These old-fashioned chocolate glazed donuts are fried and then dipped in a thin vanilla glaze so they’re crispy outside and tender inside. This is the chocolate version of my glazed old-fashioned donuts . They’re such a treat with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast, as a snack, or after dinner. No fancy equipment is needed, you can fry these in a Dutch oven!
If you love cake donuts prefer them baked instead of fried, then I’d recommend with these Cider Donuts of Pumpkin Donuts,
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Donuts With Glaze
When it comes to recreating a favorite bakery treat at home, it doesn’t get much better than chocolate glazed donuts… or is it doughnuts? Either way, these are delicious. They’re soft, fudgy, and tender inside, with a crispy exterior coated in a sweet, crackly old-fashioned glaze. I love sipping on a cup of coffee with a fresh donut in hand, no matter the time of day. They’re a huge hit with the whole family, but especially my 4 year old.
What You Need to Know
- No yeast. Since there’s no yeast, they’re leavened with baking soda and baking powder. It’s a quicker, easier method than waiting for yeasted dough to rise.
- Deep-fried. These chocolate cake donuts are fried, not baked. Frying these donuts in oil gives them an irresistibly crispy, crinkly crust. Dipped in thin vanilla glaze, they’re rustic and fudgy, just the way I like them.
- Enriched with sour cream. Sour cream (or Greek yogurt) makes these homemade donuts extra moist, tender, and full of flavor.
- Flavor. These donuts themselves are not overly chocolaty. If you’d prefer a more intense chocolate flavor, I would suggest a chocolate glaze or a chocolate ganache topping (more on that below)
A Few Ingredient Notes
These are my notes on the important ingredients you’ll need to make perfectly glazed chocolate donuts. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the printable list with the full recipe amounts and details.
- Cake Flour – Cake flour is low-protein, and results in a lighter, more tender crumb. However, you can substitute cake flour with all-purpose flour in a pinch, it will lend to a denser crumb.
- Cocoa Powder – I recommend a good-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Learn about the different types of cocoa powder and when to use them.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Since these cake donuts are made without yeast, it’s important to check the expiration dates on your leavening. It should be as fresh as possible to ensure these donuts puff up while they fry.
- Espresso Powder – You won’t taste the coffee, but instant espresso powder helps enhance the flavors of chocolate baked goods (you’ll find it in many of my chocolate cake recipes). It’s optional, so you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Butter and Shortening – I use unsalted butter and Crisco vegetable shortening, softened to room temperature.
- Egg Yolks – Just the yolks. Like the butter and shortening, these should be at room temperature.
- Sour Cream – Sour cream adds flavor and moisture. I recommend full-fat sour cream, and you can also substitute it with Greek or plain yogurt.
- Corn Syrup – Corn syrup prevents sugar crystals from forming, which gives the glaze a smooth, glossy finish. I recommend light corn syrup.
What’s the Best Oil for Frying?
In addition to the donut and glaze ingredients, you’ll need to pick up a 40-ounce bottle of vegetable oil with a high smoke point for frying. Other good oils for deep frying include canola, sunflower, and peanut oil, which hold up at high temperatures.
How to Make Chocolate Glazed Donuts
I love making cake donuts since it’s just as easy as mixing the dough for sugar cookies. Similarly, the donut dough needs a bit of time to chill in the fridge. Follow along below, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
First, Prepare the Dough
- Mix the dry ingredients. Mix cake flour with cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Set that aside.
- Beat the wet ingredients. Using a mixer, cream the sugar with butter and shortening until it’s well-combined and fluffy, this can take a few minutes. Then, beat in the egg yolks, followed by the sour cream and a dash of vanilla.
- Combine. Mix the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Once that’s 50% combined, bring the rest of the dough together using a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix only until combined with no streaks of flour remain. It’s super important not to overmix! The dough may be sticky.
- Chill the dough. Finally, wrap the donut dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 60 minutes.
Next, Shape and Fry the Donuts
Once the dough has chilled long enough, you’re ready to cut out and fry these chocolate donuts:
- Prep. Take out a large, heavy pot and get 2” of oil preheating on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Use a candy thermometer to check that the oil reaches 340ºF. This can take time to heat, so I start about a half hour before I want to start frying.
- Cut out the dough. Meanwhile, roll out the chilled donut dough to about ½” thick. You will need a well-floured surface for this. Then, use a donut cutter to cut out your chocolate donuts, reforming and rolling out the dough in between, until you’ve used up all the dough (the same way you’d cut out sugar cookies).
- Fry. Working in batches, carefully drop the cut-out donuts into the hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes per side, and transfer the fried donuts to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to catch the excess oil. Repeat until all the donuts (and the donut holes!) are fried.
Help! My Dough Is Sticky!
You may find the dough feels soft and sticky even after chilling in the fridge. Here’s some tips to working with it.
- Use plenty of flour when rolling it out and don’t press too firmly.
- Coat the cutter. Place the donut cutter in flour before cutting
- Use an angled spatula to get under the cut circles, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Return the dough to the fridge to chill as you fry. Since you’ll only fry 2 or 3 at a time, keep the rest of the cut circles in the fridge. The chilled dough is easier to handle.
Add the Glaze
Lastly, it’s time to dunk these donuts in a simple, sweet glaze. Make sure to do this in advance of serving so that the glaze has time to set:
- Make the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and a little salt in a bowl. If you need to thicken or thin out your glaze, add additional powdered sugar or milk as needed.
- Dip the donuts. While the donuts are still warm, dip them one at a time into the thin glaze. Place the dipped donuts back onto a cooling rack and leave them to dry before serving.
Julianne’s Frying Tips
- Use the right tools. A cast iron Dutch oven is best for deep frying, as it retains heat better than a stainless steel pot. I also recommend a pair of chopsticks for flipping the donuts, and a heat-proof spider strainer or similar to remove the fried donuts from the oil afterward.
- Fry at the right temperature. The temperature of the oil needs to be between 330-340ºF. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the donuts won’t cook through evenly. On the other hand, if the oil gets too hot, use a splash of room-temperature oil to cool it down and prevent scorching. A candy thermometer works best for taking the temperature of the hot oil.
- Take care when frying. Make sure that children and pets steer clear of the kitchen while you’re frying with hot oil, and never leave the stove unattended. To avoid splashes, flip the donuts away from you, toward the back of the stove.
Julianne’s Recipe Notes
- Ganche glaze: For an even richer chocolate-glazed donut, dip these in homemade chocolate ganache instead. It’s easy to make with equal parts chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Heat the cream until it’s simmering, and pour that over the chocolate. Rest for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Afterward, dip the tops of the donuts into the ganache and place them into the fridge to set. It takes longer for the ganache to set than the glaze.
- Chocolate glaze: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the glaze for more chocolate flavor. If you still want a more intense flavor, add another tablespoon.
- Add sprinkles. If you’d like to finish these donuts with rainbow sprinkles, remember to add them while the glaze is still wet.
- If you don’t own a donut cutter, no problem! You can MacGyver a cut-out using a ring mold (like a biscuit or large cookie cutter), glass, or a small bowl or ramekin. Use this to cut out the outer ring first. Then, use a bottle cap, round piping tip, or similar to cut out a 1” hole in the center of the donut.
How to Store
- At room temperature. Fried chocolate donuts are best when enjoyed fresh, but you can keep leftovers stored airtight on the counter for up to 2 days. After that, they tend to get a bit hard and stale and the glaze can get sticky.
- Freeze. You can freeze the cooled donuts for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a ziplock bag. Thaw the donuts unwrapped at room temperature for best results. If you’re planning to freeze, you may want to consider adding the glaze after they are thawed.
Description
These old-fashioned chocolate glazed donuts are enriched with sour cream, deep-fried, and dipped in a thin vanilla glaze. They’re extra crispy outside and tender inside, perfect with coffee or tea.
For the Donuts:
For the Glaze:
For the Donuts:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl and hand mixer) combine sugar, butter, and shortening, beating on a medium-high speed until well combined and fluffy. Add in egg yolks and mix until just incorporated, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
- Next, add in the flour mixture and mix on low until about 50% combined, then switch to a silicone spatula or wooden spoon and flip and press the dough just until the flour disappears, DO NOT OVERMIX. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
- When the dough is chilling, in a large, heavy pot, heat at least 2” oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 340°F (this can take up to 30 minutes).
- Turn the chilled dough out onto a clean, well-floured surface. Gently press and roll the dough out until it is ½” thick, using flour as needed. Use a donut cutter to cut out as many donuts as you can, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut. Form the remaining dough back together and repeat the process until all the dough has been used. Do not overwork the dough.
- To fry the donuts, carefully place 2-3 donuts at a time into the preheated oil and fry for 2 minutes per side. Flip and fry the other side for 2 minutes. Once fried, carefully remove the donut from the pot and place it into a cooling rack, letting any excess oil drip off of the donuts. Be sure to fry the donut holes as well!
For the Glaze:
- While the donuts are frying, make the glaze. In a large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together until smooth.
- Dip the warm donuts into the glaze, then place them into a wire cooling rack to let the excess drip off. Allow the glaze to dry before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to mix in the flour until just combined. You do not want to over-mix these donuts as they will be tough instead of tender. We use cake flour to keep these tender, over mixing the dough will create too much gluten.
- If you don’t have a donut cutter, you can use any ring mold, glass, or small bowl to cut the outer ring. Then find something about 1” wide, such as a bottle cap or a pastry piping tip, and use that to cut the hole out.
Working with sticky dough
- Use plenty of flour when rolling it out and don’t press too firmly.
- Coat the cutter. Place the donut cutter in flour before cutting
- Use an angled spatula to get under the cut circles, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Return the dough to the fridge to chill as you fry. Since you’ll only fry 2 or 3 at a time, keep the rest of the cut circles in the fridge. The chilled dough is easier to handle.
Glaze options
- Ganache glaze: For an even richer donut, you could glaze these donuts with a simple ganache. Add chopped chocolate to a bowl, then measure an equal amount of cream and heat it up to just a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and let it set for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Glaze the donuts and then place them in the fridge until fully set. You could add sprinkles while the ganache is still wet if you desire.
- Chocolate glaze: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the glaze for more chocolate flavor. Add up to 2 tablespoons as needed.
Frying Tips
- Best pans for frying: I recommend using a cast iron Dutch oven for deep frying, it will retain its heat for longer than a stainless steel pot.
- Use chopsticks to easily flip the donuts, and if you have a spider strainer, that is the best way to remove the donuts from the oil.
- Keep the temperature between 330-340 degrees. Adding a splash of room-temperature oil can help cool down the oil and prevent it from scorching if it gets too hot.
Storage
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- At room temperature. Fried chocolate donuts are best when enjoyed fresh, but you can keep leftovers stored airtight on the counter for up to 2 days. After that, they tend to get a bit hard and stale and the glaze can get sticky.
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- Freeze. You can freeze the cooled donuts for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a ziplock bag. Thaw the donuts unwrapped at room temperature for best results. If you’re planning to freeze, you may want to consider adding the glaze after they are thawed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 544
- Sugar: 51.7 g
- Sodium: 372 mg
- Fat: 22.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 83.6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5.2 g
- Cholesterol: 75.2 mg
