Cakes & Cupcakes • Chocolate • Seasonal
Chocolate Donut Cake
February 23, 2024
You guys went wild for this Glazed Old Fashioned Donut Cake and for good reason! It tastes EXACTLY like an […]
You guys went wild for this Glazed Old Fashioned Donut Cake and for good reason! It tastes EXACTLY like an old-fashioned donut from your favorite corner shop but you can make it at home without even changing out of your pj’s. Being the chocolate lover that I am, it was only a matter of time until I made a chocolate donut cake. You heard that right. CHOCOLATE. DONUT. CAKE. Topped with a glossy vanilla glaze, this cake takes all your favorite flavors of an old fashioned donut and mashes them up with a chocolate bundt cake. Breakfast (and dessert!) never looked better!!
Why is this donut cake so good?
Trust me when I say you’ll love everything about this donut cake from how perfectly chocolatey it is to how easy it is to make. I could go on and on about how good this cake is. Here’s a few reasons why this recipe is a keeper:
Cake for breakfast. I’m here for it. Not only are we having chocolate for breakfast but we’re also having CAKE. Need I say more?
Easy to make. This cake comes together in about an hour with just a handful of staple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
Loaded with rich, fudgy, chocolate flavor. So good I promise you’ll be back for seconds!
Easily made gluten free. Gluten free girlies deserve cake for breakfast too which is why I tested this cake using regular AND gluten free flour. I’m happy to report the gluten free version is just as delicious and you’ll never miss the gluten!
Ingredients
You can whip up this easy donut cake in minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flour
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Cocoa powder
- Buttermilk
- Sour Cream
- Baking powder + baking soda
- Hot water
How to make chocolate donut cake
Donut cakes are as much fun to make as they are to eat! Just follow this easy step-by-step guide and check out the recipe card below for ingredients and detailed instructions. I like to use a stand mixer to make this cake but an electric hand mixer works just as well.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prep a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan with a generous coating of non-stick baking spray.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Add the eggs, followed by the vanilla. Mix to combine well.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with room temperature sour cream and buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
Step 5: Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more and remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Use a large spatula or wooden spoon to stir in the hot water, mixing until fully combined.
Step 6: Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and tap it firmly on the countertop three times to release any air bubbles.
Step 7: Place the bundt pan on a large sheet pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean or with a few crumbs remaining.
Step 8: Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Set a timer for exactly 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, place a cooling rack or cake platter on top of the cake and invert it in on motion, flipping the cake 180°. Place another cooling rack or cake plate on top of the cake again and flip once more, exposing the “bottom” or rough side of the bundt.
Step 9: Cool completely before drizzling the cake with the glaze. Allow the glaze to set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the best donut cake
Did someone say cake for breakfast? Ummm, yes please! This donut cake is delicious for breakfast OR dessert. Just follow these easy tips for perfectly baked cake every time!
- Prep your pan. This easy and delicious donut cake is served upside down right out of a bundt pan. Any bundt pan will do but the simpler, the better. Grease your bundt pan generously with a non-stick baking spray, being careful that no puddles of oil collect in the bottom of the pan. For more tips on baking the perfect bundt cake, check out this post.
- Make it extra moist. This cake is super tender and the crumb is perfectly light and fluffy thanks to the addition of sour cream and buttermilk. The combination guarantees a super moist cake and the acidity helps give the cake a higher rise.
- Don’t skimp on the glaze. This donut bundt is delicious served plain, but the simple glaze is literally the icing on the cake. It makes the cake taste exactly like a fresh donut from your favorite shop! Be sure cool the cake completely before adding the glaze and feel free to cover the sides of the cake for extra deliciousness.
How to store
Freshly baked donuts are best the day they are made and so is this cake! I promise you’ll be back for seconds (and thirds!) If you do happen to have a few slices left over, store them tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Thanks to the moisture from the sour cream and buttermilk, this donut cake will stay soft and moist for days after you make it. To freeze the cake, wrap the unglazed cake in two layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze flat for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before adding the glaze.
Happy baking!
Looking for more delicious donut cakes? You’ll love these:
Chocolate Donut Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Take all the delicious flavors of a chocolate old fashioned donut and turn them into an easy chocolate donut cake. Perfectly chocolately and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze, this cake is a hit for both breakfast and dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 (300 g) cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (345 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup (75 g) Dutch process cocoa powder (I like Rodelle or Hershey’s Special Dark)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup hot water
For Donut Glaze
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan generously with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cardamom. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the buttermilk and sour cream. Mix until just barely combined with a few streaks of flour remaining. Do not over mix.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the hot water. Stir with with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap pan firmly on the countertop 3 times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs remaining. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use a cooling rack or cake platter to invert the cake. Flip the cake once more to expose the rough bottom face up. Cool completely before adding the glaze.
For Donut Glaze
- In a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable. If glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, being sure to drench the top allow the glaze to drip over the sides of the cake. The glaze will harden as it sits. For best results, allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Store cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the cake, cool completely and then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Do not glaze the cake before freezing. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then glaze before serving.
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1 Comment
Suzie
March 2, 2024 at 12:33 pmBaked this to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, it was a big hit and a super fun surprise to have a special cake at breakfast! Perfect crumb, easy recipe and really delicious. Definitely will bake again.