Black Cocoa Cake Doughnuts
Recipe courtesy of Amanda Neal for Food Network Kitchen

Black Cocoa Cake Doughnuts

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes cooling times)
  • Active: 25 min
  • Yield: 12 doughnuts
These fudgy black cocoa cake doughnuts are sure to impress at your next Halloween party. Black cocoa powder is an unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder that’s both rich and bitter - and it gives these treats their suitably spooky color. We balanced out the dark notes with a sweet confectioners’ sugar glaze (also made with black cocoa). A shower of festive sprinkles adds crunch and visual appeal.

Ingredients

Doughnuts:

Glaze:

Directions

Special equipment:
2 nonstick 6-cavity doughnut pans (3.25-inch diameter doughnuts)
  1. For the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray 2 nonstick 6-cavity doughnut pans (3.25-inch diameter doughnuts) with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk the butter, eggs, granulated sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth and combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then stir with a silicone spatula until just combined and a thick batter forms.
  3. Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pans. Alternatively, transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe into the doughnut pans (this method is slightly cleaner). Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
  4. Let the doughnuts cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
  5. For the Glaze: Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the vanilla. Then whisk in 1 tablespoon milk, gradually adding more until a thick and smooth glaze forms. Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze, then return to the wire rack and sprinkle immediately with Halloween sprinkles. Let set, about 30 minutes.

Cook’s Note

Aside from giving baked goods an intense black color, black cocoa powder is less acidic than other cocoa powders, providing a more mellow cocoa flavor. You can swap in regular Dutch processed cocoa in this recipe, but the texture may vary slightly and the color of the doughnuts will be a fudgy brown instead of black. Black cocoa powder can be purchased online or at specialty baking stores.