Baked Mini Chocolate Cake Donuts

It's a good thing these bad boys are mini. And baked. Because they are delicious and you might be tempted to eat a few. And then a couple extra to convince yourself they really are that tasty. Light and fluffy with delicious chocolate flavor and a perfect glaze, these mini donuts are one of my new favorite things. I got a mini donut pan for Christmas which means I need to make a bunch of donuts to make sure it works. So I started with a classic glazed chocolate cake donut, my absolute favorite. Forget the frosted and the cream filled, I will also grab at these chocolatey, glazed, cakey circles of yum first. They are also my go-to donut hole. I can't deny my chocolate habit in any form.

Once I got the pan, I knew I'd have to search for the right recipe. But I ended up not going far, choosing the recipe on the pan's packaging, the Nonstick Petite Donut Pan from Norpro Professional Essentials. It's perfect for cake donuts and a great size for when you want a donut, but you don't want to feel like a glutton. And how awesome is it to wake up and make them instead of running to Dunkin' Donuts at 8 am?  I added baking soda to the recipe because I'd read a few different recipes that included both soda and powder. I also added a bit of espresso powder for a rich chocolate flavor.  Next time I make these, I might double the glaze recipe and do a double dip for a more authentic donut shop copy-cat. If you are a donut fan, or a chocolate fan, or a fan of things that are fun, you'll love these mini chocolate cake donuts.

Baked Mini Chocolate Cake Donuts

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons hot water

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder (if using) and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick in texture.

Measure milk into a measuring cup and add melted butter, stirring to combine. Gradually add egg mixture to flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture. Stir between each addition to combine and make a smooth batter, but take care not to overmix. Mix just until ingredients are combined.

Lightly grease mini donut pan with cooking spray and spoon batter into donut wells until about 2/3 full, smoothing out the tops as much as possible. Note: You could also transfer batter to a piping bag and pipe the batter into the wells to ensure an even layer.

Bake at 325 degrees F 8 to 10 minutes until tops spring back and donuts pull away from sides of pan.  Cool in pan for about 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

While donuts cool, make glaze by placing powdered sugar in a small bowl and whisking in water until glaze is smooth and liquid. Note: You can add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Place waxed paper or a flexible cutting mat under the wire racks to catch drips. Dip each donut into glaze, allowing excess to drip off before placing back on wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining donuts and glaze.

Once glaze is set, serve or store in an airtight container for 2 days or freeze.

Makes 30 mini donuts.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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