipping the donuts in the warm icing or by applying the icing with a spatula.  Add any sprinkles or other decorations immediately after icing.

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These baked donuts have a tasty vanilla and nutmeg base that will remind you of fried cake donuts.  The icing has an authentic caramel flavor, because it is actual authentic homemade caramel (plus a little powdered sugar).  The garnish of salt creates a great contrast with all the sweetness, but also helps emphasize the beauty of the caramel.

I was inspired to develop this recipe by a recent trip to Atlanta, GA.  My sister (aka Sister Breakfast) brought me a selection of donuts from Revolution Donuts of Decatur, GA.  All the donuts I tried were spectacular, but their Salted Caramel creation was the hands-down winner.  I make and eat a lot of donuts, so I was blown away that I had to check their website to confirm that the donut in my hand was baked and not fried.  It was possibly the best baked donut I’ve ever tried.  So I set out to recreate it and I’ve come very close.

The ingredients for the unglazed donut are very similar to those of muffin.  For the exact ingredients and printable recipe, click here.

A baked donut pan is required (although you can use the same recipe to make muffins).  If you don’t have one of these pans I recommend it.  They’re cheap.  If you only use it three times a year, you’ll still be glad you have it.

Like most baked goods, you work the dry and wet ingredients separately to start.  Similar to biscuit recipes, butter is cut into the dry ingredients which produces more of a fluffy cake texture within the donuts.

After the wet ingredients are mixed, they are added to the dry ingredients and gently mixed together.  A piping bag is the best way to fill the donut molds.  Baking time for me was between 12 and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

As the donuts were baking, I started working on my caramel icing…

Making caramel can be frustrating for first-timers.  The trick is to keep everything moving and not letting your temperature get too high. You start by melting butter and golden brown sugar together over medium-low heat. Once the brown sugar is completely dissolved (no longer appears granular), increase the heat to medium.

Add milk or heavy cream (in the case of this icing milk worked better).  The mixture will soon boil rapidly.  Cut the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 5 or 6 minutes.  Let the caramel cool for at least 5 minutes before stirring in the vanilla and powdered sugar which will turn the caramel into an icing.

At some point while making the icing, the donuts had finished baking.  The timing is good because you want your donuts cooled to near room temperature before applying the icing.  Save yourself a headache and transfer the icing to a shallow bowl.  If you try to dip donuts directly into the pan of caramel, you’ll find the pan is too hot to work and you might drop a donut into the icing.  I did.  That’s why I don’t recommend that shortcut.

After you dip the top of each donut into the icing, immediately sprinkle each donut with a flaked or large granule salt.  Table salt doesn’t work nearly as well.

All that’s left now is to eat your creations.  I loved these donuts.  They were super close to the donuts that inspired them from Revolution Donuts.  Close… but I still have to give the better donut award to those guys.  If you’re ever near Decatur, GA, be sure to check them out.  If I surpass them on subsequent recipe tests, I’ll post about here to save you the trip to Georgia.

This post is companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Salted Caramel Baked Donuts

Just as the Cronut fad seems to be fading, Jack In the Box has jumped on the bandwagon to offer their version of the pastry.

The Cronut was originally created by pastry chef Dominique Ansel in 2013 for the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City.  The name Cronut is trademarked, thus Jack In The Box’s decision to use the innocuous, descriptive name Croissant Donuts.

The Jack In The Box website describes their Croissant Donuts as, “The perfect hybrid of two delicious sweet treats – croissants and donuts; this pastry is a donut made with buttery croissant dough rolled in cinnamon sugar to create a decadent pastry treat.”

Perfect? They are most definitely not.

The outside of the pastry is chewy and tough.  The inside has a nice, soft texture but the overriding flavor is that of artificial butter.  If you’ve ever had real butter before, you’ll notice something fishy.  Also note that these Croissant Donuts are much smaller than you’d probably assume from ads.  They’re just a little bigger than a golf ball.

In short, thumbs down to the Croissant Donuts from Jack In the Box.

Since I’m giving the Croissant Donut a pretty hard time, I thought I’d mention two new items from Jack In the Box that are actually pretty good.

The Meat Lovers Breakfast Burrito from Jack In The Box is a straight-up loaded breakfast burrito with the right amount of everything so you taste each element:  bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, cheese and salsa.  It’s satisfying and filling.  There’s nothing new or fancy.  It’s just some of the best flavors of breakfast wrapped together.

The Grande Sausage Breakfast Burrito from Jack In The Box is unique due to a combination of Cheddar cheese sauce and a creamy Sriracha sauce.  The flavorful sauces are apparent in every bite of the burrito which contains sausage patty pieces, scrambled eggs, hash brown nuggets and bacon crumbles.  I didn’t notice the bacon.  But that was okay with me since I bought the burrito as a self-proclaimed ode to sausage.

To sum up… I didn’t “go nuts” for the “cronuts” – but the burritos were neato.

Happy holidays!  These are homemade chocolate cake donuts with vanilla icing and crushed candy canes.  When you read the name of this recipe, it sounds like I’ve just strung all the best words in the English language together:  Chocolate Christmas Candy Cane Cake Donuts. If you’re looking for something to leave for Santa instead of milk and cookies… try these. You’ll probably get a lot more presents.

I’ll post complete recipes for the donut and icing below, but first… some advice.  Larger candy cane pieces make for great photos, but they’re not so great for eating.  If they’re too large, they have a distracting crunch.  I recommend pulverizing your candy canes until they’re near dust with just a few small chunks.

When I make donuts, I always use two not-so-common ingredients.  If you have it, replace 2 Tablespoons of the all-purpose flour in the donut recipe with soy flour.  It will help deter oil absorption when they’re in the fryer.  I also add a pinch of meringue powder to my donut icing.  That helps the icing firm up faster and results in more of a shell on the surface instead of a frosting texture that never really hardens.

For best results when making cake donuts, chill the dough for a couple hours and work in two batches so some of the dough remains in the fridge while you’re working the first batch.  This makes the dough easier to cut and work with.  When the dough is too warm, it becomes sticky and sloppy.

I won’t lie.  Anytime you’re making donuts, it’s an involved process.  By the time you make the dough, chill the dough, cut the donuts, fry the donuts and ice and decorate the donuts, you’re into it for several hours.  Personally, I love it.  I say put on some holiday music and make it a special time with family and friends.  Who knows?  Maybe it will be your new holiday tradition.

Have fun. Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Cake Donuts

• 2 and 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon milk
• 2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s)
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup mashed potato
• canola oil for frying

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together into a medium bowl.

Make chocolate milk by stirring the chocolate syrup into the milk.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the shortening and the sugar.  Mix on slow until the mixture resembles coarse sand.  Add the egg and mix on slow until well combined and uniform in color.

Add the mashed potato, a third of the flour mixture and a third of the chocolate milk.  Mix on slow until just combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.   Continue adding the flour and milk in intervals.  Stop when just combined – trying not to over-mix.  Mixture will resemble a firm cookie dough.

Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet and press the dough down with lightly floured hands until about 1/2-inch thick.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat 3 inches of canola oil to 360 degrees in a fryer or a heavy pot.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle the top lightly with flour.  Use a 2 and ½ inch biscuit cutter (that’s been dipped in flour) to cut out donuts and a 1-inch cutter to make donut holes. Cut out as many donuts from the dough as you can.  Transfer cut-outs to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Gather the dough remnants together.  Ball them up.  Flatten them again by hand and cut out additional donuts.

When the oil reaches 360 degrees, carefully slide 2 or 3 donuts into the oil (more if using a large pot – just don’t overcrowd).  As soon as the donuts float (in about 6 to 10 seconds), flip them over using two chopsticks or spoons.  Cook the underside about 40 seconds.  Flip and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.

Transfer completed donuts to stacked paper towels.

Be sure the oil is at 360 degrees again before frying another batch.

Allow donuts to cool completely before dipping them in icing.

Vanilla Or Peppermint Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint extract*)
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons milk

Place the powdered sugar in a shallow mixing bowl.  Add the flavor extract and 3 Tablespoons of the water or milk.  Stir until a frosting texture is formed.  Add additional liquid by the teaspoon until the icing is just fluid enough to drizzle your first initial over the bowl with the stream from your fork or whisk.

For best results,  take a pan that your mixing bowl can rest in and fill it part way with very hot water.  Let your bowl of icing rest in this hot water bath so the icing stays a little bit warm.  Stir the icing occasionally so it remains smooth.

Dip the tops of each donut in the warm icing.  After you dip, hold each donut above the mixing bowl for a moment so the excess icing drips off.

Immediately sprinkle crushed candy cane over each donut once it’s iced so the candy pieces will stick.

* It might seem like a no-brainer to use peppermint icing for this particular donut.  I do NOT recommend it.  The crushed candy cane provides a huge amount of peppermint flavor.  It’s better if the icing is vanilla (or even plain), so the peppermint doesn’t get too intense.

BONUS:

As long as you’re crushing candy canes, consider making some Candy Cane Hot Cocoa.  You can get the recipe here.

Test Kitchen Notes:

If kitchen space allows, cut out donuts as you’re frying donuts.  That is to say… bring your oil to 360 degrees.  Place some of the dough on your counter-top.  Cut out 2 or 3 donuts and drop them in the fryer.  Cut out a couple more donuts while the first ones are frying and proceed in that manner.  The quicker you cut the donuts and get them in the oil, the easier they are to work with – without the dough becoming too soft.

If you decide to cut out all the donuts first before frying, I recommend putting the cut out donuts back in the refrigerator for 30 or 40 minutes, so the dough will remain somewhat firm.

Apologies for some of the weird measurements like 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk.  I’ve run these chocolate cake donuts through many tests and the flour to liquid ratio was always tricky.  I’m confident that I now have it right with those slightly odd measurements.

Eggs and bacon sandwiched between a sliced glazed donut… crazy or genius?  I can report that it’s insanely easy and it tastes amazing.  Therefore, I’m leaning toward genius.  This recipe is a recreation of the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich that was recently introduced by Dunkin’ Donuts.  Above, you can see my version.  Below, you can see the Dunkin’ Donuts version as it appeared in their press materials.  Believe it or not, their donut sandwich has only 360 calories.  Mine has a little more bacon.  I hesitate to recommend either version for your weight loss program.

The donut breakfast sandwich concept isn’t new. A few smaller donut outlets were doing them well before Dunkin’ Donuts put them in the news.  Buddha Belly Donuts in Sarasota, Florida offered a version with sausage.  Unfortunately, that shop is now closed. The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago offered the Make-Your-Own Doughnut Breakfast Sandwich where you could choose any or all of the following ingredients to accompany the fried egg: bacon, ham, sausage, fried green tomatoes and Cheddar or Swiss cheese.  Strangely enough, that shop also closed recently.   Beware Dunkin’ Donuts!  There seems to be a trend.

I decided to try something quite controversial… I recreated Dunkin’ Donuts Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich using glazed donuts from Krispy Kreme.  Let’s face it, a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed donut is good, but Krispy Kreme is the current non-disputed champion for exceptional glazed donuts.

How To Make A Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich

Step One:  Acquire a glazed donut and carefully slice it with a serrated blade, trying not to dimple the beautiful sugar sheen of the glaze.

Step Two: Fry some bacon.

Since I was making multiple sandwiches with lots of bacon, I used the oven.  It’s a good tip to remember.  Whenever you want a lot of bacon done at the same time, just spread some slices out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for 14 minutes.  No flipping is required and it comes out just as good and crispy as pan frying.

Step Three:  Fry an egg.

I guarantee that any properly prepared egg will taste great in this sandwich.  You could scramble, fry, poach or even use hard-boiled egg slices and you’re still in for a treat.

I decided to use an egg ring to make egg patties just so my sandwich would more closely resemble the Dunkin’ Donuts version.

When using an egg ring, beat each egg slightly in a small bowl.  Place a small frying pan over medium heat.  Rub olive oil over the inside of the egg ring with a paper towel.  Place the ring in the pan and then pour about 1/8th of a cup of water in the pan around the ring.  When the water sizzles, pour the egg in the ring.  Cover the pan, so the trapped steam cooks the top of the egg.  After 3 minutes, the egg will be mostly done.  Drain the water from the pan. Loosen the egg from the ring.  Flip the egg and cook one more minute or until completely cooked through.

Step Four:  Put the egg and the bacon in the donut and chow down.

Here’s the hardcore truth about Donut Breakfast Sandwiches: They’re kind of sloppy.  The glaze starts to melt from the warm fillings and the heat from your hands.  Have some towels ready.  For all the perceived indulgence of it, a nice biscuit or croissant is more complementary to eggs and bacon.  A plain biscuit is like a lonely person.  It’s not really complete until it finds a soul mate in the form of an egg, some jam or a piece of sausage. Donuts shine by themselves.  They don’t need anything else to be their very best.  But with that said, my final word on the subject is that donuts make awesome buns.

Cooking Note:  When making multiple sandwiches, keep your prepared bacon warm in an oven set to 200 degrees.  As you make each egg patty, you can also keep those warm next to the bacon.  When it’s time to serve, everything is good to go and you can have a very quick assembly.

A couple of days ago, my quest to find the greatest doughnuts in America crossed paths with my holiday travel plans.  I found myself in Atlanta, Georgia at a place called Sublime Doughnuts.  My research on people doing new and innovative things with doughnuts has taken me to their website several times.  I’d been drooling over pictures of their creations for years.  Finally, I was there… drooling over the real thing.  It felt like a Christmas miracle (and sort of smelled like one too).

(The “A” in the picture above stands for A-Town… Atlanta. That’s their A-Town Cream Doughnut.)

Sublime Doughnuts doesn’t look very exciting on the outside.  It’s an unassuming little place in small shopping plaza.

But the second that you walk in, you can tell that these guys are serious about doughnuts.  The walls are adorned with doughnut art.  A bookcase near the entrance shows off fun doughnut paraphernalia.  And then, there’s the doughnuts. Trays and trays of beautiful, delicious doughnuts.

That’s me holding a coffee.  I was thinner back then… before the holiday meals… four days ago.  (Spoiler Alert:  Look for some low-fat posts next month.)

I sampled several doughnuts.  (Spoiler Alert:  You’re about to get real hungry real fast.)

Have you ever noticed how happy people are when they order doughnuts?  They seemed especially happy at Sublime Doughnuts.  Here’s why…

The Fresh Strawberry N Cream Doughnut was loaded with super fresh berries.  I’ve had doughnuts split in half with berries before but their sweet, custard-like cream took the concept to a new level.

The Caramel Apple Fritter was amazing, but better things were still to come.

Their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Doughnut was the definition of indulgence.  It would have been enough to have a chocolate icing with a hole full of peanut butter frosting.   Add chunks of real Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on top and you’re in for an exceptional treat.

The S’mores Doughnut concept is being done by several innovative shops around the country, but there’s something truly beautiful about the way Sublime does it.   Look at that toasted marshmallow.  That’s precisely the color you hope to achieve making actual S’mores around a campfire.

The one doughnut they’re doing that I have never seen anything close to anywhere else is their Salted Caramel & Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Doughnut.  I don’t care much for vinegar, so I’ll let my fiancée Kellie tell you about that one:

“The reduced balsamic was very lightly drizzled on – giving a light punch of tart sweetness that balanced so well with the near-smokey saltiness of the caramel frosting.  It was tied with the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup one as my favorite.”

My favorite was the Chocolate Wild Berry Fritter.  I love all doughnuts (except vinegar doughnuts), but I’m most drawn towards ones with substance and girth, something with a little weight to it.  In this doughnut, chocolate and berry flavors seemed to fight for my attention.  It was a battle.  Just as the chocolate started to dominate, a hint of raspberry crept in.  Chocolate fought back – only to be pushed aside again.  There could be only one winner… me!

If you’re ever in Atlanta, I strongly recommend you stop into Sublime Doughnuts.  For those who love the trend to update and redefine the American doughnut, it’s a must.

For more about Sublime Doughnuts, visit their website.

For more about doughnuts on this blog, visit the category called Donut Diaries.

Earlier this year, I was pretty excited to have one of my donut recipes appear in a major magazine – Ocala Style.  (Okay… so it’s not Time or Newsweek, but I understand it’s popular in parts of Florida.)  I loved seeing the photo I took of a donut that had actually been in my mouth.  There was a little shout-out to MrBreakfast.com.  It was awesome.  Although, as Frank Sinatra might say, “Regrets… I had a few.”  Because of space limitations, the recipe was shortened to its bare bones minimum.  As printed, the recipe was correct and usable, but homemade donuts are tricky business.

When I reread the original recipe I sent them, I realized it was several paragraphs long.  It was half recipe and half essay.  To my mind, people had to know every tiny aspect of the donut-making process.  But to them… I can imagine an editor saying, “This guy is nuts.  He’s do-nuts! We’re gonna need 3 full pages. Chop it down.”

I’m not crazy, man.  I just want to be thorough.  When I started making donuts, I used little recipes like that and it always left me wanting more explanation.

Here’s my chance to make things right.  I’ve published the recipe on the website in a longer form.

The Recipe:
Berry Delicious Cake Donuts Recipe

So the recipe wouldn’t be obnoxiously long, I’ve removed many of my tips and tricks and transferred them here. Which brings us to the subject of the day…

12 Secrets To Making Successful Homemade Cake Donuts

#1. Mashed Potatoes

Professional donut makers know this trick.  Mashed potatoes give your donuts a fluffier inside texture.  You only need a little – about 1/3 cup potato to 2 and 1/2 cups flour.  Make sure the potatoes are mashed completely.  You don’t want chunks of potato in your donuts.  Having the mashed potatoes at room temperature will also help you avoid small chunks.  And yes… leftover mashed potatoes work fine.

#2. Soy Flour

Replacing just a Tablespoon or two of your all-purpose or cake flour with soy flour has a magical effect.  It helps prevent absorption of oil into the donut as it fries.  The final product is lighter and less greasy.  Don’t be put off by the smell of the soy flour.  It smells like garden fresh peas.  I promise that odor cooks away leaving the effect and not the flavor. (This tip isn’t included in the Berry Delicious Donut recipe – but I recommend it.)

#3. Don’t Over-Mix

I’ve read recipes that ask you to use a paddle mixer on the combined dough for 5 minutes.  This is usually a case of people mixing up their yeast donut recipes with their cake donut recipes.  Cake donuts are basically a quick bread, like a muffin.  They key to any quick bread is to immediately stop mixing once the ingredients are uniformly combined.

#4. Biscuit Cutters

When cutting out donuts, I always use biscuit cutters.  I’ve tried several utensils marketed specifically for cutting donuts, but no matter the consistency of my dough, the newly cut donuts tend to get caught up in the cutter.  Simple round cutters are the way to go.  I use a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter for cutting donuts and a 1-inch cutter for making holes.  Have a small bowl of flour at your cutting station and dip the cutter into the flour after every couple cuts and you shouldn’t have a problem with dough sticking to the biscuit cutters.

#5. The Principal of Rising Temperature

Donut shops have fantastic fryers that regulate heat incredibly well.  But me and you, we have a thermometer and a sturdy pot, maybe a baby fryer if we’re lucky.  I’ve found 360 degrees to be the ideal temperature for frying donuts.  The problem is that maintaining that temperature while frying is impossible.  The oil cools as dough is added to it.  You can expect your oil temperature to drop 30 odd degrees during every batch.  Always wait for your oil to approach 360 degrees before making the next batch.  I use the word “approach” because the goal is to add the donuts right at the 360 degree mark.  I’ll gauge the temperature a couple times between batches, get a feel for how fast the temperature is rising and drop in the donuts when I think it’s 360.  If I wait for a read of 360, it could be 370 by the time the donuts are sinking and that could mean overdone donuts.

#6. Stay Cool

Believe me, I know that making donuts the first few times can be frustrating.  The internet is loaded with incomplete and unworkable recipes.  The biggest frustration comes from dough being too soft and bending out of it’s beautiful donut-shape after it’s cut.  In the case of cake donuts, don’t worry about having to incorporate more flour.  You have one shot at flour-correction and that’s right before you cut the donuts.  If you cut them out and can’t transfer them to a baking sheet with your hands, add more flour.  I’ll add as much as a quarter cup.  Sprinkle it over your outlaid dough.  Re-ball the dough and pat it down again.  Try cutting out the shapes and see if you have better luck.  As you get more into donut making, the dough will start to speak to you and you’ll get a sense of whether or not it needs more flour before you roll it out the first time.

#7. Keep ‘Em Cool

Keep the uncooked donuts a fair distance away from the fryer or stove top.  Having the dough too close to increased heat will cause the dough to soften making transfer into the oil more difficult.

#8. Chop Sticks

For flipping donuts in the hot oil, nothing beats a pair of chop sticks.  Just grab a couple of extra ones next time you’re at a Chinese restaurant.  In lieu of chop sticks, two dull butter knifes will work but they might get hot whereas trusty disposable chopsticks stay cool.

#9. Float, Flip & Flip

When frying cake donuts, I let the donuts tell me when they should be flipped.  After you submerge them, they’ll sink nearly to the bottom of the fryer.  After a few seconds, they’ll float.  Flip them right away.  After 30 seconds, check the undersides.  When lightly golden brown, flip again and cook the other side to a light golden brown.

#10. Wire Strainer And Plenty of Paper Towels

If you fry donuts at the right temperature, they absorb a surprisingly small amount of oil.  The last thing you want is for them to absorb more oil after they’ve cooked.  To prevent that, lift donuts out of the oil using a stainless steel wire strainer.  Let the strainer set above the oil for a second so oil drips off.  Transfer the donuts to a paper towel lined cooling rack to further remove excess oil.

#11. Initials In the Icing

Getting the right consistency for your icing is easy if you take a few precautions.  First, add liquid to the powdered sugar in small increments.  Icing is funny stuff.  One second, you’re stirring a glop of powdered sugar.  A drop of liquid later, you have almost perfect icing.  I like to stir my icing together in a mixing bowl over a pan of warm water.  You know that the consistency is just right the moment you can drip your initials in the bowl with a small spoon.  The final consistency is similar to honey.  As a rule, always let your donuts cool completely before dipping them in the icing.

#12. Meringue Powder

When it comes to icing, this lesser-known secret ingredients can make a big difference.  It’s a combination of dried egg whites and corn starch.  You can buy it at specialty food stores and kitchen supply outlets.  A small pinch of meringue powder mixed in with your powdered sugar results in an icing that firms up much better than powder sugar on its own.  Instead of having icing that looks like pasted on Betty Crocker frosting, you get a glossy fine sheen with a tender crust that dimples when touched with your finger.

Stayed tuned for more tips and tricks for making donut shop quality donuts at home.

Resources:

Berry Delicious Cake Donuts Recipe

Tips for Baked Donuts

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts

Doughnuts: A Definitive History