Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts
My Chocolate Old Fashioned Donut recipe strikes the perfect balance between the timeless charm of old-fashioned sour cream donuts and a serious penchant for all things chocolate. These irresistible chocolate cake donuts feature a rich cocoa-infused batter that’s fried until it achieves crispy edges and tender middles, plus a crown of glossy chocolate glaze that's sure to have you reaching for seconds (or thirds!).
Servings: 12 Doughnuts
Calories: 272kcal
Equipment
- Air Tight Container
- Doughnut Cutter or Cookie Cutters
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
Chocolate Old Fashioned Doughnuts
- 2 Cups Cake Flour
- ½ Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Crisco or Shortening
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- Canola Oil for Frying
Chocolate Doughnut Glaze
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Corn Syrup
- ¾ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ Cup Hot Water plus more if needed
- ⅔ Cup Semisweet Chocolate melted
Instructions
Mixing & Frying Doughnuts
- Whisk together the dry ingredients – cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl.2 Cups Cake Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, ½ Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- Place the Sugar and Crisco in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix for about 2 minutes. Then add the egg yolks and mix for an additional two minutes before adding the sour cream.½ Cup Sugar, 2 tablespoon Crisco or Shortening, 2 Large Egg Yolks, 1 Cup Sour Cream
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two separate parts, mixing until just combined.
- Place the dough in an air-tight container in the fridge for an hour – I like to make my dough in the afternoon and let it sit in the fridge overnight before continuing on.
- Place enough oil in a cast-iron pot so that you have at least 3 inches of oil in height from the base of the pot. Heat the oil to 330 degrees Fahrenheit.Canola Oil for Frying
- Meanwhile, dust your work surface with flour and place the dough on top. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and roll out your dough to be ½ inch thick. Cut as many doughnuts and holes as possible using a doughnut cutter or circular cookie cutters of various sizes. Make sure to dip the cutter in flour before each cut otherwise it will stick!
- Feel free to re-roll your dough and continue to cut more doughnuts and doughnut holes until you have barely any scraps left.
- Before you start the process of frying, I like to prepare my space by setting a cooling rack or a large plate near my cast iron pot and line with paper towels.
- To test that your oil is ready to go, I like to use a doughnut hole and drop it into our preheated oil. To fry your doughnuts, you’ll fry for 15 seconds on the first side, then flip to cook for 75 seconds. Then, finally flip the doughnut to cook for an additional 75 seconds until golden brown before removing from oil and set them on your prepared paper towels.
- Continue cooking doughnuts and doughnut holes in this fashion until there are none left! Make sure to continually monitor the temperature of your oil and only add doughnuts when the oil reads approximately 330 degrees Fahrenheit.
Glazing Doughnuts
- Add all ingredients (other than the melted chocolate) into the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk everything until properly combined. Add the melted chocolate and stir - adding more hot water to the glaze if you prefer a thinner glaze.4 Cups Powdered Sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon Corn Syrup, ¾ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ⅓ Cup Hot Water plus more if needed, ⅔ Cup Semisweet Chocolate
- Dip the tops of the freshly fried doughnuts straight into the glaze before setting them on a cooling rack to set.
Video
Notes
What’s the best way to store old-fashioned chocolate donuts?
Allow the donuts to cool completely at room temperature before storing them in an airtight container, using pieces of parchment to separate the layers and keep the donuts from sticking together.
They're best served fresh on the day they're made, but they'll keep for 1-2 days at room temperature. For a longer shelf life, you can refrigerate them for up to 5 days, though refrigeration can affect the texture, making them slightly denser.
For longer storage, wrap each donut individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Label with the date to keep track. Frozen donuts can be stored for up to 2-3 months. When you're ready to enjoy a frozen donut, let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours or microwave it for a short time to warm it up.
Nutrition
Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
