Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes
I'm always hesitant to invest in kitchen gear that I want but don't feel like I really need. So when I saw a doughnut pan at Target recently, my first thought was, "I gotta have that!" Then the sane part of my brain kicked in and said, "Catherine, do we really need yet another baking pan"?
It took me years to invest in a crock pot and rice cooker, both of which I can safely say have changed my life in the kitchen, so I tried rationalizing that this pan would do the same. That felt like a stretch. Finally the fun part of me chimed in and said, "of course we need a doughnut pan!" Oh, how I love my fun part.
Sure, no one in my family needs a fried doughnut, but I thought if I could make a healthier, baked doughnut for say breakfast or a snack treat, the pan would pay for itself in the long run from all the money I'd save not having to buy doughnuts.
I've made pumpkin doughnuts using Ziploc bags to pipe out the doughnuts. That system works great, but I have to say my new Doughnut Pan is AWESOME and turns out the most perfectly baked doughnut I've ever tasted in terms of size, shape and texture.
When I gave these Baked Cinnamon Chocolate Doughnuts to the kids for breakfast the first morning I made them, they went absolutely nuts. Doughnuts, let alone chocolate ones, just about qualified me for sainthood in their eyes. It was one of those moments that I actually felt like a totally rockin' mom for bringing that kind of joy to them in the morning.
That's as good of an argument as I need to have "yet another baking pan." ;)
by Catherine McCord, Weelicious.com
What you'll need
Doughnuts
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Icing
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk or cream
Notes:
* If you don’t have a doughnut pan, place the dough in a large Ziploc bag, seal the bag airtight and then cut off a 1/2 inch of one corner. Pipe the dough into (circles) doughnuts on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
How to make it
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- In a standing mixer (or bowl using a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla and combine.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Spoon into greased and floured donut pan.*
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
- To make the icing, place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cool.
- Drizzle with frosting and serve.
